iki think I am, then, Jeekie?"

"They think you your reverend uncle come back after many, many year.
You see, Major, they not believe uncle run away with Little Bonsa; they
believe Little Bonsa run away with uncle just for change of air and so
on, and that now, when she tired of strange land, she bring him back
again. That why you so holy, favourite of Little Bonsa who live with you
all this time and keep you just same age, bloom of youth."

"In Heaven's name," asked Alan, exasperated, "what is Little Bonsa,
beyond an ancient and ugly gold fetish?"

"Hush," said Jeekie, "mustn't call her names here in her own house.
Little Bonsa much more than fetish, Little Bonsa alive, or so," he added
doubtfully, "these silly niggers say. She wife of Big Bonsa, you see,
to-morrow p'raps. But their story this, that she get dead sick of Big
Bonsa and bolt with white Medicine man, who dare preach she nothing but
heathen idol. She want show him whether or no she only idol. That the
yarn, priests tell it me to-day. They always watch for her there by the
edge of the lake. They always sure Little Bonsa come back. Not at all
surprised, but as she love you once, you stop holy; and I holy also,
thank goodness, because she take me too as servant. Therefore we sleep
in peace, for they not cut out throats, at any rate at present, though I
think," he added mournfully, "they not let us go either."

Alan sat down on a stool and groaned at the appalling prospect suggested
by this information.

"Cheer up, Major," said Jeekie sympathetically. "Perhaps manage hook it
somehow, and meanwhile make best of bad business and have high old time.
You see you want to come Asiki-land, though I tell you it rum place,
and," he added with certitude and a circular sweep of his hand, "by
Jingo! you here now and I daresay they give you all the gold you want."

"What's the good of gold unless one can get away with it? What's the
good of anything if we are prisoners among these devils?"

"Perhaps time show, Major. Hush! here come dinner. You sit still on
stool and look holy."

The door opened and through it appeared four of the women bearing dishes
and cups full of drink, fashioned of gold like that which had been given
to Alan in the litter. He noticed at once that they had removed their
veils and outer garments, if indeed they were the same women, and now,
like many other Africans, were but lightly clad in linen capes open in
front that hung over their shoulder