This Free State, you know, is controlled by half a
dozen nations."
"I wonder if the country will ever be thoroughly civilized?"
"It will take a long while, I am afraid. Christianity will have
to come first. Many of the tribes in Africa are, you must
remember, without any form of religion whatever, being even worse
than what we call heathens, who worship some sort of a God."
"Don't they believe in anything?" asked Sam.
"Nothing, Sam. And their morality is of the lowest grade in
consequence. They murder and steal whenever the chance offers,
and when they think the little children too much care for them
they pitch them into the rivers for the crocodiles to feed upon."
"The beasts!" murmured Tom. "Well, I reckon at that rate,
civilization can't come too quick, even if it has to advance
behind bayonets and cannon."
CHAPTER XXII
A HURRICANE IN THE JUNGLE
On and on went the expedition. In the past many small towns and
villages had been visited where there were more or less white
people; but now they reached a territory where the blacks held
full sway, with -- but this was rarely -- a Christian missionary
among them.
At all of the places which were visited Cujo inquired about King
Susko and his people, and at last learned that the African had
passed to the southeast along the Kassai River, driving before him
several hundred head of cattle which he had picked up here and
there.
"Him steal dat cattle," explained Cujo, "but him don't say dat
stealin', him say um -- um -"
"A tax on the people?" suggested Dick.
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