M'fosa's lips went up one-sidedly. "Lord," said he softly, "presently you shall say no more, for I will cut your tongue out that you shall be lame of speech ... afterwards I will burn you and the fetish stick, so that you all tumble together." "Be sure you will tumble into hell," said Bones cheerfully, "and that quickly, for you have offended Sandi's Ju-ju, which is powerful and terrible." If he could gain time--time for some miraculous news to come to Hamilton, who, blissfully unconscious of the treachery to his second-in-command, was sleeping twenty miles downstream--unconscious, too, of the Akasava fleet of canoes which was streaming towards his little steamer. Perhaps M'fosa guessed his thoughts. "You die alone, Tibbetti," he said, "though I planned a great death for you, with Bosambo at your side; and in the matter of ju-jus, behold! you shall call for Sandi--whilst you have a tongue." He took from the raw-hide sheath that was strapped to the calf of his bare leg, a short N'gombi knife, and drew it along the palm of his hand. "Call now, O Moon-in-the-Eye!" he scoffed. Bones saw the horror and braced himself to meet it. "O Sandi!" cried M'fosa, "O planter of ju-ju, come quickly!" "Dog!" M'fosa whipped round, the knife dropping from his hand. He knew the voice, was paralysed by the concentrated malignity in the voice. There stood Sandi--not half a dozen paces from him. A Sandi in strange black clothing with a big white-breasted shirt ... but Sandi, hard-eyed and threatening. "Lord, lord!" he stammered, and put up his hands to his eyes. He looked again--the figure had vanished. "Magic!" he mumbled, and lurched forward in terror and hate to finish his work. Then through the crowd stalked a tall man. A rope of monkeys' tails covers one broad shoulder; his left arm and hand were hidden by an oblong shield of hide. In one hand he held a slim throwing spear and this he balanced delicately. "I am Bosambo of the Ochori," he said magnificently and unnecessarily; "you sent for me and I have come--bringing a thousand spears." M'fosa blinked, but said nothing. "On the river," Bosambo went on, "I met many canoes that went to a killing--behold!" It was the head of M'fosa's lieutenant, who had charge of the surprise party. For a moment M'fosa looked, then turned to leap, and Bosambo's spear caught him in mid-air. "Jolly old Bosambo!" muttered Bones, and fainted. * * * * * Four thousand miles away Sanders was offering his apologies to a startled company. "I could have sworn I saw--something," he said, and he told no more stories that night. CHAPTER V A FRONTIER AND A CODE