o a kind of chant.

"Ye may hear the laughter of the little ones. There are no such at
the door of Muata's hut, for a man cannot take unto himself wives
and keep his arm strong to cast the spear, his eyes clear to follow
the trail, and his heart strong to face the dangers that come out of
the forest.

"Ye hear the voice of the young men and maidens singing in the
dance. Ye may see the mothers about their work, and the old men at
the fire. For them the cloud is past. They sit in the warmth of the
sun, and heed not the shadows that gather in the trees. The boy who
sits in the tree to frighten the birds from the grain has his turn
at the dance. But the chief, he watches always; for Muata there is
no rest in the Place of Rest."

"You are the first chief ever I heard take that weight upon his
shoulders," said Mr. Hume, with admiration he could not restrain.

"Why don't you resign?" said Compton.

"Haw!"

"Let some one else be chief."

Muata's nostrils quivered in disgust. "Wow! I am a chief, and the
son of a chief. Who is there to take my place?"

"But you were a long time away."

"Ohe! and, as ye have seen, men conspired to let Hassan and his man-
eaters in upon the valley. So my word to you, my brothers, is, to
choose ground for huts;" and the chief stalked away.

"I don't envy him his post," said Mr. Hume, looking after him; "but
I was right, you see."

"Well, when we want to go we will go," said Compton. "In the mean
time we will make the best of these quarters and this valley, which
is a good enough place for a holiday. And remember I have to find my
father's journal."

Leaving the Hunter at the cave, the Young Lion and the Spider went
off on an excursion, and, of course, turned their steps first of all
to the gorge, to see the place where the great stand had been made.
They were greeted by a small band of warriors, who were squatting on
the ledge from which they had fired, and who apparently were on
guard. They found themselves on the outer slope of the crater,
looking down once more on the interminable reaches of the forest,
with just a gleam of water showing at intervals to mark the course
of the river up which Hassan's flotilla of canoes had sailed after
leaving the wide lagoon. Descending from the ledge to the level of
the gorge, they saw the place where the Hunter had made his stand--a
little square of rock opening on to the wood path, up which the wild
men had rushed to the attack. This path, as