Part 22 (2/2)

”My arrows are winged with the little clouds,” he said in reply

In this cryptic fashi+on they spoke for the greater part of an hour, and derived much profit therefrom

In the shadow of the hut without lay a half-naked s doubled up coht to arouse him with the butt of his spear, but he only stirred sleepily, and, thinking that he ili's retinue, they left hi and the chief had finished their palaver, Tigili rose from the floor of the hut and went back to his canoe, and the chief of the Akasava stood on the bank of the river watching the craft as it went back the way it had come

The sleeper rose noiselessly and took another path to the river Just outside the town he had to cross a path of ed him

This man was an Akasava warrior, and was armed, and the sleeper stood obedient to the suer,” said the man

The warrior came nearer and looked in his face

”You are a spy of Sandi,” he said, and then the other closed with him

The warrior would have shouted, but a hand like steel was on his throat The sentinel made a little sound like the noise a sle, then his legs bent limply, and he went down

The sleeper bent down over him, wiped his knife on the bare shoulder of the dead man, and went on his way to the river Under the bush he found a canoe, untied the native rope that fastened it, and stepping in, he sent the tiny dug-out down the stream

”And what do youon his broad stoep, and before hieant of Houssa Police

”Master, it is the secret society, and they go to eant

The Commissioner paced the verandah with his head upon his breast, his hands clasped behind his back

These secret societies he kneell enough, though his territories had been free of theness with rituals and practices ready-made He knew their influence up and down the Liberian coast; he had soeria, and had met the ”white faces” in the Kassai And now the curse had co of twenty years' work-the work of men who died and died joyfully, in the faith that they had brought peace to the land-itof all his authority

He turned to Abiboo

”Take the stea Bosambo, the chief, that I will come to him-the palaver is finished” He knew he could depend upon Bosa he sent a long e to the Administration, which lived in ease a hundredthe seashore, and when it worked it was a great blessing Fortunately it was in good order now, but there had been ti droves of elephants had pulled up the poles and twisted a le

The reply to his e came quickly

”Take extreili I will support you with four hundred e the matter without fuss

”Ad walk by the sea to think out the situation and the solution If the people were preparing for war, there would be si He shook his head Four hundred unboat more or less would make no difference There was a hope that one tribe would rise before the other; he could deal with the Akasava; he could deal with the Isisi plus the Akasava; he was sure of the Ochori-that was a coain Perhaps the inherent idleness of the Akasava would keep theainst their traditions