ng an harangue to the motley allies. When it was
ended the lions roared, the rhinoceroses snorted, the buffaloes
bellowed, the hyenas laughed, and the shrill trumpetings of the
elephants announced that the meeting was over. What occurred after,
Kibatti did not stay to learn, but climbed aloft to give the news to his
anxious parents.

Said he, "It appears to me, father, that they are going to build the
village up again, for they have already fenced it around even better, as
I think, than it was before. Those animals have clever leaders, that is
certain, but I am not a man-son if Kibatti does not get the better of
some of them."

"Oh, you are clever, my child, that is true," said the old man.
"Whatever you undertake to do, done it is. I have found out that long
ago. If wit will get us out of this place of danger, I have a
conviction it will be by yours, and not by mine, or by my old woman's."

"I do not purpose to leave the tree just yet, father," replied Kibatti.
"If we keep quiet, we could not find a safer place than here. The tree
is so tall that they cannot hear us talk unless they set their ears to
listen at the foot of it, and against all that may happen we must
provide ourselves."

"Give your confidence to me, boy, and let me judge of your plan," said
the father.

"Well, my idea is this. To-night they will all start off, some to catch
the lesser prey, others to graze and feed. The leaders, of course, will
remain behind. I propose, after getting three or four winks of sleep,
to go down to the gate and discover how things are. If possible, I will
try and get my net-ropes. They will be useful for my purpose. We may
trap some game, you know."

"I see, I see, my boy. That is a good idea. Shall I help you?"

"Not to-night, father, except you keep watch until yonder bright star
stands overhead."

The old man agreed to keep watch until the star approached the zenith.
A little after midnight Kibatti was waked, and having given his father
injunctions to go to sleep, he descended. He proceeded straight to his
house, and among the wreckage he found his strong nets and their ropes,
and his sharp hunting-knife, besides his father's five spears and his
own quiver. These weapons he conveyed directly to the tree, and bore
them up to the lower fork. This done, he re-descended the tree and
crawled away to a bit of marsh-land not far off, where there was a
crane's nest which contained some eggs. He took the