He had before made a journey some distance into
the interior with a white traveler. He was a tall and powerfully
built negro, very ugly, but with a pleasant and honest face. Frank
felt at once that he should like him.
"You quite understand," Mr. Goodenough explained, "we are going
through the Fan country, far into the interior. We may be away from
the coast for many months."
"Me ready, sar," the man answered with a grin. "Mak no odds to
Ostik. He got no wife, no piccanniny. Ostik very good cook. Master
find good grub; he catch plenty of beasts."
"You're not afraid, Ostik, because it is possible we may have
trouble on the way?"
"Me not very much afraid, massa. You good massa to Ostik he no run
away if fightee come; but no good fight whole tribe."
"I hope not to have any fighting at all, Ostik; but as I have got
six Houssas with me who will all carry breech loading guns, I think
we should be a match for a good sized tribe, if necessary."
Ostik looked thoughtful. "More easy, massa, go without Houssas,"
he said. "Black man not often touch white traveler."
"No, Ostik, that is true; but I must take with me trade goods for
paying my way and hiring carriers, and if alone I should be at the
mercy of every petty chief who chose to plunder and delay me.
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