Odyssey From Africa 3a

CHAPTER 3 The River While they paused to rest a moment Han gazed suddenly behind them To the south a long way distant Faintly rose a hazy ribbon From the grassland; Han spoke quietly, "Loved ones, we are being followed" Then to his close gathered family Han explained an old tradition Handed down from father's fathers Was an evil superstition: Every time that bad stuff happened It was always due to witchcraft Someone was communicating With the spirits of the dark side Custom then demanded that they Find and kill the spirit-talker "These pursuers mean to harm us; We must get across the river" So they hurried on together Northwards in the failing sunlight After running for an hour They encountered trees and bushes And attained the reedy shoreline Of the wide and turbid river On the bank of the Zambezi Mighty from its Congo catchment Flowing eastward through Malawi To the Mozambiquan coastline Now what tiredness overwhelmed them! Down they lay near to exhaustion We must keep, thought Han, a vigil; Soon however all lay sleeping Yet a while before the sunrise Han was wakened by some noises Something splashing in the river, Baleful voices of a lion pride In the dark his mind worked quickly How to get across the river? To his skills as a boat-builder Han then turned for a solution Lying partly in the water Was a buffalo's dried carcass Han worked quickly with his stone-axe To remove the hide of leather It was not in great condition; Parts of it were strong and supple, So despite the noxious odour Han cut out a modest yardage Several stems from nearby saplings Were employed as ribs and gunwales Kwona now appeared and started Sewing wood and hide together Then they saw the dawn's first glimmer Pink and green on the horizon Pausing briefly Han and Kwona Stood up and surveyed the grassland By the hazy morning sunlight They could see four men approaching Distant figures drawing nearer Quick they ran to wake the children Soon the family were gathered At the boat that they were building Birds and monkeys in the treetops Sang the chorus of the morning Which this day brought deadly danger Four apocalyptic figures Armed with spears and running silent Drawing closer every moment Kwona made a final binding Fastening the sticks together "It will only take two people" Han said, "we must make two crossings"