d the strange belt of metal about his waist.

"O Lamalana," he said softly, "laugh gently, for I have quick ears and I
smell blood."

He pointed to the darkening forest path down which they had come.

"Many have been sacrificed and none heard them," he said, "this I know
now. Let there be an end to killing, for I am M'gani, the Walker of the
Night, and very terrible."

"Wa!" screamed Lamalana, and leapt at him with clawing hands and her
white teeth agrin. Then something soft and damp struck her face--full in
the mouth like a spray of water, and she fell over struggling for her
breath, and rose gasping to her feet to find the Walker had gone.

III

Before Bosambo's hut Bones sat in a long and earnest conversation, and
the subject of his discourse was children. For, alarmed by the ominous
suggestion which Bones had put forward, that his superior should be
responsible for the well-being of Henry in the absence of his
foster-parent, Hamilton had yielded to the request that Henry should
accompany Bones on his visit to the north.

And now, on a large rug before Bosambo and his lord, there sat two small
children eyeing one another with mutual distrust.

"Lord," said Bosambo, "it is true that your lordship's child is
wonderful, but I think that M'sambo is also wonderful. If your lordship
will look with kind eyes he will see a certain cunning way which is
strange in so young a one. Also he speaks clearly so that I understand
him."

"Yet," contested Bones, "as it seems to me, Bosambo, mine is very wise,
for see how he looks to me when I speak, raising his thumb."

Bones made a clucking noise with his mouth, and Henry turned frowningly,
regarded his protector with cool indifference, and returned to his
scrutiny of the other strange brown animal confronting him.

"Now," said Bones that night, "what of the Walker?"

"Lord, I know of him," said Bosambo, "yet I cannot speak for we are
blood brothers by certain magic rites and speeches; this I know, that he
is a good man as I shall testify to Sandi when he comes back to his own
people."

"You sit here for Government," said Bones, "and if you don't play the
game you're a jolly old rotter, Bosambo!"

"I know 'um, I no speak 'um, sah," said Bosambo, "I be good fellah, sah,
no Yadasi fellah, sah--I be Peter feller, cut 'em ear some like, sah!"

"You're a naughty old humbug," said Bones, and went to bed on the
_Zaire_ leaving Henry with the chief's wife....

In the dar