ded all the
inhabitants to observe the deepest silence under the penalty of cutting
out their tongues. But he decided to honor them still more solemnly,
and with this in view, when Stas, after a brief rest, came out of the
shed, he approached him and, prostrating himself, said:

"To-morrow Kali shall order Fumba to be buried and shall cause as many
slaves to be cut down for Fumba and for Kali as both have fingers on
their hands, but for the 'bibi' and for the great master, Kali shall
order Faru, the son of Mamba, to be cut to pieces and 'wengi, wengi' of
other Samburus who were captured by the Wahimas."

And Stas knitted his brows and began to gaze with his steely eyes into
Kali's eyes; after which he answered:

"I forbid you to do that."

"Master," the young negro said in an uncertain voice, "the Wahimas
always cut down slaves. The old king--dies cut them down; the young
succeeds--cut them down. If Kali did not command them to be cut down,
the Wahimas would think that Kali is not king."

Stas looked more and more sternly:

"What of it?" he asked. "Did you not learn anything on Mount Linde, and
are you not a Christian?"

"I am, oh, great master!"

"Listen, then! The Wahimas have black brains, but your brains ought to
be white. You, as soon as you became their king, should enlighten them
and teach them what you learned from me and from the 'bibi' They are
like jackals and like hyenas--make men of them. Tell them it is not
allowable to cut down captives, for the Great Spirit to whom I and the
'bibi' pray avenges the blood of the defenseless. The white people do
not murder slaves, and you want to be worse to them than Gebhr was to
you--you, a Christian! Shame on you, Kali. Change the ancient and
abominable customs of the Wahimas for good ones and God will bless you
for this and the 'bibi' will not say that Kali is a savage, stupid, bad
negro."

A horrible din in the huts of the fetish-men deafened his words. Stas
waved his hand and continued:

"I hear! That is your wicked Mzimu, which wants the blood and heads of
the captives. But you, of course, know what that means and it will not
frighten you. Well, I say this to you: take a bamboo stick, go to each
hut and thrash the hides of the fetish-men until they begin to roar
louder than their drums. Cast out the drums into the middle of the
boma, in order that all the Wahimas may see and understand how these
knaves have deceived them. Tell your foolish Wahimas, at t