“And the chiefs wife spoke:  ’Behold, it is for this I have suffered much for thee, Muata.  What I have sown in sorrow and pain I will reap in your strength.  Look and look again!  Those are of the race who destroyed the kraals of your people.  They are men-hunters, kraal-burners, slayers of children.  Steal upon them where they walk idly, and for each arrow slay a man.’

“Muata waited on these men a day and a night, and when he sought his mother on the edge of the forest his quiver was empty, and the chief’s wife spoke:  ‘Where did the arrow strike, O warrior?’ And Muata answered, ‘In the throat, O my mother.’  And the chief’s wife said again, ’It is well; but the warrior sees to it that he can recover his arrow.  And your quiver is empty.’  So Muata returned and recovered his arrows, for the men lay where they fell, the living having gone into the kraals in fear.

“So Muata and the chiefs wife went slowly back to the place of hiding.  And because Muata had slain the man-ape and the robbers—­ they who slay children—­the chief’s wife sought out the headmen, and spoke:  ’Oh, listen!  This is Muata, the son of a chief.  He has slain the man-ape, and for each arrow that was in his quiver a man-robber.  It is fit that he be your chief.’  But they laughed, and the chiefs wife held her peace.

“And again, after the crops were gathered, Muata went again on the war-trail alone—­went to the river, followed it down the bank, and the little people led him to a kraal in the wood by the river bank—­ a kraal with a high fence, the kraal of the yellow men-robbers.  Muata dived beneath the fence with a short spear in his hand.  With his spear he slew the man who watched by the gate, opened the gate, and put fire to the huts.  The yellow men ran, some into the forest, and there the little people found them; others fled into a canoe to cross; Muata swam after, and with his spear ripped open the bottom, so that it filled and sank.

“And again, when the place of hiding was reached, the chief’s wife sought out the headmen and spoke, saying that Muata was a chief’s son.  They put her aside with words, saying there was no proof of this last thing he had done.  But Muata whistled, and the little people came forward, saying the chiefs son had destroyed the kraal of the evil-doers.  Then the headmen took counsel, and again put the chief’s wife off.

“The chief’s wife bowed her head, but, seeing that she was weak, and that her mind was fixed on the thing she asked for, Muata took the matter into his own hand.  He bade the women prepare a big hut for his mother—­he put a stick to their shoulders; and when a man sought to slay him there in the presence of them all, Muata smote the man under the arm with his spear.  So they built the great hut, and women waited on the chief’s wife, his mother, carried water for her, cut the wood, and built the fire.

“So Muata was chief, and year by year he led the men of the place against the yellow robbers, till the name of Muata was feared.