go forward from this
moment shall be sacrificed at the yam feast and the dogs shall eat their
entrails. These are my words."

"Then whither would you go from Tomboura?" asked Kouaga, apparently
astonished at Omar's sudden decision.

"I will only approach Mo by the Great Salt Road."

"It is impossible. There is fighting in the hills, for the Karaboro and
the Dagari are at war."

"And what matters, pray, since they are both our allies?" Omar asked.

For a moment the negro was nonplussed, but with a broad grin showing his
even row of teeth, he said:

"The bird goes not into the serpent's lair, neither does the son of the
Queen enter the country of her enemies."

"I have already given tongue to my decision," my friend replied.
"Advance, and each of your heads shall fall beneath the keen _doka_ of
Gankoma, the executioner."

Kouaga, hearing these words, set his teeth fiercely, and glancing at us
with his fiery eyes, the whites of which were bloodshot, retorted:

"Recede, and we will carry you forward, bound as a slave."

"This is a threat!" cried Omar, drawing himself up to his full height and
stretching forth his arm. "You, whom my mother raised from a
palace-slave, thus threaten me! Let it be thus, but I warn you that if
you ever set foot across the borders of Mo, your head shall be set upon
the palace wall as a warning to disobedient slaves." Then, turning to me,
and waving back the crowd of carriers who had collected and stood
open-mouthed around us, he said, "Come, Scars, we will return. I have
thrice traversed the path from Tomboura to the Great Salt Road, and can
follow it without a guide."

Then, calling down the curse of Zomara, the dreaded, upon them all, he
turned on his heel and walked down the narrow path we had traversed on
the previous night, while, with a final glance of triumph at the irate
negro, I followed.

Scarcely had we gone fifty yards, however, before a dozen carriers,
acting upon orders from Kouaga, had rushed after us, seized us, and
dragged us back to him despite our desperate struggles.

"So you defy me!" the negro cried in a paroxysm of rage, as Omar was
brought up. "This is because I was fool enough to allow your white-faced
friend to accompany you. Our country is no place for whites, but he will
make a good sacrifice to Zomara when our journey is ended. You have both
refused to accompany us, therefore we must use force." Then, turning to
the half-naked savages who held us, he