He rose in his stately way, and with his drums beating and the bright spearheads of his young men a-glitter in the evening sunlight, embarked in his ten canoes, having expanded his territory without loss to himself like the Imperialist he was. For two days the chiefs of the Akasava and the Isisi were satisfied with the justice of an award which robbed them both without giving an advantage to either. Then an uneasy realization of their loss dawned upon them. Then followed a swift exchange of messages and Bosambo's colonization scheme was unpleasantly checked. Hamilton was on the little lake which is at the end of the N'gini River when he heard of the trouble, and from the high hills at the far end of the lake sent a helio message staring and blinking across the waste. Bones, fishing in the river below Ikan, picked up the instructions, and went flying up the river as fast as the new naphtha launch could carry him. He arrived in time to cover the shattered remnants of Bosambo's fleet as they were being swept northward from whence they came. Bones went inshore to the island, the water jacket of a Maxim gun exposed over the bow, but there was no opposition. "What the dooce is all this about--hey?" demanded Lieutenant Tibbetts fiercely, and Iberi, doubly uneasy at the sound of an unaccustomed language, stood on one leg in his embarrassment. "Lord, the thief Bosambo----" he began, and told the story. "Lord," he concluded humbly, "I say all this though Bosambo is your relation since you have secretly married his sister's cousin." Whereupon Bones went very red and stammered and spluttered in such a way that the chief knew for sure that Bosambo had spoken the truth. Bones, as I have said before, was no fool. He confirmed Bosambo's order for the evacuation of the island, but left a Houssa guard to hold it. Then he hurried north to the Ochori. Bosambo formed his royal procession, but there was no occasion for it, for Bones was in no processional mood. "What the dooce do you mean, sir?" demanded a glaring and threatening Bones, his helmet over his neck, his arms akimbo. "What do you mean, sir, by saying I'm married to your infernal aunt?" "Sah," said Bosambo, virtuous and innocent, "I no savvy you--I no compreney, sah! You lib for my house--I give you fine t'ings. I make um moosic, sah----" "You're a jolly old rotter, Bosambo!" said Bones, shaking his finger in the chief's face. "I could punish you awfully for telling wicked stories, Bosambo. I'm disgusted with you, I am indeed." "Lord who never sleeps," began Bosambo, humbly. "Hey?" Bones stared at the other in amazement, suspicion, hope, and gratification in his face. "O, Bosambo," said he mildly, and speaking in the native tongue, "why do you call me by that name?" Now, Bosambo in his innocence had used a phrase (_M'wani-m'wani_) which signifies "the sleepless one," and also stands in the vernacular for "busy-body," or one who is eternally concerned with other people's business.