Suddenly a strange feeling of shyness and hesitancy came over me.

Almost stark naked and darkened as I was--a veritable savage, in fact--I realised I could not go and introduce myself to these men without proper clothing.

I knew the value of caution in approaching so-called civilised men, having had bitter experience with the Giles expedition.

Returning to my blacks, I told them that at last I had come up with my own people, but did not want to join them for some little time yet.

Then I selected a couple of my companions, and explained to them that I wanted some white man's clothing.
I instructed them to creep quietly into the camp, take a pair of trousers and shirt that were hanging outside one of the tents, and bring back these articles to me.