APPENDIX. 197
it was a custom from the day he was born, and that he would come and pay his respects the ensuing day. He kept his promise, and we were not sorry when we were rid of the company of this fat old man."
Many incidents occurred while the party was encamped near Nangoro which aroused suspicion and great alarm, the Damaras were exceedingly afraid, and appeared in momentary expectation at all hours of the night and day of being surrounded by the Ovampo and massacred ; but no overt act was committed until the party prepared to leave :-
" On the morning of the 3oth of July we yoked in the oxen at daylight, and made a start just as the sun was making its appearance above the horizon. To guard against their opposing our exit from Ondonga, our caravan was arranged as follows : the loose cattle and donkeys were kept in advance, under an escort of all the available Damaras ; after which came the four waggons, that of Mr. Hahn bringing up the rear. As I still retained a horse, I was mounted, and continued with the cattle in advance. We had not ridden many hundred yards when a party of the Ovampo came running from the direction of the chief's village ; one of the sons of the latter asked both Mr. II. and myself if we were going, to which we replied that we were ; shortly after, the `war cry' resounded on all sides. Some made a rush forward for the road to bar our progress."
Mr. Hahn went unarmed to one of Nangoro's sons whom he recognized in the crowd and expostulated with him. This had a slight effect in checking the demonstration, but shortly after there was a cry, and Nangoro's son had driven his assegai through the back of one of the Damaras; the poor fellow dropped, but as he fell he fired off both barrels of his gun, killing an elder son of Nangoro and another man, besides wounding his murderer. This was the critical moment. Mr. Green says :
" I rode forward to meet one man, more daring than the rest, who was stealthily approaching with his javelin quivering in his hand ; I suddenly dismounted, and, whilst he sat thinking to escape the bullet, with a well-directed and steady aim I shot him ; and the words ' blood for blood' rested on my lips. It was the first fellow-creature I had ever killed. There remained nothing more but to fight for my life, and that of the people I had brought into danger-and I was determined to sell it dearly,"
