Part 46 (1/2)

”See that rock up there?”

”Looks as if it would drop at any mo out the valley”

”One of his figures of speech”

”S'pose that rock fell; it would just about fill up this passage, river and all And if it did not quite, a few e, which you see would be behind the dam, could easily fill up the cracks Then the river could be dammed and the valley flooded”

”They'd have to blast the rock, and the task would be too troubleso at the place where the warrior had sprung out on Co the rustling bananas and aardens, where the wos, and to offer them earth-nuts, wild cherries, sweet cane froe made fro in the sun, and as they strolled, rejoicing in the brightness and in the beauty of this little island of rest, set within an ocean of trees, they were followed by an ad- stick Co to a little patch of reeds in the far corner of the valley, the black boys, with shouts, gave chase to a long-tailed finch, clothed in a beautiful waistcoat of orange The thite chiefs threw aside their dignity, and when, after a breathless chase, the bird, haht, each chief stuck a feather in his hatband They worked round the valley, seeing e birds and curious insects, back towards the cave, arriving on the ledge at dusk At once they opened out on Mr Hume with a description of where they had been and what they had seen

The Hunter listened patiently, but he was evidently preoccupied

”We have seen all the valley, sir, and if we do have to stay here longer than we thought, it is a consolation to think that it is a jolly place”

”I have been away myself,” said Mr Huht it best to keep it from you, but I know you would not like that”

”No, sir”

”The boat has gone!”

”Gone!”

”Clean gone; stolen or hidden away I went down shortly after you had left, found the path by thesoul or any spoor but our own; and I tell you it was a great shock when I saw at the first glance that the boat was not there”

”I wonder----” began Venning

”It is no good wondering,” said the Hunter, testily ”Muata or his mother has had a hand in this”

”We can soon put that right,” said Co that the boat be produced within a certain tiht of that, and so no doubt has Muata The odds are in his favour by force of numbers, for he could starve us out in a week Violence is no use

Our best plan is to remain friendly, but watchful”

”Don't you think,” said Venning, thoughtfully, ”that we are on the wrong scent? Suppose the boat was stolen by Hassan's men”

”It may be--it may be, lad; and yet, if Hassan's men did find the boat, it seeuise the fact of their presence Anyill make a further search to- morrow”

They had cause now for uneasiness, and the boys for the first tian to entertain suspicions about Muata's faithfulness, for the loss of the Okapi in the very thick of the forestis to the sailor ht, and when s than before It was to theed; and their eyes went to the spot where they had seen the bodies of the men upon whom Muata had fulfilled the law as he understood it, the terrible law of swift vengeance upon any who opposed the will of the chief There were are, and very soon, before the dew had dried on the grass, and while thewhite on the hilltops, the chief hi was none else than to make Mr Hume vice-chief, with full power, in his absence, over life and property in the valley; for, said he, ”I go upon the trail one but you, hted

”But,” said the Hunter, troubled by this upset of his theory that Muata would think only of himself, ”our boat has been taken”

”The water there is taboo,” said Muata, without showing any surprise ”No one would go there but that one who one it will be returned at the appointed tiive you my seat under the council tree; have you also trust in Muata, the lone hunter”