s primary mission was a peaceful one, and when
it found first the frontiers of the Akasava and then the river borders
of the Isis closed against it, it turned to the north in an endeavour to
find service under the Great King, beyond the mountains. Here it was
repulsed and its pacific intentions doubted. The M'gimi formed a camp a
day's march from the Ochori border, and were on the thin line which
separates unemployment from anarchy when Bosambo, Chief of the Ochori,
who had learnt of their presence, came upon the scene.

Bosambo was a born politician. He had the sense of opportunity and that
strange haze of hopeful but indefinite purpose which is the foundation
of the successful poet and statesman, but which, when unsuccessfully
developed, is described as "temperament."

Bones, paying a business call upon the Ochori, found a new township
grown up on the forest side of the city. He also discovered evidence of
discontent in Bosambo's harassed people, who had been called upon to
provide fish and meal for the greater part of six thousand men who were
too proud to work.

"Master," said Bosambo, "I have often desired such an army as this, for
my Ochori fighters are few. Now, lord, with these men I can hold the
Upper River for your King, and Sandi and none dare speak against him.
Thus would N'poloyani, who is your good friend, have done."

"But who shall feed these men, Bosambo?" demanded Bones hastily.

"All things are with God," replied Bosambo piously.

Bones collected all the available information upon the matter and took
it back to headquarters.

"H'm," said Sanders when he had concluded his recital, "if it were any
other man but Bosambo ... you would require another battalion,
Hamilton."

"But what has Bosambo done?" asked Patricia Hamilton, admitted to the
council.

"He is being Napoleonic," said Sanders, with a glance at the youthful
authority on military history, and Bones squirmed and made strange
noises. "We will see how it works out. How on earth is he going to feed
them, Bones?"

"Exactly the question I asked, sir an' Excellency," said Bones in
triumph. "'Why, you silly old ass----'"

"I beg your pardon!" exclaimed the startled Sanders.

"That is what I said to Bosambo, sir," explained Bones hastily. "'Why,
you silly old ass,' I said, 'how are you going to grub 'em?' 'Lord
Bones,' said Bosambo, 'that's the jolly old problem that I'm workin'
out.'"

How Bosambo worked out his problem may be gathere