rocks he came upon a shelter which
had been built of boughs for the old Queen Vanga by her maidens, and
the two former rulers talked bitterly of the evils that had come to
their tribes since they had ceased to reign.

While Dick Oakwood and Dan were busy with Raal and Kulki, organizing
the forces of the two tribes for a night attack on the invaders, the
two old leaders, shorn of their power, sat in the dark forest, plotting
and grumbling.

"The old ways are the best," muttered Wabiti. "It brought nothing but
misfortune when our Great Gorol was broken to bits."

"The old ways are the only right ways," said Vanga, her sharp features
screwed into a grimace of hatred. "Once our tribe had a wise man, a
one-eyed witch-doctor named Cimbula, who could always help us when the
gods were angry. Now we have Tahara, but as for me, I like Cimbula
better. His single eye glowed like fire and terrified all the tribe.
But he treated me with respect and his magic was strong."

Vanga spoke sharply to her handmaidens, "Don't sit there doing nothing!
You, Veena, bring a basket of fruit and a gourd of honey and crushed
grapes for my friend the great Chief Wabiti."

"I hear, I obey," said the girl obediently and went to fetch them.

"As for you others," Vanga ordered, "scatter in the mountains. Call
aloud for Cimbula and look in all the caves where he may be hiding.
Perhaps he can save us yet."

So while the old chieftain and the ex-queen plotted, the women and
girls searched among the wilds of the Gorol Land mountains calling in
their plaintive, shrill voices, "Cimbula! Come out of hiding, O mighty
magic worker!"

The witch-doctor heard the call, but was in no hurry to answer.

Since he had been driven out of the tribe when Dick Oakwood was
crowned, the treacherous medicine man had lurked in the high hills,
biding his time.

With only one disciple, a youth named Keltan to bring him food and act
as spy among the tribesmen, Cimbula brooded over his loss of power and
planned revenge.

"Go, Keltan," he directed his slave, "ask who wants Cimbula and why?
But do not say that you know where I am to be found. Just learn what
you can and bring me word in secret."

Through the forest rang the faint, high-pitched call, "Cimbula! Return
to us, O Master of wizardry!"

Cimbula grinned and his single eye glowed in triumph.

The hour had come for him to be again a power in the land.

CHAPTER V

CIMBULA WEAVES A PLOT

"Da