Asiki?" asked Aylward drowsily.

"Oh! you want to know? I tell you," and he began a long, rambling story.

Before he ever came to the end of it Aylward had fallen on his side and
was fast asleep.

"Dear me!" said Jeekie, contemplating him, "that whisky very strong,
though bottle say same as they drink in House of Common. That whisky
so strong I think I pour away rest of it," and he did to the last drop,
even taking the trouble to wash out the bottle with water. "Now you no
tempt anyone," he said, addressing the said bottle with a very peculiar
smile, "or if you tempt, at least do no harm--like kiss down telephone!"
Then he laid down the bottle on its side and left the tent.

Outside of it three of the head porters, who appeared to be friends
of his, were waiting for him, and with these men he engaged in low and
earnest conversation. Next, after they had arrived at some agreement,
which they seemed to ratify by a curious oath that involved their
crossing and clasping hands in an odd fashion, and other symbols known
to West African secret societies, Jeekie went the round of the camp to
see that everyone was at his post. Then he did what most people would
have thought a very curious and strange thing, namely climbed the fence
and vanished into the forest, where presently a sound was heard as of an
owl hooting.

A little while later and another owl began to hoot in the distance,
whereat the three head porters nudged each other. Perhaps they had heard
such owls hoot before at night, and perhaps they knew that Jeekie, who
had "passed Bonsa," could only be harmed by the direct command of Bonsa
speaking through the mouth of the Asika herself. Still they might have
been interested in the nocturnal conversation of those two owls, which,
as is common with such magical fowl in West Africa, had transformed
themselves into human shapes, the shape of Jeekie and the shape of an
Asiki priest, who was, as it happened, a blood relation of Jeekie.

"Very good, Brother," said Owl No. 1; "all you want is this white man
whom the Asika desires for a husband. Well, I have done my best for him,
but I must think of myself and others, and he goes to great happiness.
I have given him something to make him sleep; do you come presently with
eight men, no more, or we shall kill you, to the fence of the camp, and
we will hand over the white man, Vernoon, to you to take back to the
Asika, who will give you a wonderful reward, such a reward as you