Part 34 (1/2)

”Master, I go to the village which is by the river, this being the path,” she flurried

”What have you there?”

”Manioc, for bread,” she whispered thickly

”You are a root-eater,” said Io,” she said, staring at hiani jerked his head

”I see you are afraid of ani, which means the Lonely One; and I have no desire for wives or woh a man for such folly You are safe, root-eater, for if I wished I would fill this forest with the daughters of chiefs, all very beautiful, all irl's fear had disappeared, and she looked at hinised that there was truth in his claim of austerity Possibly she was a little piqued, for she said tartly enough, eoat bleats at the ers”

He looked at her, his head cocked on one side

”They say in the lower country that the Isisi sell ly ”That is bad talk; you o”

With another jerk of his head he disone some little distance when he called her back

”Root-eater,” he said, ”if ani the Lonely One, who is a prince ast the princes; also that I have killed many men in my day-so many that I cannot count them Also say that from my house, which I have built by the river, to as far as a doifts in their hands, for I airl, ”I will say all this”

And she went, half running, in the direction of the village, leaving Ie had irl, who carried hter, and she was, e So when she cae street, half hysterical in her fear, crying, babbling, incoherent, there was not wanting syht valiant to wipe out the insult

Six young men, with spears and short swords, danced before the chief and the chief's daughter (how important she felt, any woman of any race will tell you), and one of thee, described frohly four hours, exactly ould happen to Iani when the men of the Isisi fell upon hireat and terrible fire, and his lies which need not be particularised

”That is good talk,” said the chief; ”yet, since Sandi is our master and has spies everywhere, do not shed blood, for the smell of blood is carried farther than a man can see And Sandi is very devilish on this question of killing Moreover, this Lonely One is a stranger, and if we catch hiin for hioat and ani, but the Lonely One was not there, for he was trapping beasts in the forest; so they burnt his house, uprooted his poor garden, and, being joined by many other Isisi people, who had followed at a respectful distance, lest Iani's estimate of his own proere justified by results, they held high revel, until of a sudden the sun came up over the middle island, and all the little stars in the sky went out

I on his spears in the shadow of the forest, but was content to be a spectator

For, he reasoned, if he went out against them they would atteh spirit could not endure

He saw the flames lick away the house he had built with such labour

”They are foolish people,” he mused, ”for they burn their own, and perhaps the spirits of the dead will be displeased and give them boils”

When all that was left of his habitation was a white heap of ash, a dark-red glow, and a hazy wisp of s he walked, halting only to eat the fish he carried, and at night tie, which was called O'Fasi

He cae street with his shoulders squared, his head erect, swinging his spears faht; and the villagers, crowding to the doors of their huts, put their clenched knuckles to their mouths, and said: ”O ho!” which h the entire length of the village, and was er caer, ”the capita of this village, who is responsible to the Government for all people who pass, and especially for thieves who e of Irons, desires your presence, being sure that you are no thief, but a great one, and wishi+ng to do honour to you”