jail here. His name's Brown."

"That drunkard? Leave him! He's worthless!"

"We've a servant on the chain-gang. His name is Kazimoto."

"A nigger? You'd risk another day in this place for a nigger? How
absurd! They're never grateful. They don't see things from the white
man's standpoint. They don't expect ideal treatment. Leave him his
wages and tell him to follow when they let him off the chain!"

"And we have a string of porters," Fred continued. "We will not leave
Muanza without the porters, our man Kazimoto, and Mr. Brown of Lumbwa!"

"You are mad! You are crazy!"

"We are the men you have invited to trust you," Fred answered kindly.
"Those are our conditions. We will not 'bate one iota! Take
'em or leave 'em, Lady Waldon!"

CHAPTER TEN

IN HOC SIGNO VADE

Lean, loveless, hungry lanes are these!
The longest has an end.
Ill luck tasted to the bitter lees
Soonest shall mend.
From out the foe's ranks if Heaven please
Shall come your friend.

We came to no fixed decision that night, although we knew there was no
alternative. She held out, in the vain hope of making us agree to
leave Kazimoto and Brown behind. The porters, she agreed, might come
in very handy, although it was at least doubtful that we should be able
to slip out of Muanza by land. The Germans had taken latterly to
counting our porters every morning, to supplying them with ration money
once every day, and to sending the bill to us by an askari, who waited
for the cash. At any rate, she conceded the porters, provided we would
leave the two others behind. And of course we were adamant.

She left us an hour and a half before dawn, we letting her return alone
because of the greater danger of detection if we had tried to escort
her. It was after she had gone, while we sat listening for the sound
of a challenge that would have ruined all her hopes, if not ours, that
Will conceived the bright idea which finally saved us.

"The Heinies don't know that we're wise to their game," he said
cheerfully. His ears were sticking out from his head and he had the
naughty boy look that always presaged wisdom. "Why don't we play that
card for all it's worth?"

"We need five cards to make even a poker hand," Fred objected.

"Will a full house suit you--aces and queens?" he answered. "I've
named you one ace already. Ace number two is the fact that these
German officials are brutes pure and simpl