, found that this
time, at least, he had made no mistake and rose to the occasion.

In an emerald-green robe with twelve sox suspenders strapped about his
legs and dangling tags a-glitter--he had bought these on his visit to
the Coast--with an umbrella of state and six men carrying a canopy over
his august person, he came down to the beach to greet the
representatives of the Government.

"Lord," said Bosambo humbly, "it gives me great pride that your lordship
should bring his beautiful presence to my country. All this month I have
sat in my hut, wondering why you came not to the Ochori, and I have not
eaten food for many days because of my sorrow and my fear that you would
not come to us."

Bones walked under the canopy to the chief's hut. A superior palaver
occupied the afternoon on the question of taxation. Here Bones was on
safe ground. Having no power to remit taxes, but having most explicit
instructions from his chief, which admitted of no compromise, it was an
easy matter for Bones to shake his head and say in English:

"Nothin' doing"; a phrase which, afterwards, passed into the vocabulary
of the Ochori as the equivalent of denial of privilege.

It was on the second day that Bones broached the question of the
N'bosini. Bosambo had it on the tip of his tongue to deny all knowledge
of this tribe, was even preparing to call down destruction upon the
heads of the barbarians who gave credence to the story. Then he asked
curiously:

"Lord, why do you speak of the land or desire knowledge upon it?"

"Because," said Bones, firmly, "it is in mind, Bosambo, that somewhere
in this country, dwell such a people, and since all men agree that you
are wise, I have come to you to seek it."

"_O ko_," said Bosambo, under his breath.

He fixed his eyes upon Bones, licked his lips a little, twiddled his
fingers a great deal, and began:

"Lord, it is written in a certain _Suru_ that wisdom comest from the
East, and that knowledge from the West, that courage comes from the
North, and sin from the South."

"Steady the Buffs, Bosambo!" murmured Bones, reprovingly, "I come from
the South."

He spoke in English, and Bosambo, resisting the temptation to retort in
an alien tongue, and realizing perhaps that he would need all the
strength of his more extensive vocabulary to convince his hearer,
continued in Bomongo:

"Now I tell you," he went on solemnly, "if Sandi had come, Sandi, who
loves me better than his brother, and w