t, my son," he answered. "Vengeance shall be taken on them such
as would make the flesh twist upon the bones merely to hear of it. To
_She_ shall they go, and her vengeance shall be worthy of her greatness.
That man," pointing to Mahomed, "I tell thee that man would have died a
merciful death to the death these hyaena-men shall die. Tell me, I pray
of thee, how it came about."

In a few words I sketched what had happened.

"Ah, so," he answered. "Thou seest, my son, here there is a custom that
if a stranger comes into this country he may be slain by 'the pot,' and
eaten."

"It is hospitality turned upside down," I answered feebly. "In our
country we entertain a stranger, and give him food to eat. Here ye eat
him, and are entertained."

"It is a custom," he answered, with a shrug. "Myself I think it an evil
one; but then," he added by an afterthought, "I do not like the taste
of strangers, especially after they have wandered through the swamps and
lived on wild-fowl. When _She-who-must-be-obeyed_ sent orders that ye
were to be saved alive she said naught of the black man, therefore,
being hyaenas, these men lusted after his flesh, and the woman it was,
whom thou didst rightly slay, who put it into their evil hearts to
hot-pot him. Well, they will have their reward. Better for them would it
be if they had never seen the light than that they should stand before
_She_ in her terrible anger. Happy are those of them who died by your
hands."

"Ah," he went on, "it was a gallant fight that ye fought. Knowest thou
that, long-armed old baboon that thou art, thou hast crushed in the ribs
of those two who are laid out there as though they were but as the shell
on an egg? And the young one, the lion, it was a beautiful stand that
he made--one against so many--three did he slay outright, and that one
there"--and he pointed to a body that was still moving a little--"will
die anon, for his head is cracked across, and others of those who are
bound are hurt. It was a gallant fight, and thou and he have made a
friend of me by it, for I love to see a well-fought fray. But tell me,
my son, the baboon--and now I think of it thy face, too, is hairy, and
altogether like a baboon's--how was it that ye slew those with a hole in
them?--Ye made a noise, they say, and slew them--they fell down on the
faces at the noise?"

I explained to him as well as I could, but very shortly--for I was
terribly wearied, and only persuaded to talk at all th