length would be wearisome, but in the course of an hour
or so he collected a good deal of information. Thus he learned that they
were due to arrive at the Asiki city, which was called Bonsa Town, by
nightfall, or a little after. Also he was informed that the mask he wore
was, as he had guessed, a kind of undress uniform without which he must
never appear, since for anyone except the Asika herself to look upon the
naked countenance of an individual so mysteriously mixed up with Little
Bonsa, was sacrilege of the worst sort. Indeed Jeekie assured him that
the priests who had put on the headdress when he was insensible were
first blindfolded.

This news depressed Alan very much, since the prospect of living in a
linen mask for an indefinite period was not cheerful. Recovering, he
chanted a query as to the fate of the Ogula crew and their chief Fahni.

"Not de-ad," intoned Jeekie in reply, "and not gone back. A-all alive-O,
somewhere behind there. Fanny very sick about it, for he think Asiki
bring them along for sacrifice, poo-or beg-gars."

Finally he inquired where Little Bonsa was and was answered that he
himself as its lawful guardian, was sitting on the fetish in its tin
box, tidings that he was able to verify by groping beneath the cushions.

After this his voice gave out, though Jeekie continued to sing items of
interesting news from time to time. Indeed there were other things that
absorbed Alan's attention. Looking through the peepholes and cracks in
the curtains, he saw that at last they had reached the crest of a ridge
up which they had been climbing for hours. Before them lay a vast and
fertile valley, much of which seemed to be under cultivation, and down
it flowed a broad and placid river. Opposite to him and facing west a
great tongue of land ran up to a wall of mountains with stark precipices
of black rock that seemed to be hundreds, or even thousands, of feet
high, and at the tip of this tongue a mighty waterfall rushed over
the precipice, looking at that distance like a cascade of smoke. This
torrent, which he remembered was called Raaba, fell into a great pool
and there divided itself into two rushing branches that enclosed
an ellipse of ground, surrounded on all sides by water, for on its
westernmost extremity the branches met again and after flowing a while
as one river, divided once more and wound away quietly to north and
south further than the eye could reach. On the island thus formed, which
may