hing to pursue the argument, Alan changed the subject by asking
his indignant retainer if he thought that the Asika had meant what she
said when she offered to send the gold down to the coast.

"Why not, Major? That good lady always mean what she say, and what she
do too," and he dabbed wrathfully at the scratches made by the lion's
claws on his face, then added, "She know her own mind, not like
shilly-shally, see-saw white woman, who get up one thing and go to bed
another. If she love she love, if she hate she hate. If she say she
send gold, she send it, though pity to part with all that cash, because
'spect someone bag it."

Alan reflected a while.

"Don't you see, Jeekie, that here is a chance, if a very small one, of
getting a message to the coast. Also it is quite clear that if we are
ever able to escape, it will be impossible for us to carry this heavy
stuff, whereas if we send it on ahead, perhaps some of it might get
through. We will pack it up, Jeekie, at any rate it will be something to
do. Go now and send a message to the Asika, and ask her to let us have
some carpenters, and a lot of well-seasoned wood."

The message was sent and an hour later a dozen of the native craftsmen
arrived with their rude tools and a supply of planks cut from a kind of
iron-wood or ebony tree. They prostrated themselves to Alan, then the
master of them rising, instantly began to measure Jeekie with a marked
reed. That worthy sprang back and asked what in the name of Bonsa, Big
and Little, they were doing, whereon the man explained with humility
that the Asika had said that she thought the white lord wanted the
wood to make a box to bury his servant in, as he, the said servant, had
offended her that morning, and doubtless the white lord wished to kill
him on that account, or perhaps to put him away under ground alive.

"Oh, my golly!" said Jeekie, shaking till his great knees knocked
together, "oh! my golly! here pretty go. She think you want bury me all
alive. That mean she want to be rid of Jeekie, because he got sit there
and play gooseberry when she wish talk alone with you. Oh, yes! I see
her little game."

"Well, Jeekie," said Alan, bursting into such a roar of laughter that he
nearly shook off his mask, "you had better be careful, for you just told
me that the Asika is not like a see-saw white woman and never changes
her mind. Say to this man that he must tell the Asika there is a
mistake, and that however much I should