Plentymorewheretheycomefrom。Notdeadthough，thinkonlysleep，nolikecold，likedormouse。Butnevermindcannibalpig。Theyserveourturn，iftheylive，live；iftheydie，dieandGodhavemercyonsouls，ifcannibalhavesoul。Ah！hereweare，“andfrombeneathsixinchesofwaterhedraggedupthetinboxcontainingLittleBonsa，fromwhichheextractedthefetish，wetbutuninjured。
“Putheronnow，Major。Putheronatonceandcomesitinprowofcanoe。MustreachAsiki-landinproperstyle。Prieststhinkityourreverendunclecomebackagain，justasheleave。Makeverygoodimpression。“
“Ican’t，“saidAlanfeebly。“Iamplayedout，Jeekie。“
“Oh！buckup，Major，buckup！“herepliedimploringly。“Onekickmoreandyouwinrace，mustn’tspoilshipforha’porthoftar。Youjustwearfetish，whistleonceonland，andthengotosleepforwholeweekifyoulike。Idorest，sayitallmagic，andsoforth——thatyoubeendeadandjustcomeoutofgrave，oranythingyoulike。NomatterifyouturnupasannouncedonbillandGodblesshurricanethatblowusherewhenweexpectdie。Come，Major，quick，quick！mistmeltandsoontheyseeyou。“ThenwithoutwaitingforananswerJeekieclappedthewetmaskonhismaster’shead，tiedthethongsandledAlantotheprowofthecanoe，wherehesethimdownonalittlecrossbench，stoodbehindsupportinghimandagainbegantosinginagreattriumphantvoice。
Themistclearedaway，rollinguplikeacurtainandrevealingontheshoreanumberofmenandwomencladinwhiterobes，whoweremartialledinranksthere，chantingandstaringoutatthedimwatersofthelagoon。Yonderuponthewaters，drivenforwardbythegentlebreeze，floatedacanoeandlo！intheprowofthatcanoesatawhitemanandonhisheadthegodwhichtheyhadlostawholegenerationgone。Ontheheadofawhitemanithaddeparted；ontheheadofawhitemanitreturned。Theysawandfellupontheirknees。
“Blow，Major，blow！“whisperedJeekie，andAlanblewafeeblenotethroughthewhistleinthemouthofthemask。Itwasenough，theyknewit。Theysprangintothewateranddraggedthecanoetoland。TheysetAlanontheshoreandworshippedhim。Theyhaledupaladasthoughforsacrifice，forapriestflourishedagreatknifeabovehishead，butJeekiesaidsomethingthatcausedthemtolethimgo。AlanthoughtitwastotheeffectthatLittleBonsahadchangedherhabitsacrosstheBlackWater，andwantednoblood，onlyfood。Thenherememberednomore；againthedarknessfelluponhim。
WhenconsciousnessreturnedtoAlan，thefirstthingofwhichhebecamedimlyawarewastheslow，swayingmotionofalitter。Heraisedhimself，forhewaslyingatfulllength，andinsodoingfeltthattherewassomethingoverhisface。
“ThatconfoundedLittleBonsa，“hethought。“AmIexpectedtospendtherestofmylifewithitonmyheadlikethemanintheironmask？“
Thenheputuphishandandfeltthething，tofindthatitwasnotLittleBonsa，butsomethingmadeapparentlyofthin，finelinen，fittedtotheshapeofhisface，fortherewasanoseonit，andeyeholesthroughwhichhecouldsee，yes，andamouthwhereofthelipsbysomeingeniouscontrivancecouldbemovedupanddown。
“LittleBonsa’sundressuniform，Iexpect，“hemuttered，andtriedtodragitoff。This，however，provedtobeimpossible，foritwasfittedtightlytohisheadandlacedorfastenedatthebackofhisnecksosecurelythathecouldnotundoit。Beingstillweak，soonhegaveuptheattemptandbegantolookabouthim。
Hewasinalitter，averyfinelitterhungroundwithbeautifullywovenandcolouredgrassmats，insideofwhichwereakindofcouchandcushionsofsoftwoolorhair，soarrangedthathecouldeithersituporliedown。Hepeepedbetweentwoofthesematsandsawthattheyweretravellinginamountainouscountryoverawell-beatenroadortrail，andthathislitterwasborneupontheshouldersofadoublelineofwhite-robedmen，whileallaroundhimmarchednumbersofothermen。Theyseemedtobesoldiers，fortheywerearrangedincompaniesandcarriedlargespearsandshields。Alsosomeofthemworetorquesandbraceletsofyellowmetalthatmightbeeitherbrassorgold。
Turninghimselfabouthefoundaneyeholeinthebackofthelittersocontrivedthatitsoccupantcouldseewithoutbeingseen，andperceivedthathisescortamountedtoaveritablearmyofsplendid-
looking，butsombre-facedsavagesofasomewhatSemiticcastofcountenance。Indeedmanyofthemhadaquilinefeaturesandhairthat，althoughcrisped，waslongandcarefullyarrangedinsomethingliketheoldEgyptianfashion。Alsohesawthataboutthirtyyardsbehindandseparatedfromhimbyabodyguard，wasborneasecondlitter。Bymeansofasimilarapertureinfronthediscoveredyetmoresoldiers，andbeyondthem，attheheadoftheprocession，waswhatappearedtobeabodyofwhite-robedmenandwomenbearingstrangeemblemsandbanners。Thesehetooktobepriestsandpriestesses。
Havingexaminedeverythingthatwaswithinreachofhiseye，Alansankbackuponhiscushionsandbegantorealizethathewasveryfaintandhungry。Itwasjustthenthatthesoundofafamiliarvoicereachedhisears。ItwasthevoiceofJeekie，andhedidnotspeak，hechantedinEnglishtoamelodywhichAlanatoncerecognizedasaGregoriantone，apparentlyfromthesecondlitter。
“Oh，Major，“hesang，“haveyouyetawokefromrefre-e-eshingsleep？
Ifso，pleaseanswermeinsametoneofvoice，forrememberthatyoude-e-evilofaswell，LordoftheLittleBonsa，andmustnotspeaklikeco-o-ommoncad。“
FeebleashewasAlannearlyburstoutlaughing，thenrememberingthatprobablyhewasexpectednottolaugh，chantedhisanswerasdirected，whichhavingagoodtenorvoice，hedidwithsomeeffect，totheevidentaweanddelightofalltheescortwithinhearing。
“Iamawake，mostexcellentJee-e-ekie，andfeeltheneedoffood，ifyouhavesuchathingabou-ou-outyouanditislawfulfortheLordofLittleBonsatotakenu-tri-ment。“
InstantlyJeekie’sdeepvoiceroseinreply。
“Thatgoodtidingsuponthemountaintops，Ma-ajor。Can’tcomeouttobringyouchopbecausetooi-i-infradig，fornowIalsobiggishbug，thelittlebirdwhatsitupontherose，aspoetsa-a-ays。ItelltheseJohnniesbringyougrub，whichyoueatwithoutqualm，forAsikiAlcoo-o-ook。“
ThenfollowedloudordersissuedbyJeekietohisimmediate/entourage/，andsomeconfusion。
AsaresultpresentlyAlan’slitterwashalted，thecurtainswereopenedandkneelingwomenthrustthroughthemplattersofwooduponwhich，wrappedupinleaves，werethedismemberedlimbsofabirdwhichhetooktobechickenorguinea-fowl，andagoldcupcontainingwaterpleasantlyflavouredwithsomeessence。Thiscupinterestedhimverymuchbothonaccountofitsshapeandworkmanship，whichifrude，wasstrikingindesign，resemblingthosedrinkingvesselsthathavebeenfoundinMyceniangraves。AlsoitprovedtohimthatJeekie’sstoriesoftheabundanceofthepreciousmetalamongtheAsikihadnotbeenexaggerated。Ifitwerenotveryplentiful，theywouldscarcely，hethought，maketheirtravellingcupsofgold。Evidentlytherewaswealthintheland。
Afterthefoodhadbeenhandedtohimthelitterwentonagain，andseateduponhiscushions，heateanddrankheartilyenough，fornowthattheworstofhisfatiguehadpassedaway，hishungerwasgreat。
InsomeabsurdfashionthismealremindedhimofthatwhichatravellermakesoutofaluncheonbasketuponarailwaylineinEuropeorAmerica。OnlytherethecupsarenotofgoldandamongtheAsikiwerenopapernapkins，nosaltandmustard，andnothreeandsixpenceordollartopay。Further，untilhegotusedtoit，luncheoninalinenmaskwithamoveablemouthwasnoteasy。Thisdifficultyheovercameatlastbyproppingtheimitationlipsapartwithapieceofbone，afterwhichthingswereeasier。
Whenhehadfinishedhethrewtheplatterandtheremainsoutofthelitter，retainingthecupforfurtherexamination，andrecommencedhisintonedandpoeticalconversewithJeekie。
Tosetitoutatlengthwouldbewearisome，butinthecourseofanhourorsohecollectedagooddealofinformation。ThushelearnedthattheywereduetoarriveattheAsikicity，whichwascalledBonsaTown，bynightfall，oralittleafter。Alsohewasinformedthatthemaskheworewas，ashehadguessed，akindofundressuniformwithoutwhichhemustneverappear，sinceforanyoneexcepttheAsikaherselftolookuponthenakedcountenanceofanindividualsomysteriouslymixedupwithLittleBonsa，wassacrilegeoftheworstsort。IndeedJeekieassuredhimthatthepriestswhohadputontheheaddresswhenhewasinsensiblewerefirstblindfolded。
ThisnewsdepressedAlanverymuch，sincetheprospectoflivinginalinenmaskforanindefiniteperiodwasnotcheerful。Recovering，hechantedaqueryastothefateoftheOgulacrewandtheirchiefFahni。
“Notde-ad，“intonedJeekieinreply，“andnotgoneback。A-allalive-
O，somewherebehindthere。Fannyverysickaboutit，forhethinkAsikibringthemalongforsacrifice，poo-orbeg-gars。“
FinallyheinquiredwhereLittleBonsawasandwasansweredthathehimselfasitslawfulguardian，wassittingonthefetishinitstinbox，tidingsthathewasabletoverifybygropingbeneaththecushions。
Afterthishisvoicegaveout，thoughJeekiecontinuedtosingitemsofinterestingnewsfromtimetotime。IndeedtherewereotherthingsthatabsorbedAlan’sattention。Lookingthroughthepeepholesandcracksinthecurtains，hesawthatatlasttheyhadreachedthecrestofaridgeupwhichtheyhadbeenclimbingforhours。Beforethemlayavastandfertilevalley，muchofwhichseemedtobeundercultivation，anddownitflowedabroadandplacidriver。Oppositetohimandfacingwestagreattongueoflandranuptoawallofmountainswithstarkprecipicesofblackrockthatseemedtobehundreds，oreventhousands，offeethigh，andatthetipofthistongueamightywaterfallrushedovertheprecipice，lookingatthatdistancelikeacascadeofsmoke。Thistorrent，whichherememberedwascalledRaaba，fellintoagreatpoolandtheredivideditselfintotworushingbranchesthatenclosedanellipseofground，surroundedonallsidesbywater，foronitswesternmostextremitythebranchesmetagainandafterflowingawhileasoneriver，dividedoncemoreandwoundawayquietlytonorthandsouthfurtherthantheeyecouldreach。Ontheislandthusformed，whichmayhavebeenthreemileslongbytwoinbreadth，stoodthousandsofstraw-roofed，square-builthutswithverandas，neatlyarrangedinblocksandlinesandhavingbetweenthemstreetsthatwereedgedwithpalms。
