Havingtheirdailyfillofmeatwhichtheirsoulsloved，theOgulaoarsmenremainedinanexcellentmood，indeedthechief，Fahni，informedAlanthatifonlytheyhadsuchmagictubeswherewithtoslaughtergame，heandhistribewouldgladlygiveupcannibalism——
exceptonfeastdays。Headdedsadlythatsoontheywouldbeobligedtodoso，ordie，sinceinthosepartstherewerenowfewpeoplelefttoeat，andtheyhatedvegetables。Moreover，theykeptnocattle，itwasnotthecustomofthattribe，exceptaveryfewformilk。Alanadvisedthemtoincreasetheirherds，since，ashepointedouttothem，“dogshouldnoteatdog“orthehumanbeinghisownkind。
Thechiefansweredthattherewasagreatdealinwhathesaid，whichonhisreturnhewouldlaybeforehisheadmen。IndeedAlan，tohisastonishment，discoveredthatJeekiehadbeenquiterightwhenheallegedthatthesepeople，soterribleintheirmodeoflife，wereyet“kindandgentleatheart。“Theypreyeduponmankindbecauseforcenturiesithadbeentheircustomsotodo，butifanyonehadbeentheretoshowthemabetterway，hegrewsurethattheywouldfollowitgladly。Atleasttheywerebraveandloyalandevenaftertheirfirstfearofthewhitemanhadwornoff，fulfilledtheirpromiseswithoutamurmur。Once，indeed，whenhechancedtohavegoneforawalkunarmedandtobechargedbyabullelephant，theseOgularanatthebrutewiththeirspearsanddroveitaway，arescueinwhichoneofthemlosthislife，forthe“rogue“caughtandkilledhim。
Sothedayswentonwhiletheypaddledleisurelyuptheriver，AlanemployingthetimebytakinglessonsintheAsikitonguefromJeekie，alanguagewhichhehadbeenstudyingeversinceheleftEngland。Thetaskwasnoteasy，ashehadnobooksandJeekiehimselfaftersomethirtyyearsofabsence，wasdoubtfulastomanyofitsdetails。StillbeingalinguistbynatureandeducationandfindinginthetonguesimilaritiestootherAfricandialectswhichheknew，hewasnowabletospeakitalittle，inahaltingfashion。
Onthefifthdayoftheirascentoftheriver，theycametoatributarythatflowedintoitfromthenorth，upwhichtheOgulasaidtheymustproceedtoreachAsiki-land。Thestreamwasnarrowandsluggish，wideningouthereandthereintogreatswampsthroughwhichitwasnoteasytofindachannel。AlsothedistrictwassounhealthythatevenseveraloftheOgulacontractedfever，ofwhichAlancuredthembyheavydosesofquinine，forfortunatelyhistravellingmedicinechestremainedtohim。Thesecureswereeffectedaftertheirchiefsuggestedthattheyshouldbethrownoverboard，orlefttodieintheswampasuseless，withtheresultthatthewhiteman’smagicalpowerswerethenceforthestablishedbeyonddoubtorcavil。IndeedthepoorOgulanowlookedonhimasagodsuperioreventoLittleBonsa，whosefamiliarhewassupposedtobe。
Thejourneythroughthatswampwasverytrying，sinceinthiswetseasonoftentheycouldfindnoplaceonwhichtosleepatnight，butmuststayinthecanoetormentedbymosquitoes，andinconstantdangerofbeingupsetbythehippopotamithatlivedthere。Moreover，asnogamewasnowavailable，theywereobligedtoliveonthesebeasts，fishwhentheycouldcatchthem，andwildfowl，whichsometimestheywereunabletocookforlackoffuel。ThisdidnottroubletheOgula，whoatethemraw，asdidJeekiewhenhewashungry。ButAlanwasobligedtostarveuntiltheycouldmakeafire。Thisitwasonlypossibletodowhentheyfounddriftorotherwood，sinceatthatseasontherankvegetationwasinfullgrowth。Alsothefearfulthunderstormswhichbrokecontinuallyandinafewminuteshalffilledtheircanoewithwater，madethereedsandthesoilonwhichtheygrew，soddenwithwet。AsJeekiesaid:
“Thistimeofyearonlyfitforduckandcrocodile。Humanshouldrememberuncontrollableforcesofnatureandwaittillwintercomeinduecourse，whenquagmirebearsoleofhisfoot。“
ThiselaborateremarkhemadetoAlanduringtheprogressofaparticularlyfearfultempest。Thelightningblazedintheblackskyandseemedtostrikeallaboutthemlikestabbingswordsoffire，thethundercrashedandbellowedasitmaybesupposedthatitwilldoonthatdaywhenthegreatearth，wornoutatlast，shallreelandstaggertoitsdoom。Therainfellinastraightandsolidsheet；thetallreedswavedconfusedlylikemillionsofdimarmsandwhiletheywaved，utteredavastandgroaningnoise；thescaredwildfowlintheirterror，withscreamsandthesoughofwings，rushedpasttheminflocksathousandstrong，nowseenandnowlostinthevapours。Tokeeptheircanoeafloatthepoor，nakedOgulaoarsmen，shiveringwithcoldandfear，baledfuriouslywiththeirhands，orbowlsofhollowedwood，andcalledbacktoAlantosavethemasthoughhewerethemasteroftheelements。EvenJeekiewasdepressedandappearedtobeofferinguppetitions，thoughwhethertheseweredirectedtoLittleBonsaorelsewhereitwasimpossibletoknow。
AsforAlan，theheartwasoutofhim。Itistruethatsofarhehadescapedfeverorothersickness，whichinitselfwaswonderful，buthewaschilledthroughandthroughandpracticallyhadeatennothingfortwodays，andverylittleforaweek，sincehisstomachturnedfromhalf-cookedhippopotamusfatandwildfowl。Moreover，theyhadlostthechannelandseemedtobewanderingaimlesslythroughawildernessofreedsbrokenhereandtherebylinesofdeeperwater。
AccordingtheOgulatheyshouldhavereachedtheconfinesofthegreatlakeseveraldaysbeforeandlandedonhealthfulrisinggroundthatwaspartoftheAsikiterritory。Butthishadnothappened，andnowhedoubtedwhetheriteverwouldhappen。Itwasmorelikelythattheywouldcometotheirdeaths，thereinthemarsh，especiallyasthefewballandshotcartridgeswhichtheyhadsavedintheirflightwerenowexhausted。Notonewasleft；nothingwasleftexcepttheirrevolverswithsomecharges，whichofcoursewerequiteuselessforthekillingofgame。Thereforetheywereinafairwaytodieofhunger，forhereiffishexisted，theyrefusedtobecaughtandnoughtremainedforthemtofillthemselveswithexceptwaterslugs，andsnailswhichtheboatmenwerealreadygatheringandcrunchingupintheirgreatteeth。
Or，perhapstheOgula，forgettingfriendshipunderthepressureofnecessity，wouldmurderthemastheysleptand——reverttotheirusualdiet。
Jeekiewasright，heshouldhaverememberedthe“uncontrollableforcesofNature。“Onlyamadmanwouldhaveundertakensuchanexpeditionintherains。NowonderthattheAsikiremainedasecretandhiddenpeoplewhentheirfrontierwasprotectedbysuchamarshasthisupontheonesideand，asheunderstood，byimpassablemountainsupontheother。
Therecamealullinthetempestandtheboatmenbegantogetthebetterofthewater，whichnowwasuptotheirknees。AlanaskedJeekieifhethoughtitwasover，butthatworthyshookhiswhiteheadmournfully，causingthespraytoflyasfromatwirlingmop，andreplied:
“Can’tsay，catsanddogsnottumblesomanyforpresent，onlypupsandkittiesleft，sotospeak，butthinkthereplentymoreupthere，“
andhenoddedattheportentousfire-lacedcloudwhichseemedtobespreadingoverthem，itsblackedgesvisibleeventhroughthegloom。
“Badbusiness，Iamafraid，Jeekie。Shouldn’thavebroughtyouhere，orthosepoorbeggarseither，“andhelookedatthescared，frozenOgula。“Ibegintowonder——“
“Neverwonder，Major，“brokeinJeekieinalarm。“Ifwonder，notlive，ifwonder，notbeborn，toomuchwonderabouteverywhere。Can’tunderstandnothing，sogiveitup。Say，’Right-Oanddevilhindermost！’Verygoodmottoforbipedintightplace。BetterdrownherethaninCitybucketshop。Butnodrown。Shouldbedeadlongago，butLittleBonsaplaythegame，shenotwanttosinkinstinkingswampwhensonearherhappyhome。Comeoutallrightsomehow，asfromdwarf。Everycloudhavesilverlining，Major，eventhatblackchapupthere。Oh！mygolly！“
ThislastexclamationwaswrungfromJeekie’slipsbyasuddendevelopmentof“forcesofNature“whichastonishedevenhim。Insteadofasilverliningthe“blackchap“exhibitedoneofgold。Inaninstantitseemedtoturntoacresofflame；itwasasthoughtheheavenshadtakenfire。Aflashorathunderboltstruckthewaterwithintenyardsoftheircanoe，causingtheboatmentothrowthemselvesupontheirfacesthroughshockorterror。Thencamethehurricane，whichfortunatelywassostrongthatitpermittednomoreraintofall。Thetallreedswerebeatenflatbeneathitsbreath；thecanoewasseizedinitsgripandwhirledroundandround，thendrivenforwardlikeanarrow。Onlytheweightofthemenandthewaterinitpreventeditfromoversetting。Densedarknessfelluponthemandalthoughtheycouldseenostar，theyknewthatitmustbenight。Ontheyrushed，drivenbythatshriekinggale，andallaboutandaroundthemthiswallofdarkness。Noonespoke，forhopewasabandoned，andiftheyhad，theirvoicescouldnothavebeenheard。ThelastthingthatAlanrememberedwasfeelingJeekiedraggingagrassmatoverhimtoprotecthimalittleifhecould。Thenhissenseswavered，asdoesadyinglamp。HethoughtthathewasbackinwhatJeekiehadrudelycalled“Citybucketshop，“bargainingacrossthetelephonewire，uponwhichcameallthesoundsoftheinfernalregions，withafinancialpaperforanarticleonaLittleBonsaSyndicatethatheproposedtofloat。HethoughthewasinTheCourtwoodswithBarbara，onlythebirdsinthetreessangsounnaturallyloudthathecouldnothearhervoice，andsheworeLittleBonsaonherheadasabonnet。Thenshedepartedinflame，leavinghimandDeathalone。
Alanawoke。Abovethesunshonehotly，warminghimbacktolife，butinfrontwasathickwallofmistandrisingbeyonditinthedistancehesawtheruggedswellingformsofmountains。Doubtlessthesehadbeenvisiblebefore，butthetallreedsthroughwhichtheytravelledhadhidthesightofthem。HelookedbehindhimandthereinaheaplaytheOgulaaroundtheirchief，insensibleorsleeping。Hecountedthemandfoundthattwoweregone，lostinthetempest，howorwherenomaneverlearned。Helookedforwardandsawapeculiarsight，forintheprowofthedriftingcanoestoodJeekiecladintheremainsofhiswhiterobeandwearingonhisheadthebatteredhelmetandabouthisshouldersthetornfragmentsofgreenmosquitonet。WhileAlanwaswonderingstrangelywhyhehadadoptedthisceremonialgarb，fromoutofthemisttherecameasoundofsinging，ofwildandsolemnsinging。
Jeekieseemedtolistentoit；thenhelifteduphisgreatmusicalvoiceandsangasthoughinanswer。WhathesangAlancouldnotunderstand，butherecognizedthatthelanguagewhichheusedwasthatoftheAsikipeople。
Apauseandaconfusedmurmuring，andnowagainthewildsongroseandagainJeekieanswered。
“Whatthedeuceareyoudoing？Wherearewe？“askedAlanfaintly。
Jeekieturnedandbeameduponhim；althoughhisteethwerechatteringandhisfacewashollow，stillhebeamed。
“Youawake，Major？“hesaid。“Thoughtgoodoldsundotrick。Feelyourheartnowandfinditbeat。Pulse，too，strong，thoughtemp’raturenotnormal。Well，goodnewsthismorning。LittleBonsacomeouttopasusual。Asikipriestsonbankthere。Can’tseethem，butknowtheirsongandanswer。Sameoldgameasthirtyyearsago。Asikineverchange，whichgoodbusinesswhenyoubeenawaylongwhile。“
“HangtheAsiki，“saidAlanfeebly，“Ithinkallthesepoorbeggarsaredead，andhepointedtotherowers。
“Looklikeit，Major，butwhatthatmatternowsinceyouandIalive？
