Houssas, a dumb
man, taken in the act of armed aggression, N'gori stood.

"You're a naughty boy," said Bones, reproachfully, "and if jolly old
Sanders were here--my word, you'd catch it!"

N'gori listened to the unknown tongue, worried by its mystery. "Lord,
what happens to me?" he asked.

Bones looked very profound and scratched his head. He looked at the
Chief, at Bosambo, at the river all aglow in the early morning sunlight,
at the _Zaire_, with her sinister guns a-glitter, and then back at the
Chief. He was not well versed in the dialect of the Akasava, and Bosambo
must be his interpreter.

"Very serious offence, old friend," said Bones, solemnly; "awfully
serious--muckin' about with spears and all that sort of thing. I'll have
to make a dooce of an example of you--yes, by Heaven!"

Bosambo heard and imperfectly understood. He looked about for a likely
tree where an unruly chief might sway with advantage to the community.

"You're a bad, bad boy," said Bones, shaking his head; "tell him."

"Yes, sah!" said Bosambo.

"Tell him he's fined ten dollars."

But Bosambo did not speak: there are moments too full for words and this
was one of them.

CHAPTER II

THE DISCIPLINARIANS

Lieutenant Augustus Tibbetts of the Houssas stood at attention before
his chief. He stood as straight as a ramrod, his hands to his sides, his
eyeglass jammed in his eye, and Hamilton of the Houssas looked at him
sorrowfully.

"Bones, you're an ass!" he said at last.

"Yes, sir," said Bones.

"I sent you to Ochori to prevent a massacre, you catch a chief in the
act of ambushing an enemy and instead of chucking him straight into the
Village of Iron you fine him ten dollars."

"Yes, sir," said Bones.

There was a painful pause.

"Well, you're an ass!" said Hamilton, who could think of nothing better
to say.

"Yes, sir," said Bones; "I think you're repeating yourself, sir. I seem
to have heard a similar observation before."

"You've made Bosambo and the whole of the Ochori as sick as monkeys, and
you've made me look a fool."

"Hardly my responsibility, sir," said Bones, gently.

"I hardly know what to do with you," said Hamilton, drawing his pipe
from his pocket and slowly charging it. "Naturally, Bones, I can never
let you loose again on the country." He lit his pipe and puffed
thoughtfully. "And of course----"

"Pardon me, sir," said Bones, still uncomfortably erect, "this is
intended to be a sort of officia