Kali who,
foreseeing that he should have to work every day to feed the gigantic
beast, approached Stas with an ingratiating smile and said:

"Great master, kill the elephant, and Kali will eat him instead of
gathering grass and branches."

But the "great master" was now a hundred miles from a desire to kill
the elephant and, as in addition he was impulsive, he retorted:

"You are a donkey."

Unfortunately he forgot the Kiswahili word for donkey and said it in
English. Kali, not understanding English, evidently took it for some
kind of compliment or praise for himself, as a moment later the
children heard how he, addressing Mea, boastfully said:

"Mea has a dark skin and dark brain, but Kali is a donkey."

After which he added with pride:

"The great master himself said that Kali is a donkey."

In the meantime Stas, ordering both to tend the little lady as the eye
in the head and in case of any accident to summon him at once, took the
rifle and went to the detached rock which blocked the ravine. Arriving
at the place he inspected if attentively, examined all its cracks,
inserted a stick into a crevice which he found near the bottom, and
carefully measured its depths; afterwards he returned slowly to the
camp and, opening the cartridge box, began to count the cartridges.

He had barely counted three hundred when from a baobab tree growing
about fifty paces from the tent Mea's voice resounded.

"Master! Master!"

Stas approached the giant tree, whose trunk, hollowed through decay
near the ground, looked like a tower, and asked:

"What do you want?"

"Not far away can be seen zebras, and further on antelopes are feeding."

"Good! I will take a rifle and go, for it is necessary to cure meat.
But why did you climb the tree, and what are you doing there?"

The girl answered in her sad, melodious voice:

"Mea saw a nest of gray parrots and wanted to bring a young one to the
little lady, but the nest is empty, so Mea will not get any beads for
her neck."

"You will get them because you love the little lady."

The young negress came down the rugged bark as quickly as possible, and
with eyes glistening with joy began to repeat:

"Oh! Yes! Yes! Mea loves her very much--and beads also."

Stas gently stroked her head, after which he took the rifle, closed the
cartridge box, and started in the direction in which the zebras were
pastured. After a half hour the report of a shot reached the camp, and
an hour lat