ompatriots, for said he:

"It is a wise man who hath that which is his always within his hand, even
as Moonspirit hath the soul of his favourite wife with him always, so that
she may not be unfaithful unto him."

"Eh, he is wiser than the Banana Eater!" grunted the warrior in
admiration.

Birnier's training to control his features was strained in the effort not
to express surprise. He could not imagine from what Mungongo had derived
this astonishing statement, until he recollected that the boy had seen a
photograph of Lucille among his papers.

After this successful demonstration of his sophistication, Mungongo was
anxious that Moonspirit give an exhibition of his magic to dumbfound the
chief witch-doctor, desiring most ardently to work the gramophone, to
operate which he had also learned. But on reflection, Birnier decided that
it was not his policy to make his thunder too cheap.

Each evening as the last subtle violet quivered in the trees had Bakuma
glided from the shelter of the undergrowth under the flap of Birnier's
tent, where she had lain until the first tint of dawn on the foliage of
the forest. Birnier had wished her to leave for some village until
Bakahenzie had left the camp, but Bakuma had frantically pleaded to
remain, knowing that the craft was seeking her throughout the country
since Bakahenzie's latest interview with mighty Tarum.

But upon the third day as Birnier was seated reading philosophically at
his tent door, the inevitable happened. A loud outcry arose and from the
tangle of creepers started the lithe figure of Bakuma, who darted past him
into the tent. For a moment there was silence. But Birnier guessed what
the matter was. Bakahenzie emerged from the wall of green and cried out in
a loud voice. Instantly the warriors around leaped to their feet, and
broke out into great clamour.

Mungongo, busy with the cooking pots, rushed to Birnier's side,
gesticulating wildly. Inside the tent crouched Bakuma. Towards Birnier
advanced Bakahenzie and the warriors, whose dilated eyes and spears in
their hands betokened that Bakahenzie had stirred their deepest feelings
of terror and murder. Birnier smoked placidly, neither stirring nor
permitting a sign of their presence to cross his features.

Mungongo, startled out of his confidence in Moonspirit, excitedly bade
Bakuma go forth as Bakahenzie, stopping in front of the white man, broke
into a harangue, bidding him to give up Bakuma whose sacrilege in