found the river-gate unguarded, and seized it, blocked
the course of the river with a great rock loosened from above, and
then, as the water rose, lowered canoes on the inside, and sent his
men forward to eat up your village."

"Where was Ngonyama when the gates were unguarded?"

"In the caverns under the cliff."

"Wow!"

"The wise woman led us there. She left us there, fearing I,
Ngonyama, would supplant you, her son; and on the second morning,
when she found that Hassan was too cunning, she came with an offer
of liberty if we would destroy his plan. We told her the way. It was
to let the water in."

"It was a good plan. Haw!"

"She let the water in to save the people of the valley, and Hassan's
men were lost utterly; but the first victim was your mother, Muata."

"It was a good death," said Muata, after a long pause.

"Ay, it was a good death, chief. Now send your men up the cliff, so
that they overlook the river-gates."

"I will see to it, Ngonyama;" and Muata went down with his band to
the village once again, chanting the deep-chested song of victory.

The jackal, who had accompanied Muata on the new trail, remained
with his white friends. He was thin, he was famished, and he sat
with his left front paw lifted. Venning, who had a fellow-feeling
for one in distress, being himself worn out, took the paw,
discovered a nasty cut on the pad, washed it out with warm water,
treated it with carbolic, bound it up, and gave the animal the pot
to dean, which he did, polishing it out with his long red tongue.

The boy and the jackal stretched themselves on a kaross to the sun,
while Mr. Hume and Compton went away off to make sure about the
Okapi; for, as they said, they were in no mind to lose the boat,
after all their exertions, just because they were a little tired.

In the drowsy noon the tired boy slept, and through the afternoon,
opening his eyes for a moment occasionally as the voices of the
women rose to a higher pitch in a mournful dirge they were singing
over the missing, and at intervals the jackal would raise his sharp
muzzle and sniff the air. There was some note in the dirge that
disturbed the boy, and there was some taint in the air that made the
jackal uneasy. Once it stood up as if to explore, but the sight of
its bandaged foot brought a pucker to his brows, and it curled
itself up again after an intent look into the face of his human
companion.

For the rest of the day the dirge went on, risin