porters are waiting, fifty men and three, as you
sent me word, and ten spare ones to take the place of any who die. But
how they will find their way, I know not, since none of them have ever
been to the coast."

An idea occurred to Alan, who had small faith in Jeekie's "ma" as a
messenger.

"The Ogula prisoners could show them," he said; "at any rate as far as
the forest, and after that they could find out. May they not go, Asika?"

"If you will," she answered carelessly. "Let them be ready to start
to-morrow at the dawn, all except their chief, Fahni, who must stop
here as a hostage. I do not trust those Ogula, who more than once have
threatened to make war upon us," she added, then turned and bade the
priests bring in the bearers to receive their instructions.

Presently they came, picked men all of them, under the command of an
Asiki captain, and with them the Ogula, whom she summoned also.

"Go where the white lord sends you," she said in an indifferent voice,
"carrying with you these packages. I do not know where it is, but
these man-eaters will show you some of the way, and if you fail in the
business but live to come back again, you shall be sacrificed to Bonsa
at the next feast; if you run away then your wives and children will be
sacrificed. Food shall be given you for your journey, and gold to buy
more when it is gone. Now, Vernoon, tell them what they have to do."

So Alan, or rather Jeekie, told them, and these directions were so
long and minute, that before they were finished the Asika grew tired
of listening and went away, saying as she passed the captain of the
company:

"Remember my words, man, succeed or die, but of your land and its
secrets say nothing."

"I hear," answered the captain, prostrating himself.

That night Alan summoned the Ogula and spoke to them through Jeekie in
their own language. At first they declared that they would not leave
their chief, preferring to stay and die with him.

"Not so," said Fahni; "go, my children, that I may live. Go and gather
the tribe, all the thousands of them who are men and can fight, and
bring them up to attack Asiki-land, to rescue me if I still live, or to
avenge me if I am dead. As for these bearers, do them no harm, but send
them on to the coast with the white man's goods."

So in the end the Ogula said that they would go, and when Alan woke
up on the following morning, he was informed that they and the Asiki
porters had already departed up