eonard mused awhile, then a thought struck him. Turning to the dwarf,
who had been sitting by listening to all that was said in stolid
silence, his great head resting upon his knees, he spoke to him in
Dutch:

"Otter, were you not once taken as a slave?"

"Yes, Baas, once, ten years ago."

"How was it?"

"Thus Baas. I was hunting on the Zambesi with the soldiers of a tribe
there--it was after my own people had driven me out because they said
that I was too ugly to become their chief, as I was born to be. Then the
Yellow Devil, that same man of whom the woman speaks, fell upon us with
Arabs, and took us to his place, there to await the slave-dhows. He was
a stout man, horrible to see, and elderly. The day the dhows came in I
escaped by swimming; and all the others who remained alive were taken
off in ships to Zanzibar."

"Could you find your way to that place again, Otter?"

"Yes, Baas. It is a hard spot to find, for the path runs through
morasses; moreover the place is secret and protected by water. All of us
slaves were blindfolded during the last day's march. But I worked up
my bandage with my nose--ah! my big nose served me well that day--and
watched the path from beneath it, and Otter never forgets a road over
which his feet have travelled. Also I followed that path back."

"Could you find the spot from here?"

"Yes, Baas. I should go along these mountains, ten days' journey or
more, till we struck the southernmost mouth of the Zambesi below Luabo.
Then I should follow the river down a day's journey. Afterwards two
or more days through the swamps and we come to the place. But it is
a strong place, Baas, and there are many men armed with guns in it;
moreover, there is a big cannon, a 'by-and-by'!"

Again Leonard thought a moment, then he turned to Soa and asked, "Do you
understand Dutch? No? Well I have found out something of this Nest
from my servant. Pereira said that it was eight days' journey from your
master's settlement, so your mistress has been there some three or four
days if she ever reached it. Now, from what I know of the habits of
slave-traders on this coast, the dhows will not begin to take in their
cargoes for another month, because of the monsoon. Therefore, if I am
correct, there is plenty of time. Mind you, Mother, I am not saying
that I will have anything to do with this business; I must think it over
first."

"Yes, you will, White Man," she answered, "when you know the reward; but
of