e those to be eaten up?" He touched his naked breast, and then
pointed at each in turn.

"They would attack us," roared Mr. Hume.

The chief nodded. "Now you know who that stranger was who came with
his long story."

"One black chap is like another," muttered Compton.

"Who was he?" asked Mr. Hume.

"The servant of the white chiefs who bound me."

"The Zanzibari boy!" exclaimed Venning. "My Jenkins!"

"Why didn't you knock the beggar overboard?" said Compton. "What
cheek!"

"Does he know you recognized him?" said Mr. Hume.

"The dog was afraid; but at the last he went away, thinking he led
Muata by a rope, as he would lead a goat. Had Hassan, the wolf,
tried to blind Muata so, then----" The chief touched the hilt of his
knife.

"Let us hear the story."

Muata repeated the whole conversation with much byplay, even
imitating the tones, the nervousness, and the sly glances of the
Zanzibar spy, for nothing had escaped his keen glance.

"And those men whose presence he suddenly remembered, and who are
to meet us to-night, will be Hassan's slave-robbers, too?"

"Ow aye," said Muata, with a ferocious gleam in his eyes.

"So, then, they have been waiting for us?"

"On both sides of the river they have been waiting;" and the chief
looked out over the brown flood towards the north bank.

"It was well you talked to the man, for he was skillfully
disguised, even to me, who am no child in these matters."

"Muata is old in cunning," said the chief, quietly. "If he were not
wise, he would not be dreaded by the Wolf."

"I never recognized the beggar," said Venning, "and even now I
cannot recall a feature that was like the Zanzibar! How did you
discover him, Muata?"

"Wow! He wore nothing in his ears, there were no marks on his body,
he had rubbed the dark juice of the chewing-leaf over his skin, and
there was a lie on his tongue, and in his eyes. Ho!--white men, this
is my word, that we fall on them to-night." The chief picked up a
Ghoorka knife. "This is my weapon."

"We are not man-hunters," said Mr. Hume. "We will, however, hang
about till evening, so that they may think we have no suspicions,
and then in the dusk we will push on."

"Wow!" said the chief. "My plan would be to land above, to creep
down and take them unprepared."

"And the canoes from the other side would steal across and cut you
off. No; we will leave them."

"The canoes from the other side," said Compton, starting up. "I
rather thi