f, "he made with us a foolish palaver, believing
that we had put away B'chumbiri."

"And he shall return to that foolish palaver," said Bosambo grimly, "and
if he goes away unsatisfied, behold I will come, and I will take your
old men, and I will hang them by hooks into a tree and roast their feet.
For if there is no Sandi and no law, behold I am Sandi and I law, doing
the will of a certain bearded king, Togi-tani."

He left the village of M'fa a little unhappy for the space of a day,
when, native-like, they forgot all that he had said.

In the meantime, up and down the river went Bones, palavers which lasted
from sunrise to sunset being his portion.

He had in his mind one vital fact, that for the honour of his race and
for the credit of his administration he must bring to justice the man
who slew the thing which he had found in the river. Chiefs and elders
met him with scarcely concealed scorn, and waited expectantly to hear
his strong, foreign language. But in this they were disappointed, for
Bones spoke nothing but the language of the river, and little of it.

He went on board the _Zaire_ on the ninth night after his discovery,
dispirited and sick at heart.

"It seems to me, Ahmet," he said to the Houssa sergeant who stood
waiting silently by the table where his meagre dinner was laid, "that no
man speaks the truth in this cursed land, and that they do not fear me
as they fear Sandi."

"Lord, it is so," said Ahmet; "for, as your lordship knows, Sandi was
very terrible, and then, O Tibbetti, he is an older man, very wise in
the ways of these people, and very cunning to see their heart. All great
trees grow slowly, O my lord! and that which springs up in a night dies
in a day."

Bones pondered this for a while, then:

"Wake me at dawn," he said. "I go back to M'fa for the last palaver, and
if this palaver be a bad one, be sure you shall not see my face again
upon the river."

Bones spoke truly, his resignation, written in his sprawling hand, lay
enveloped and sealed in his cabin ready for dispatch. He stopped his
steamer at a village six miles from M'fa, and sent a party of Houssas to
the village with a message.

The chief was to summon all eldermen, and all men responsible to the
Government, the wearers of medals and the holders of rights, all landmen
and leaders of hunters, the captains of spears, and the first headmen.
Even to the witch doctors he called together.

"O soldier!" said the chief, dubiou