Part 24 (1/2)
”And what does her excellent son so far froe?”
”There were tales of badup spirit, ”and these tales drew reat, and my fetish told reedy? He kept this word of his fetish from the honourable ears of his mother, so that he would have the price to hireat chief,” murmured the boatman, with reverence ”It was as you say”
”And it fell out that, when you came to the place where the boatuard, so that you fled?”
”O great chief, it was even so I fled in a canoe”
”And seeing this our canoe of shi+ning e to leave the reeds wherein you hid to come to us for help?”
”Oh, wonderful!” said the canoe- up his eyes ”When these eyes saw your shi+ning canoe, they were gladdened, for I said, 'Here come helpers'”
”And you will take us to where these men are hidden, so that we rinned ”You can have all the prize--all,” he said, ”and after ill go to oats'
ently ”All the price?”
”Did I say all?” said theto my people--a portion to them and a portion to ood words See, I beat my mouth for the ill word I spoke;” and he struck his mouth ”But see, O chief, we , and make a plan to escape”
”Let it be so If they see us they will see we are passing on, and be comforted And ill pay the price that is set on their heads?”
”They have the price with the look, ”in ivory, in pales”
”And what avails thes--if they have no canoes to carry thereat fleet they have waiting in hiding, till all the band co on the other shore It was because I saw the fleet of canoes on the river, crossing to the far side, that I hoped to surprise the feere left”
”And when oods for the going; the time must be short before they leave”
”And where do the others lie hid?”
”By the great pal watching? It was because they had no canoes that they did not follow you? Shall I tell you as in ht? This, that you and they were friends, and that you were the bait to draw us into the trap”
The lanced at the water ”Would a little reat chiefs, if his heart was crooked I cae, and to leave these bad men, it will please me also”
”And if we attack these men,” asked Muata, after a pause, ”what plan have you htened again ”See, ould land beyond that point ahead, and in the dark steal upon the robbers”
”We are too few,” said Muata, after turning thesoht be done”
”I aone abroad”
”How? You know us, then?”