t the
spearsmen, who were extended in a long line, apparently hunting for
game, charged after them at full speed. They were fresh and their legs
were long. Therefore very soon they overtook the dwarfs and even got
in front of them, heading them off from the forest. The end may
be guessed,--save a few whom they reserved alive, they killed them
mercilessly, and almost without loss to themselves, since the little
forest folk were too terrified and exhausted to shoot at them with their
poisoned arrows, and they had no other weapons.

In fact, as Alan discovered afterwards, for generations there had been
war between them, since all the other tribes hate the dwarfs, whom they
look upon as dangerous human monkeys, and never before had the big men
found such a chance of squaring their account.

When Jeekie saw this fearful-looking company, for the first time his
spirits seemed to fail him.

"Ogula!" he exclaimed with a groan and sat himself upon a flat rock,
pulling Alan down beside him. "Ogula! Know them by hair and spears," he
repeated. "Up gum tree now, say good-night."

"Why? Who are they?" gasped Alan.

"Great cannibal, Major, eat man, eat us to-night, or perhaps to-morrow
morning when we nice and cool. Say prayers, Major, quick no time waste."

"I think I will shoot an Ogula or two first," said Alan grimly, as he
stood up and lifted his gun.

"No, not shoot, no good. Pretend not be afraid, best chance. Let Jeekie
think, let Jeekie think," and he slapped his forehead with his large
hand.

Apparently the action brought inspiration, for next instant he grabbed
his master by the arm and dragged him back behind the shelter of a
big boulder which they had just passed. Then with really marvellous
swiftness he cut the straps of the tin box that Alan wore upon his back,
and since there was no time to find the key and unlock it, seized the
little padlock with which it was fastened between his finger and thumb,
and putting out his great strength, with a single wrench twisted it off.

"What are you----" began Alan.

"Hold tongue," he answered savagely, "make you god, I priest. Ogula know
Little Bonsa. Quick, quick!"

In a minute it was done, the golden mask was clapped on to Alan's head,
and the leather thongs were fastened. Moreover, Jeekie himself was
arrayed in the solar-tope to which all this while he had clung, allowing
streams of green mosquito netting to hang down over his white robe.

"Come out now, Major," he