it was
finished he opened his eyes and pointed to Komba, saying:

"Arise, Kalubi-that-is-to-be."

So Komba rose, and in his cold, precise voice narrated his share in the
transaction, telling how he had visited Bausi, and all that had happened
in connection with the embassy. Again the Motombo appeared to go to
sleep, only opening his eyes once as Komba described how we had been
searched for firearms, whereon he nodded his great head in approval and
licked his lips with his thin red tongue. When Komba had done, he said:

"The gods tell me that the plan is wise and good, since without new
blood the people of the Pongo will die, but of the end of the matter the
god knows alone, if even he can read the future."

He paused, then asked sharply:

"Have you anything more to say, O Kalubi-that-is-to-be? Now of a sudden
the god puts it into my mouth to ask if you have anything more to say?"

"Something, O Motombo. Many moons ago the god bit _off_ the finger of
our High Lord, the Kalubi. The Kalubi, having heard that a white man
skilled in medicine who could cut off limbs with knives, was in the
country of the Mazitu and camped on the borders of the great lake, took
a canoe and rowed to where the white man was camped, he with the beard,
who is named Dogeetah, and who stands before you. I followed him in
another canoe, because I wished to know what he was doing, also to see
a white man. I hid my canoe and those who went with me in the reeds far
from the Kalubi's canoe. I waded through the shallow water and concealed
myself in some thick reeds quite near to the white man's linen house.
I saw the white man cut off the Kalubi's finger and I heard the Kalubi
pray the white man to come to our country with the iron tubes that
smoke, and to kill the god of whom he was afraid."

Now from all the company went up a great gasp, and the Kalubi fell down
upon his face again, and lay still. Only the Motombo seemed to show no
surprise, perhaps because he already knew the story.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"No, O Mouth of the god. Last night, after the council of which you have
heard, the Kalubi wrapped himself up like a corpse and visited the white
men in their hut. I thought that he would do so, and had made ready.
With a sharp spear I bored a hole in the wall of the hut, working from
outside the fence. Then I thrust a reed through from the fence across
the passage between the fence and the wall, and through the hole in the
hut, and set