ll give us a
wide land where we may build us huts and sow our corn. And they also
will give us women, and we shall settle in comfort, and I will be chief
over you. And, growing with the moons, in time I shall make you a great
nation."

They might have crossed the stream that evening and committed themselves
irrevocably to their invasion. Bizaro was a criminal, and a lazy man,
and he decided to sleep where he was--an act fatal to the smooth
performance of his enterprise, for when in the early hours of the
morning he marched his horde to the N'glili river he found two thousand
spears lining the opposite bank, and they were under a chief who was at
once insolent and unmoved by argument.

"O chief," said Bosambo pleasantly, "you do not cross my beautiful
flowers to-day."

"Lord," said Bizaro humbly, "we are poor men who desire a new land."

"That you shall have," said Bosambo grimly, "for I have sent my warriors
to dig big holes wherein you may take your rest in this land you
desire."

An unhappy Bizaro carried his six hundred spears slowly back to the land
from whence he had come and found on return to the mixed tribes that he
had unconsciously achieved a miracle. For the news of armed men by the
N'glili river carried terror to these evil men--they found themselves
between two enemies and chose the force which they feared least.

On the fourth day following his interview with Bosambo, Bizaro led five
thousand desperate men to the ford and there was a sanguinary battle
which lasted for the greater part of the morning and was repeated at
sundown.

Hamilton brought his Houssas up in the nick of time, when one wing of
Bosambo's force was being thrust back and when Bizaro's desperate
adventurers had gained the Ochori bank. Hamilton came through the
clearing, and formed his men rapidly.

Sword in hand, in advance of the glittering bayonets, Bones raced
across the red field, and after one brief and glorious melee the invader
was driven back, and a dropping fire from the left, as the Houssas shot
steadily at the flying enemy, completed the disaster to Bizaro's force.

"That settles _that_!" said Hamilton.

He had pitched his camp on the scene of his exploit, the bivouac fires
of the Houssas gleamed redly amongst the anemones.

"Did you see me in action?" asked Bones, a little self-consciously.

"No, I didn't notice anything particularly striking about the fight in
your side of the world," said Hamilton.

"I suppos