roval
which swept up the little hillock on which he sat was his reward.

Sanders, learning something of these doings, had come in haste, moving
across the Lower Akasava by a short cut, risking the chagrin of certain
chiefs and friends who would be shocked and mortified by his apparent
lack of courtesy in missing the ceremonious call which was their due.

But his business was very urgent, otherwise he would not have travelled
by Nobolama--The-River-that-comes-and-goes.

He was fortunate in that he found deep water for the _Wiggle_ as far as
the edge of this pleasant land. A two days' trek through the forest
brought him to the great city of Morjaba. In all the Territories there
was no such city as this, for it stretched for miles on either hand, and
indeed was one of the most densely populated towns within a radius of
five hundred miles.

S'kobi came waddling to meet his governor with maize, plucked in haste
from the gardens he passed, and salt, grabbed at the first news of
Sanders's arrival, in his big hands. These he extended as he puffed to
where Sanders sat at the edge of the city.

"Lord," he wheezed, "none came with news of this great honour, or my
young men would have met you, and my maidens would have danced the road
flat with their feet. Take!"

Sanders extended both palms and received the tribute of salt and corn,
and solemnly handed the crushed mess to his orderly.

"O S'kobi," he said, "I came swiftly to make a secret palaver with you,
and my time is short."

"Lord, I am your man," said S'kobi, and signalled his councillors and
elder men to a distance.

Sanders was in some difficulty to find a beginning.

"You know, S'kobi, that I love your people as my children," he said,
"for they are good folk who are faithful to government and do ill to
none."

"Wa!" said S'kobi.

"Also you know that spearmen and warriors I do not love, for spears are
war and warriors are great lovers of fighting."

"Lord, you speak the truth," said the other, nodding, "therefore in this
land I will have made a law that there shall be no spears, save those
which sleep in the shadow of my hut. Now well I know why you have come
to make this palaver, for you have heard with your beautiful long ears
that I have sent away my fighting regiments."

Sanders nodded.

"You speak truly, my friend," he said, and S'kobi beamed.

"Six times a thousand spears I had--and, lord, spears grow no corn.
Rather are they terrible eaters. And