cave, they were at liberty to satisfy their longing to take
their fill of the beauty outspread before them. Perhaps it was by
contrast with the monotony of the forest that the scene below them
seemed to them all to be the most beautiful that had ever gladdened
the eyes of men. Imagine a valley about five miles in length,
narrowing at each end, and opening out about the centre to a width
of two miles, the sides of grass sloping up to a buttress of rock,
and rippling along the whole length into folds, with little valleys
in between--narrow at the summit, where they joined the rock-wall,
and wide at the base, where they opened out on the parent valley,
through which flowed a broad stream, fringed its whole length with a
border of pale green banana-leaves with stems of gold. In the little
valleys were gardens, showing up like a chessboard pattern in neat
patches of green, red, and brown, according to whether there was
ripening millet, young maize, or new-turned mould. Halfway down the
valley was a village of beehive-shaped huts, with an open space in
the centre, adorned with one fine tree, under whose spreading
branches they could see distinctly the forms of men. In the strong
white light every object could be easily picked out--goats browsing
among the rocks at the base of the cliffs; flocks of birds circling
above the gardens; fowls walking among the huts; tiny little black
forms toddling in the sun, and their mothers squatting with their
faces turned to the council tree.

"No women in the gardens," said Mr. Hume, "and that always means
war."

Venning readjusted his glasses. "There is something I can't quite
make out at the back of the village. Looks like men lying down."

Mr. Hume took the glasses and turned them on the spot. "Humph!" he
muttered, while his brow clouded. "They are dead men."

"Five," said Compton.

"Yes, five. Muata has been at work!"

"Muata? He was sitting here quietly eating last night."

"Maybe it was either he or they, and he happened to be first to
strike."

"It is awful!" muttered Venning.

The discovery destroyed their pleasure in the gentle beauty of the
scene below, and they fell to discussing Hassan's probable plan of
attack, arriving at the conclusion that the chances of success were
with him, when they contrasted his force with the small band of men
down below.

"While they are talking," said Compton, "Hassan will be seizing the
best positions. Why on earth don't they do somet