at Bones had some twenty pounds on the _Zaire_, and
Bosambo condescended to come aboard to accept, with outstretched hands,
this earnest of his master's faith.

"Lord," said he, solemnly, as he took a farewell of his benefactor,
"though I lose a great bag of silver because I have betrayed certain
men, yet I know that, upon a day to come, you will pay me all that I
desire. Go in peace."

It was a hilarious, joyous, industrious Bones who went down the river to
headquarters, occupying his time in writing diligently upon large sheets
of foolscap in his no less large unformed handwriting, setting forth all
that Bosambo had told him, and all the conclusions he might infer from
the confidence of the Ochori king.

He was bursting with his news. At first, he had to satisfy his chief
that he had carried out his orders.

Fortunately, Hamilton needed little convincing; his own spies had told
him of the quietening down of certain truculent sections of his unruly
community and he was prepared to give his subordinate all the credit
that was due to him.

It was after dinner and the inevitable rice pudding had been removed and
the pipes were puffing bluely in the big room of the Residency, when
Bones unburdened himself.

"Sir," he began, "you think I am an ass."

"I was not thinking so at this particular moment," said Hamilton; "but,
as a general consensus of my opinion concerning you, I have no fault to
find with it."

"You think poor old Bones is a goop," said Lieutenant Tibbetts with a
pitying smile, "and yet the name of poor old Bones is going down to
posterity, sir."

"That is posterity's look-out," said Hamilton, offensively; but Bones
ignored the rudeness.

"You also imagine that there is no such land as the N'bosini, I think?"

Bones put the question with a certain insolent assurance which was very
irritating.

"I not only think, but I know," replied Hamilton.

Bones laughed, a sardonic, knowing laugh.

"We shall see," he said, mysteriously; "I hope, in the course of a few
weeks, to place a document in your possession that will not only
surprise, but which, I believe, knowing that beneath a somewhat uncouth
manner lies a kindly heart, will also please you."

"Are you chucking up the army?" asked Hamilton with interest.

"I have no more to say, sir," said Bones.

He got up, took his helmet from a peg on the wall, saluted and walked
stiffly from the Residency and was swallowed up in the darkness of the
parad