ught his way clear of his captors, and had swum with the stream to
headquarters.

"To-morrow is also a day," quoth Sanders.

Hamilton was first on the deck of the s.s. _Paretta_, and found his
sister and a debonair and complacent Bones waiting for him. With them
was an officer whom Hamilton recognized.

"Company accounts all correct, sir," said Bones, "audited by the jolly
old paymaster"--he saluted the other officer--"an' found correct, sir,
thus anticipatin' all your morose an' savage criticisms."

Hamilton gripped his hand and grinned.

"Bones was really wonderful," said the girl, "they wouldn't have seen us
if it hadn't been for his idea."

"Saved by wireless, sir," said Bones nonchalantly. "It was a mere
nothin'--just a flash of inspiration."

"You got the wireless to work?" asked Hamilton incredulously.

"No, sir," said Bones. "But I wanted a little extra steam to get up to
the ship, so I burnt the dashed thing. I knew it would come in handy
sooner or later."

CHAPTER V

THE REMEDY

Beyond the far hills, which no man of the Ochori passed, was a range of
blue mountains, and behind this again was the L'Mandi country. This
adventurous hunting men of the Ochori had seen, standing in a safe place
on the edge of the Great King's country. Also N'gombi people, who are
notoriously disrespectful of all ghosts save their own, had, upon a
time, penetrated the northern forest to a high knoll which Nature had
shaped to the resemblance of a hayrick.

A huntsman climbing this after his lawful quarry might gain a nearer
view of the blue mountains, all streaked with silver at certain periods
of the year, when a hundred streams came leaping with feathery feet from
crag to crag to strengthen the forces of the upper river, or, as some
said, to create through underground channels the big lakes M'soobo and
T'sambi at the back of the N'gombi country.

And on summer nights, when the big yellow moon came up and showed all
things in her own chaste way, you might see from the knoll of the
hayrick these silver ribbons all a-glitter, though the bulk of the
mountain was lost to sight.

The river folk saw little of the L'Mandi, because L'Mandi territory lies
behind the country of the Great King, who looked with a jealous eye upon
comings and goings in his land, and severely restricted the movement and
the communications of his own people.

The Great King followed his uncle in the government of the pleasant
O'Mongo lan