el traders slew, was my friend; and can I forget his death with
such a contemptible present as that which you have brought to me? Go
slaves, and tell your masters that, unless they send me fifty bales of
cloth, and fifty guns, with twenty barrels of gunpowder, they must
return the way they came.' These, my masters, are the words which
Olimali bade us tell you."

A deep silence followed this declaration of the King of Kwikuru, and the
Arabs instinctively looked at one another in surprise and dismay.

Sheikh Mohammed, the black-browed Arab, resolute and determined as he
always was, first broke the silence with the question, directed to Moto:

"Have you regarded well this village of Olimali?"

"I have, master," said Moto.

"Is it strong? Speak, for I respect your opinion, Moto."

"It is strong, master, much too strong for us to attack it with our
people. If the Warori come out of their village they could not take
this camp while our men remained within."

"That is well-spoken, Moto," replied Mohammed; and turning to Sheikh
Khamis, he asked:

"Hast thou decided what to do, son of Abdullah?"

"Mashallah! my friend, can I decide upon so important a subject as
giving away thy property to this greedy infidel? May his soul perish in
Al Hotamah! Does he think that cloth, and guns, and powder grow in the
jungles of Africa? But this is serious, and we must set on our heads
the caps of wisdom and understanding to consider the determination of
Olimali. Speak, friends, Arabs of Muscat and chiefs of Zanzibar, my
ears are open."

Out spoke Amer bin Osman: "Do you think, Moto, if we offered half he
would accept?"

"No, master, I do not. I think Olimali desires war and not peace, and
if he thought you would send fifty bales of cloth, he would ask for
fifty more. I heard the people talk, as I left the King's presence, of
war. My ears are very sharp."

"War!" shouted Mohammed, "then war he shall have, and I shall have the
pleasure to put light through his body with my good Shiraz sword;" and
Sheikh Mohammed looked as fierce as his threat.

"Peace, Mohammed, my friend," said Sultan bin Ali. "It is not everyone
who trusteth in his sword flourisheth. I think there are more ways of
tiding over this evil hour than by war, even if we were doubly strong
with men and guns. Let us act prudently in the hour of danger."

"Sultan bin Ali is right," said Sheikh Thani. "Rather let us try all
pacific measures first, and let