“Youmakeyourownhell，“answeredAlanwhenwiththehelpofJeekieheunderstoodhertalk。
Sheponderedoverhiswordsforawhile，thensaid:
“Imustthink。Thethingisbig。Iwanderinblackness；Iwillspeakwithyouagain。Saynow，whatelseiswrongwithme？“
NowAlanthoughtthathesawopportunityforawordinseasonandmadeagreatmistake。
“Ithinkthatyoutreatyourhusband，thatmanwhomyoucallMungana，verybadly。Whyshouldyoudrivehimtohisdeath？“
AtthesewordstheAsikaleaptupinarage，andseekingsomethingtoventhertemperon，violentlyboxedJeekie’searsandkickedhimwithhersandalledfoot。
“TheMungana！“sheexclaimed，“thatbeast！WhathaveItodowithhim？
Ihatehim，asIhatedtheothers。Theprieststhrusthimonme。Hehashadhisday，lethimgo。Inyourcountrydotheymakewomenlivewithmenwhomtheyloathe？Ilove/you/，Bonsahimselfknowswhy？
Perhapsbecauseyouhaveawhiteskinandwhitethoughts。ButIhatethatman。WhatistheuseofbeingAsikaifIcannottakewhatIloveandrejectwhatIhate？Goaway，Vernoon，goaway，youhaveangeredme，andifitwerenotforwhatyouhavesaidaboutthatnewlawofmercy，IthinkthatIwouldcutyourthroat，“andagainsheboxedJeekie’searsandkickedhimintheshins。
Alanroseandbowedhimselftowardsthedoorwhileshestoodwithherbacktowardshim，sobbing。Ashewasabouttopassitshewheeledround，wipingthetearsfromhereyeswithherhand，andsaid:
“Iforgot，Isentforyoutothankyouforyourpresents；that，“andshepointedtothelionskin，“whichtheytellmeyoukilledwithsomekindofthundertosavethelifeofthatoldcannibal，andthis，“andshepulledoffthenecklaceofclaws，thenadded，“asIamtoobadtowearit，youhadbettertakeitbackagain，“andshethrewitwithallherstrengthstraightintoJeekie’sface。
Fearingworsethings，themuchmaltreatedJeekieutteredahowlandboltedthroughthedoor，whileAlan，pickingupthenecklace，returnedittoherwithabow。Shetookit。
“Stop，“shesaid。“Youareleavingtheroomwithoutyourmaskandmywomenareoutside。Comehere，“andshetiedthethinguponhishead，settingitallawry，thenpushedhimfromtheplace。
“Verypoorjoke，Major，verypoorindeed，“saidJeekiewhentheyhadreachedtheirownapartment。“Ladymakeloveto/you/；/you/playprigandlectureladyaboutholycustomsofhercountryandshebox/my/
eartillheadsing，alsokickmealloverandthrowsharpclawsinface。Pleaseyoudoitnomore。Thenexttime，whoknows？shestickknifein/my/gizzard，thenkiss/you/afterwardandsayshesosorryandhopeshenohurt/you/。ButhowthathelppoordepartedJeekiewhogetallkicks，whileyouhaveha’pence？“
“Oh！bequiet，“saidAlan；“youarewelcometothehalfpenceifyouwouldonlyleavemethekicks。Thequestionis，howamItogetoutofthismess？Whileshewasabeautifulsavagedevil，onecoulddealwiththething，butifsheisgoingtobecomehumanitisanothermatter。“
Jeekielookedathimwithpityinhiseyes。
“Alwaysthoughtwhitemanmadatbottom，“hesaid，shakinghisbighead。“Tobenightedblackniggerthingsoverysimple。Allyougottodo，makeloveandcutwhenyougetchance。ThenshepleasedasPunch，everythinggosmoothandJeekiegetnomorekicks。Christianreligionbusinessverygood，butwon’twashinAsiki-land。Yourreverendunclefindoutthat。“
Notwishingtopursuetheargument，AlanchangedthesubjectbyaskinghisindignantretainerifhethoughtthattheAsikahadmeantwhatshesaidwhensheofferedtosendthegolddowntothecoast。
“Whynot，Major？Thatgoodladyalwaysmeanwhatshesay，andwhatshedotoo，“andhedabbedwrathfullyatthescratchesmadebythelion’sclawsonhisface，thenadded，“Sheknowherownmind，notlikeshilly-shally，see-sawwhitewoman，whogetuponethingandgotobedanother。Ifsheloveshelove，ifshehateshehate。Ifshesayshesendgold，shesendit，thoughpitytopartwithallthatcash，because’spectsomeonebagit。“
Alanreflectedawhile。
“Don’tyousee，Jeekie，thathereisachance，ifaverysmallone，ofgettingamessagetothecoast。Alsoitisquiteclearthatifweareeverabletoescape，itwillbeimpossibleforustocarrythisheavystuff，whereasifwesenditonahead，perhapssomeofitmightgetthrough。Wewillpackitup，Jeekie，atanyrateitwillbesomethingtodo。GonowandsendamessagetotheAsika，andaskhertoletushavesomecarpenters，andalotofwell-seasonedwood。“
Themessagewassentandanhourlateradozenofthenativecraftsmenarrivedwiththeirrudetoolsandasupplyofplankscutfromakindofiron-woodorebonytree。TheyprostratedthemselvestoAlan，thenthemasterofthemrising，instantlybegantomeasureJeekiewithamarkedreed。ThatworthysprangbackandaskedwhatinthenameofBonsa，BigandLittle，theyweredoing，whereonthemanexplainedwithhumilitythattheAsikahadsaidthatshethoughtthewhitelordwantedthewoodtomakeaboxtoburyhisservantin，ashe，thesaidservant，hadoffendedherthatmorning，anddoubtlessthewhitelordwishedtokillhimonthataccount，orperhapstoputhimawayundergroundalive。
“Oh，mygolly！“saidJeekie，shakingtillhisgreatkneesknockedtogether，“oh！mygolly！hereprettygo。Shethinkyouwantburymeallalive。ThatmeanshewanttoberidofJeekie，becausehegotsitthereandplaygooseberrywhenshewishtalkalonewithyou。Oh，yes！
Iseeherlittlegame。“
“Well，Jeekie，“saidAlan，burstingintosucharoaroflaughterthathenearlyshookoffhismask，“youhadbetterbecareful，foryoujusttoldmethattheAsikaisnotlikeasee-sawwhitewomanandneverchangeshermind。SaytothismanthathemusttelltheAsikathereisamistake，andthathowevermuchIshouldliketoobligeher，Ican’tburyyoubecauseithasbeenprophesiedtomethatonthedayyouareburied，Ishallbeburiedalso，andthatthereforeyoumustbekeptalive。“
“Capitalnotionthat，Major，“saidJeekie，muchrelieved。“Shenotwantburyyoujustatpresent；nextyearperhaps，butnotnow。Itellhim。“Andhedidwithmuchvigour。
Thisslightmisconceptionhavingbeendisposedof，theyexplainedtothecarpenterswhatwaswanted。First，allthegoldwasemptiedoutofthesacksinwhichitremainedasthepriestshadbroughtit，anddividedintoheaps，eachofwhichweighedaboutfortypounds，aweightthatwithitsboxAlanconsideredwouldbeagoodloadforaporter。
Oftheseheapsthereprovedtobefifty-three，theirtotalvalue，Alanreckoned，amountingtoabout￡100，000sterling。Thenthecarpentersweresettoworktomakeamodelbox，whichtheydidquicklyenoughandwithgreatingenuity，cuttingthewoodwiththeirnativesaws，dovetailingitasacivilizedcraftsmanwoulddo，andfinallysecuringiteverywherewithebonypegs，drivenintoholeswhichtheyboredwithahotiron。Theresultwasaboxthatwouldstandanyamountofroughusageandwhenfinallypeggeddown，onethatcouldonlybeopenedwithahammerandacoldchisel。
Thisbox-makingwentonfortwowholedays。Aseachofthemwasfilledandpeggeddown，thegoldwithinbeingpackedinsawdusttokeepitfromrattling，AlanamusedhimselfinaddinganaddresswithafeatherbrushandasupplyofredpaintsuchastheAsikipriestsusedtodecoratetheirbodies。Atfirsthewaspuzzledtoknowwhataddresstoput，butfinallydecideduponthefollowing:
/MajorA。Vernon，careofMissChampers，TheCourt，nearKingswell，England。/Addinginthecorner，/FromA。V。，AsikiLand，Africa。/
Itwasallchildishenough，heknew，yetwhenitwasdoneheregardedhishandiworkwithasortofsatisfaction。For，reflectedAlan，ifbutoneofthoseboxesshouldchancetogetthroughtoEngland，itwouldtellBarbaraagreatdeal，andifitwereaddressedtohimself，herunclecouldscarcelydaretotakepossessionofit。
Thenhebethoughthimofsendingaletter，butwasobligedtoabandontheidea，ashehadneitherpen，pencil，ink，norpaperlefttohim。
Whateverartsremainedtothem，thatofanyformofwritingwasnowtotallyunknowntotheAsiki，althoughmarksthatmightbewriting，itwillberemembered，didappearontheinnersideoftheLittleBonsamask，anevidenceofitsgreatantiquity。EveninthedayswhentheyhadwrappeduptheEgyptian，theRoman，andotherearlyMunganasinsheetsofgoldandsetthemintheirtreasure-house，apparentlytheyhadnoknowledgeofit，fornotevenanhieroglyphoraruneappearedupontheimperishablemetalshrouds。Sincethattimetheyhadevidentlydecreased，notadvanced，inlearningtillatthepresentday，exceptfortheserelicsandsomedimandmeaninglesssurvivalofritesthatoncehadbeenreligiousandwerestillofferedtothesameancientidols，therewaslittletodistinguishthemfromothertribesofCentralAfricansavages。StillAlandidsomething，forobtainingapieceofwhitewood，whichhesmoothedaswellashewasablewithaknife，hepaintedonitthismessage:
“Messrs。Aston，OldCalabar。Pleaseforwardaccompanyingfifty-threepackages，orasmanyasarrive，andcableasfollows(allcostswillberemitted):MissChampers，Kingswell，England。PrisoneramongAsiki。
Nopresentprospectofescape，buthopeforbest。JeekieandIwell。
Allowedsendthis，butperhapsnofuturemessagepossible。Good-bye。
Alan。“
AsithappenedjustasAlanwasfinishingthisscrawlwithasadheart，heheardamovementandglancingup，perceivedstandingathissidetheAsika，ofwhomhehadseennothingsincetheinterviewwhenshehadbeatenJeekie:
“Whatarethosemarksthatyoumakeupontheboard，Vernoon？“sheaskedsuspiciously。
WiththeassistanceofJeekie，whokeptatarespectfuldistance，heinformedherthattheywereamessageinwritingtotellthewhitemenatthecoasttoforwardthegoldtohisstarvingfamily。
