“The would Muata take to himself wives, and would drink beer, and grow fat; but his mother counseled with him, saying he was a boy—­ saying he was only at the beginning of the path.  And Muata listened, for she was wiser than all, and he set his heart on the plan she put before him to win back the land of his people.

“Thus Muata the chief was still a warrior and a hunter.  He followed the spoor into the fastnesses of the woods, and trained the young of the jackal to drive the buck towards him.

“Ohe! it was ended.  The evil-doers, the child-slayers, the robbers of men, sent spies into the forest, and when Muata returned from his hunting there was wailing at the kraal, and the fire was dead on the hearth.  And the women cried, ’O chief, they have taken the lioness; they lured her out with tales of ill that had befallen Muata, even the young lion.  So she went forth between the gates, and they, the robbers, carried her away.’

“Muata turned on his heel straightway.  He sought the trail of the man-thieves.  It was plain and level.  It led through the forest, and by night his jackal led him on the scent.  By day he followed; by night and day Muata went on the track to the river.  At the river he heard news.  They had gone on the river towards the setting sun.

“Muata took a canoe from the river people, and with his jackal he followed, while the sun rose and set many times, and he came to the father of rivers.

“The waters were wide, and his canoe was like a leaf carried here and there.  His heart was sad, but the spirit of his mother prevailed.  He followed, and a man came to him saying that the yellow men were near at hand, and sick of the sickness that shakes.  Muata gathered together his strength and pushed on.  Ohe! and he fell into the hands of his enemies like a child.  He went among them sleeping, and when he awoke his hands and limbs were bound.

“And the enemy mocked him, saying, ‘Is this Muata?’ saying, ’even the ant will make him cry aloud;’ and they smeared fat on him.  They shook the ants over him, and they bit deep.  They reviled him, they spat on him, as day by day he followed in the canoe tied to their greater canoe.  They made plans about him to kill him, but the chief man said even a dog had his price.  So they forebore to slay Muata, but they carried him down the father of waters to where there was a still greater canoe with wings.  They put a gag into his mouth to still his voice, but in the night the jackal bit through the rope, and Muata was alone on the waters.

“Then the jackal cried suddenly, and Muata was borne out of the water, and he was fed.

“That is the story of Muata, and his heart goes out to the white men who brought him out of the darkness.”

CHAPTER V

TROUBLE BREWING

That was the story of Muata!

The white boys looked and wondered.  This man who had been through so many dangers could not be much older than they were.  If his story were true, he had shown endurance, courage, and a force of character that set the stamp of greatness upon him as greatness would be reckoned among his kind.