e have talk with
him. I tell priests to bring him along when they come with breakfast.
Leave it to me, Major."

Alan did leave it to him, with the result that after long argument
the priests consented or obtained permission to produce Fahni and his
followers, and a little while after the great men arrived looking very
dejected, and saluted Alan humbly. Bidding the rest of them be seated,
he called Fahni to the end of the room and asked him through Jeekie if
he and his men did not wish to return home.

"Indeed we do, white lord," answered the old chief, "but how can we? The
Asika has a grudge against our tribe and but for you would have killed
every one of us last night. We are snared and must stop here till we
die."

"Would not your people help you if they knew, Fahni?"

"Yes, lord, I think so. But how can I tell them who doubtless believe us
dead? Nor can I send a messenger, for this place is guarded and he would
be killed at once. We came here for your sake because you had Little
Bonsa, a god that is known in the east and the west, in the north and
the south, and because you saved me from the lion, and here, alas! we
must perish."

"Jeekie," said Alan, "can you not find a messenger? Have you, who were
born of this people, no friend among them at all?"

Jeekie shook his white head and rolled his eyes. Then suddenly an idea
struck him.

"Yes," he said, "I think one, p'raps. I mean my ma."

"Your ma!" said Alan. "Oh! I remember. Have you heard anything more
about her?"

"Yes, Major. Very old girl now, but strong on leg, so they say. Believe
she glad go anywhere, because she public nuisance; they tired of her in
prison and there no workhouse here, so they want turn her out starve,
which of course break my heart. Perhaps she take message. Some use that
way. Only think she afraid go Ogula-land because they nasty cannibal and
eat old woman."

When all this was translated to Fahni he assured Jeekie with earnestness
that nothing would induce the Ogula people to eat his mother; moreover,
that for her sake they would never look carnivorously on another old
woman, fat or thin.

"Well," said Jeekie, "I try again to get hold of old lady and we see. I
pray priests, whom you save other day, let her out of chokey as I sick
to fall upon bosom, which quite true, only so much to think of that no
time to attend to domestic relation till now."

That very afternoon, on returning to his room from walking in the dismal
cedar