Fred murmured.

"Cuckoo!" laughed Will.

"I don't believe he'd dare approach a British official with his story,"
said I.

"Incredible imbecile!" Fred answered. "He has the gall of a brass
monkey."

"And magnetism--loads of it," Will added. "He'd make the Pope play
three-card monte."

"To say nothing," continued Fred, "of the necessity of not letting the
government know we're here! Rather than turn him loose, I'd march him
into Kisumu and hand him over. But, as Will says wisely, our
proconsuls would believe him, and put us under bonds for outraging a
distinguished foreigner."

"Well, then," said I, "what the devil shall we do with him? Offer
something constructive, you two solons!"

"Have the four men we borrowed from the island bolted home yet?"
wondered Will.

"They hadn't this evening," I answered. "I don't believe they'll
venture home until we stop feeding them. They were hungry on their
island. Our shortest commons then seemed affluence. Now they're in
heaven!"

"Their canoes must be where they left them in the papyrus."

"Sure. Who'd steal a canoe?"

"Whoever could find them," Fred answered. "But they're skilfully
hidden. Why don't we put Schillingschen and his ten pet blacks into
those canoes, with a little food and no rifles--and show them the way
to German East?"

"Because," said I, "they wouldn't go. They'd turn around and paddle
for Kisumu, to file complaint against us."

"Don't you suppose," suggested Will, "that Schillingschen's own men 'ud
insist on going home? Out on the water, ten to one, without guns or
too much food, they wouldn't have the same fear of him they had
formerly."

"That chance is too broad and long and deep," said Fred. "Altogether
too bulky to be taken. Let's sleep on it. This cigar's done, and I'm
drowsy. Are you quite sure Schillingschen's hands are fast behind him?
Then good night, all!"

The problem looked no easier next morning, with Schillingschen
recovered sufficiently to be hungry and sit up. There was a look in
his eye of smoldering courage and assurance that did not bode well for
us, and when we untwisted the iron wire from his wrists to let him wash
himself and eat he looked about him with a sort of quick-fire cunning
that belied his story of headache.

He was much too astute a customer to be judged superficially. I
whispered to Fred not to shackle him again too soon, and sat near and
watched him, close enough for real safety, yet not