ed and ran rapidly in the direction of the
native huts which lay a few hundred yards below the bungalow.

Here he called out to the lolling warriors. He issued orders rapidly.
In compliance with them the men seized upon their weapons and their
shields. Some ran to call in the workers from the fields and to warn
the tenders of the flocks and herds. The majority followed Mugambi
back toward the bungalow.

The dust of the raiders was still a long distance away. Mugambi could
not know positively that it hid an enemy; but he had spent a lifetime
of savage life in savage Africa, and he had seen parties before come
thus unheralded. Sometimes they had come in peace and sometimes they
had come in war--one could never tell. It was well to be prepared.
Mugambi did not like the haste with which the strangers advanced.

The Greystoke bungalow was not well adapted for defense. No palisade
surrounded it, for, situated as it was, in the heart of loyal Waziri,
its master had anticipated no possibility of an attack in force by any
enemy. Heavy, wooden shutters there were to close the window apertures
against hostile arrows, and these Mugambi was engaged in lowering when
Lady Greystoke appeared upon the veranda.

"Why, Mugambi!" she exclaimed. "What has happened? Why are you
lowering the shutters?"

Mugambi pointed out across the plain to where a white-robed force of
mounted men was now distinctly visible.

"Arabs," he explained. "They come for no good purpose in the absence
of the Great Bwana."

Beyond the neat lawn and the flowering shrubs, Jane Clayton saw the
glistening bodies of her Waziri. The sun glanced from the tips of
their metal-shod spears, picked out the gorgeous colors in the feathers
of their war bonnets, and reflected the high-lights from the glossy
skins of their broad shoulders and high cheek bones.

Jane Clayton surveyed them with unmixed feelings of pride and
affection. What harm could befall her with such as these to protect
her?

The raiders had halted now, a hundred yards out upon the plain.
Mugambi had hastened down to join his warriors. He advanced a few
yards before them and raising his voice hailed the strangers. Achmet
Zek sat straight in his saddle before his henchmen.

"Arab!" cried Mugambi. "What do you here?"

"We come in peace," Achmet Zek called back.

"Then turn and go in peace," replied Mugambi. "We do not want you
here. There can be no peace between Arab and Waziri."