that ivory
will bring they will create an army that shall take away to-morrow!"

"But how can you prove all this?" Fred asked her.

"How? I know the names of the men who are preaching Germany's sermons
all through British East! I know all Schillingschen's secrets! Why
should I not? I have suffered enough! He is a drunken brute nearly
always after the sun goes down, and his caresses are disgusting; I
have endured them until I know all he knows! Now he realizes that I
know his secrets and have none of my own to tell, so he hopes to send
me to my doom at the hands of the government I have betrayed too many
times! What is the use of my pretending to be better than I am? I am
a spy--a traitress--a divorced woman with worse than no reputation! I
am not a person likely to be shown much mercy! I never would have
recanted unless the end of my rope had come! Now I know I must buy my
pardon--I must earn it--I must pay for it with solid value! Luckily I
can do that! I do not ask you men for mercy. I know what is in store
for you if you do not escape! I offer to help you to escape, in
exchange for helping me!"

"Better be more precise!" suggested Fred. "Exactly what is in store
for us?"

She pointed her finger at me. "You went out of bounds to-day with
Schillingschen! Well and good; he was with you. But you, and you--"
She pointed at Fred and Will. "--went without permission. Why do you
suppose they over-looked such a splendid chance of jailing you legally?
Schillingschen came up to the commandant's house in a towering
passion, demanding the immediate arrest and close confinement of all
three of you. He was only persuaded to wait a few days longer because
a runner has come in with word that the bodies of several Masai whom
you shot on this side of the German border have been found! The
bones--the bullets found among the bones--and cartridge cases that will
fit your rifles are being brought to Muanza! After that--the deluge,
my friends! That is why Professor Schillingschen gets drunk and sings
himself to sleep in spite of your being still at liberty! Either
escape before that evidence reaches Muanza, or make up your minds for
the worst! It is growing late--answer me--do you agree?"

Fred glanced once at each of us. We both nodded.

"We agree with reservations," he said.

"What are they? Man--don't be a fool! Don't fritter the lives of all
of us away!"

"They're simple. We've a friend in the