the river on the one side and more
steeply--since it first sloped downward in that direction--to the Ochori
forest, two miles away. He made this discovery with a little feeling of
alarm. He knew something of native tactics, and though his scouts had
reported that the enemy was effectually routed, and that the nearest
body was five miles away, he put a strong advance picquet on the other
side of the river, and threw a wide cordon of sentries about the camp.
Especially he apportioned Abiboo, his own sergeant, the task of watching
the little river which flowed swiftly between its orderly banks past the
sunken camp. For two days Abiboo watched and found nothing to report.

Not so the spies who were keeping watch upon the moving remnants of
Bizaro's army.

They came with the news that the main body had mysteriously disappeared.
To add to Hamilton's anxiety he received a message by way of
headquarters and the Ochori city from the Administrator.

"Be prepared at the first urgent message from myself to fall back
on the Ochori city. German Government claim that whole of country
for two miles north of river N'glili is their territory. Most
delicate situation. International complications feared. Rely on
your discretion, but move swiftly if you receive orders."

"Leave this to me," said Bones when Hamilton read the message out; "did
I ever tell you, sir, that I was intended for the diplomatic
service----"

* * * * *

The truth about the Ochori border has never been thoroughly exposed. If
you get into your mind the fact that the Imperialists of four nations
were dreaming dreams of a trans-African railway which was to tap the
resources of the interior, and if you remember that each patriotic
dreamer conceived a different kind of railway according to his
nationality and that they only agreed upon one point, namely, that the
line must point contiguous with the Ochori border, you may understand
dimly some reason for the frantic claim that that little belt of
territory, two miles wide, was part of the domain of each and every one
of the contestants.

When the news was flashed to Europe that a party of British Houssas were
holding the banks of the N'glili river, and had inflicted a loss upon a
force of criminals, the approval which civilization should rightly have
bestowed upon Captain Hamilton and his heroic lieutenant was tempered
largely by the question as to whether Capta