hrough some water in an earthen vessel and some _fufu_, a kind of
dumpling made of mashed African potato. During the night, disturbed by
vermin of all sorts, including some horrible little snakes, we slept
little, and at dawn we were again visited by our captors. The next day
and the next passed uneventfully. For exercise we paced our cell times
without number, and when tired would seat ourselves on the rough stone
bench and calmly discuss the situation.

The Naya, the mysterious Great White Queen, had ordered Omar to return
with all haste, yet already two moons had run their course since we had
landed in Africa. This troubled my companion even more than the fact of
being betrayed into the hands of his enemies.

The tiny streak of light that showed high above our heads grew brighter
towards noon, then began slowly to decline. Before the shadows had
lengthened in the court above, however, the sound of our door being
unbarred aroused us from our lethargy, and a moment later, three soldiers
entered and told us to prepare to go before the great ruler Samory. Omar,
attired only in a small garment of bark-cloth, took no heed of his
toilet, therefore we at once announced our readiness to leave the
loathsome place with its myriad creeping things, and it was with a
feeling of intense relief that a few minutes later we ascended to the
blessed light of day.

Marched between a small posse of soldiers, we crossed the court to a
larger and more handsome square, decorated in Arab style with horseshoe
arches and wide colonnades, until at the further end a great curtain of
crimson velvet was drawn aside and we found ourselves in a spacious hall,
wherein many gorgeously attired persons had assembled and in the centre
of which was erected a great canopy of amaranth-coloured silk supported
by pillars of gold surmounted by the crescent. Beneath, reclining on a
divan, slowly fanned by a dozen gaudily-attired negroes, was a
dark-faced, full-bearded man of middle age, whose black eyes regarded us
keenly as we entered. He was dressed in a robe of bright yellow silk, and
in his turban there glittered a single diamond that sparkled and gleamed
with a thousand iridescent rays. His fat brown hand was loaded with
rings, and jewels glittered everywhere upon his belt, his sword, and his
slippers of bright green.

It was the notorious and dreaded chieftain, Samory.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SECRET OF THE QUEEN.

AS we were led forward to the