cance, and the Counsellor wilted, because the huts in the forest
are for the sick, the old, and the mad, and here they are left to starve
and die; "for," N'gori went on, "all men know that Sandi has gone to his
people across the black waters, and the M'ilitani rules. Also, in
nights of storms there are men who see even devils."

With more than ordinary care he prepared for the final settling with
Bosambo the Robber, and there is a suggestion that he was encouraged by
the chiefs of other lands, who had grown jealous of the Ochori and their
offensive rectitude. Be that as it may, all things were made ready, even
to the knives of sacrifice and the young saplings which had not been
employed by the Akasava for their grisly work since the Year of
Hangings.

At an hour before midnight the tireless _lokali_ sent out its call:

"We of the Akasava" (four long rolls and a quick
succession of taps)

"Danger threatens" (a long roll, a short roll,
and a triple tap-tap)

"Isisi fighting" (rolls punctuated by shorter
tattoos)

"Come to me" (a long crescendo roll and
patter of taps)

"Ochori" (nine rolls, curiously like
the yelping of a dog)

So the message went out: every village heard and repeated. The Isisi
threw the call northward; the N'gombi village, sent it westward, and
presently first the Isisi, then the N'gombi, heard the faint answer:
"Coming--the Breaker of Lives," and returned the message to N'gori.

"Now I shall also break lives," said N'gori, and sacrificed a goat to
his success.

Sixteen hundred fighting men waited for the signal from the hidden
_lokali_ player, on the far side of the river bend. At the first hollow
rattle of his sticks, N'gori pushed off in his royal canoe.

"Kill!" he roared, and went out in the white light of dawn to greet ten
Ochori canoes, riding in fanshape formation, having as their centre a
white and speckless _Zaire_ alive with Houssas and overburdened with the
slim muzzles of Hotchkiss guns.

"Oh, Ko!" said N'gori dismally, "this is a bad palaver!"

* * * * *

In the centre of his city, before a reproving squad of