electable abode the old crone conducted her
two "sons" and inducted them therein. But before she took them inside
the hut she carefully examined their hurts; and when at length she had
satisfied herself that although these were no doubt painful enough, and,
for the moment, so severe as to incapacitate her prisoners for anything
but the very lightest of work, there was no serious harm done, she
dispatched one of the women who had followed her, and who considered
herself as part owner of the prisoners, to the river for water, another
for wood to make a fire, while a third was sent into the forest to hunt
for certain herbs. Then she took the two men into the hut, released
them from their bonds, and graciously gave them permission to lie down
upon a heap of dried fern, which they were glad enough to do after the
rough and trying experience through which they had so recently passed,
and in a few minutes both were fast asleep. They slept soundly for an
hour or more; and when they awoke Insipa was ready with hot fomentations
for their wounds and bruises, poultices of macerated leaves for
application after the fomentations, and finally, food--a piece of roast
goat's flesh, cassava bread, and a warm drink of somewhat peculiar but
not unpleasant flavour, after partaking of which they both again fell
into a profound sleep which lasted until the following morning; for the
drink had been medicated. Insipa was anxious that her "sons" should
begin to work for her at once, and she knew that, after their hurts had
been dressed, sleep was the very best restorative that she could
possibly administer to them.

As a matter of fact, when Phil and Dick awoke from their long night's
sleep they found, to their astonishment, that the ache and stiffness of
their bruises were gone, and that for all practical purposes they were
as well as ever, and quite fit to be up and about again. Insipa was
delighted with the success which had attended her ministrations, so much
so, indeed, that instead of ordering them out to find food for her at
once, she went out and borrowed some from a neighbour, on the strength
of her new acquisition, brought it home, cooked it, and laid it before
them, with the information that it would be the last unearned meat they
would get.

This hint, however, did not greatly interfere with the appetite of our
friends; for they had already agreed that they were quite well enough to
resume their journey up the river, and had de