bo had spoken the truth.

Bones, as I have said before, was no fool. He confirmed Bosambo's order
for the evacuation of the island, but left a Houssa guard to hold it.

Then he hurried north to the Ochori.

Bosambo formed his royal procession, but there was no occasion for it,
for Bones was in no processional mood.

"What the dooce do you mean, sir?" demanded a glaring and threatening
Bones, his helmet over his neck, his arms akimbo. "What do you mean,
sir, by saying I'm married to your infernal aunt?"

"Sah," said Bosambo, virtuous and innocent, "I no savvy you--I no
compreney, sah! You lib for my house--I give you fine t'ings. I make um
moosic, sah----"

"You're a jolly old rotter, Bosambo!" said Bones, shaking his finger in
the chief's face. "I could punish you awfully for telling wicked
stories, Bosambo. I'm disgusted with you, I am indeed."

"Lord who never sleeps," began Bosambo, humbly.

"Hey?"

Bones stared at the other in amazement, suspicion, hope, and
gratification in his face.

"O, Bosambo," said he mildly, and speaking in the native tongue, "why do
you call me by that name?"

Now, Bosambo in his innocence had used a phrase (_M'wani-m'wani_) which
signifies "the sleepless one," and also stands in the vernacular for
"busy-body," or one who is eternally concerned with other people's
business.

"Lord," said Bosambo, hastily, "by this name are you known from the
mountains to the sea. Thus all men speak of you, saying: 'This is he who
does not sleep but watches all the time.'"

Bones was impressed, he was flattered, and he ran his finger between the
collar of his uniform jacket and his scraggy neck as one will do who is
embarrassed by praise and would appear unconcerned under the ordeal.

"So men call me, Bosambo," said he carelessly "though my lord M'ilitani
does not know this--therefore in the day when M'ilitani comes, speak of
me as _M'wani-m'wani_ that he may know of whom men speak when they say
'the sleepless one.'"

Everybody knows that _Cala cala_ great chiefs had stored against the
hour of their need certain stocks of ivory.

Dead ivory it is called because it had been so long cut, but good cow
ivory, closer in grain than the bull elephant brought to the hunter,
more turnable, and of greater value.

There is no middle island on the river about which some legend or buried
treasure does not float.

Hamilton, hurrying forward to the support of his second-in-command,
stopped long enoug