he, "also many lies, and in my
wisdom I cannot tell which is lie and which is truth. Moreover, the
grains of corn are equal in each pot. Now, this I say, in the name of
my uncle Sandi, and my brother Tibbetti (who is secretly married to my
sister's cousin), that neither Akasava nor Isisi shall sit in this
island for a hundred years."

"Lord, you are wise," said the Akasava chief, well satisfied, and Iberi
was no less cheered, but asked: "Who shall keep this island free from
Akasava or Isisi? For men may come and there will be other palavers and
perhaps fighting?"

"That I have thought of," said Bosambo, "and so I will raise a village
of my own people on this island, and put a guard of a hundred men--all
this I will do because I love you both--the palaver is finished."

He rose in his stately way, and with his drums beating and the bright
spearheads of his young men a-glitter in the evening sunlight, embarked
in his ten canoes, having expanded his territory without loss to himself
like the Imperialist he was.

For two days the chiefs of the Akasava and the Isisi were satisfied with
the justice of an award which robbed them both without giving an
advantage to either. Then an uneasy realization of their loss dawned
upon them. Then followed a swift exchange of messages and Bosambo's
colonization scheme was unpleasantly checked.

Hamilton was on the little lake which is at the end of the N'gini River
when he heard of the trouble, and from the high hills at the far end of
the lake sent a helio message staring and blinking across the waste.

Bones, fishing in the river below Ikan, picked up the instructions, and
went flying up the river as fast as the new naphtha launch could carry
him.

He arrived in time to cover the shattered remnants of Bosambo's fleet as
they were being swept northward from whence they came.

Bones went inshore to the island, the water jacket of a Maxim gun
exposed over the bow, but there was no opposition.

"What the dooce is all this about--hey?" demanded Lieutenant Tibbetts
fiercely, and Iberi, doubly uneasy at the sound of an unaccustomed
language, stood on one leg in his embarrassment.

"Lord, the thief Bosambo----" he began, and told the story.

"Lord," he concluded humbly, "I say all this though Bosambo is your
relation since you have secretly married his sister's cousin."

Whereupon Bones went very red and stammered and spluttered in such a way
that the chief knew for sure that Bosam