e familiar to him from childhood.

Nevertheless, the passage was not easy, and if it were not for the aid
of the inhabitants of the last village, won by gifts, it would have
been necessary to seek another road for the King. These negroes knew
better than Kali the passes leading from that side of the mountain, and
after two days' arduous travel, during which great cold incommoded them
during the nights, they successfully led the caravan to a depression in
a crest of a mountain and from the mountain to a valley lying in the
Wahima country.

Stas halted in the morning for a rest in this desolate valley,
surrounded by underwood, while Kali, who begged to be allowed to scout
on horseback in the direction of his father's "boma," which was about a
day's distance, started that very night. Stas and Nell waited for him
the whole day with the greatest uneasiness and feared that he had
perished or fallen into the hands of the enemy, and when finally he
appeared on a lean and panting horse, he himself was equally fatigued
and so dejected that the sight of him excited pity.

He fell at once at Stas' feet and began to implore for help.

"Oh, great master," he said, "the Samburus have defeated Fumba's
warriors; they killed a multitude of them and dispersed those they did
not kill. They besiege Fumba in a boma on Boko Mountain. Fumba and his
warriors have nothing to eat in the boma and will perish if the great
master does not kill Mamba and all the Samburus with Mamba."

Begging thus, he embraced Stas' knees, while the latter knitted his
brow and meditated deeply as to what was to be done, for in everything
he was particularly concerned about Nell.

"Where," he finally asked, "are Fumba's warriors whom the Samburus
dispersed?"

"Kali found them and they will be here at once."

"How many are there?"

The young negro moved the fingers of both hands and the toes of both
his feet about a score of times, but it was evident that he could not
indicate the exact number for the simple reason that he could not count
above ten and every greater amount appeared to him as "wengi," that is,
a multitude.

"Well, if they come here, place yourself at their head and go to your
father's relief."

"They fear the Samburus and will not go with Kali, but with the great
master they will go and kill 'wengi, wengi' of Samburu."

Stas pondered again.

"No," he finally said, "I can neither take the 'bibi' to a battle nor
leave her alone, and I wil