the Houssa sentry who dozed across the threshold of Hamilton's hut
was not aware of his return; and silently, with fiercely whispered
injunctions, so that the surprise should be all the more complete, Bones
landed his unruly cargo, its feet chained, his great muzzle lassoed and
bound with raw hide, its powerful and damaging tail firmly fixed between
two planks of wood (a special idea for which Bones was responsible).
Then Lieutenant Tibbetts went to the hut of his chief and woke him.

"So here you are, are you?" said Hamilton.

"I am here," said Bones with trembling pride, so that Hamilton knew his
subordinate had been successful; "according to your instructions, sir, I
have captured the green crocodile. He is of monstrous size, and vastly
superior to your partly-worn lady friend. Also," he said, "as per your
instructions, conveyed to me in your letter dated the twenty-third
instant, I have fastened same by right leg in the vicinity of the pool;
at least," he corrected carefully, "he was fastened, but owing to
certain technical difficulties he slipped cable, so to speak, and is
wallowing in his native element."

"You are not rotting, Bones, are you?" asked Hamilton, busy with his
toilet.

"Perfectly true and sound, sir, I never rot," said Bones stiffly; "give
me a job of work to do, give me a task, put me upon my metal, sir, and
with the assistance of jolly old Bosambo----"

"Is Bosambo in this?"

Bones hesitated.

"He assisted me very considerably, sir," he said; "but, so to speak, the
main idea was mine."

The chief's drum summoned the villages to the palaver house, but the
news had already filtered through the little township, and a crowd had
gathered waiting eagerly to hear the message which Hamilton had to give
them.

"O people," he said, addressing them from the hill of palaver, "all I
have promised you I have performed. Behold now in the pool--and you
shall come with me to see this wonder--is one greater than M'zooba, a
vast and splendid spirit which shall protect your crops and be as
M'zooba was, and better than was M'zooba. All this I have done for you."

"Lord Tibbetti has done for you," prompted Bones, in a hoarse whisper.

"All this have I done for you," repeated Hamilton firmly, "because I
love you."

He led the way through the broad, straggling plantation to the great
pool which begins in a narrow creek leading from the river and ends in a
sprawl of water to the east of the village.

The w