hen they rode closer it appeared that its steep sides
were washed by a loop of the river near which they previously had
settled. The top was perfectly flat, and seen from below appeared to be
covered by one dense forest. Stas computed that since the promontory,
on which their baobab tree grew, was about twenty-three hundred feet
high and the mountain about twenty-six hundred feet, they would dwell
at an elevation of about forty-nine hundred feet and in a climate not
much warmer, therefore, than that of Egypt. This thought encouraged him
and urged him to take possession of this natural fortress as quickly as
possible.

They easily found the only rocky ridge which led to it and began the
ascent. After the lapse of half an hour they stood on the summit. That
forest seen from below was really a forest--but of bananas. The sight
of them delighted all exceedingly, not excepting the King, and Stas was
particularly pleased, for he knew that there is not in Africa a more
nourishing and healthy food nor a better preventative of all ailments
than the flour of dried banana fruit. There were so many of them that
they would suffice even for a year.

Amidst the immense leaves of these plants was hidden the negro village;
most of the huts had been burned or ruined at the time of the attack,
but some were still whole. In the center stood the largest, belonging
at one time to the king of the village; it was prettily made of clay,
with a wide roof forming around the walls a sort of veranda. Before the
huts lay here and there human bones and skeletons, white as chalk, for
they had been cleaned by the ants of whose invasion Linde spoke. From
the time of the invasion many weeks had already elapsed; nevertheless,
in the huts could be smelt the leaven of ants, and one could find in
them neither the big black cock-roaches, which usually swarm in all
negro hovels, nor spiders nor scorpions nor the smallest of insects.

Everything had been cleaned out by the terrible "siafu." It was also a
certainty that there was not on the whole mountain-top a single snake,
as even boas fall prey to these invincible little warriors.

After conducting Nell and Mea into the chief's hut, Stas ordered Kali
and Nasibu to remove the human bones. The black boys carried out this
order by flinging them into the river, which carried them farther.
While thus employed, however, they found that Linde was mistaken in
declaring that they would not find a living creature on