“Don’tknowanddon’tcare，“saidJeekie；“nomoregoodtous。CangoandseehowBigBonsafeel，ifhelike，“andstretchingouthisbighandasthoughinamomentofabstraction，heremovedthecostlynecklacesfromtheirguide’sneckandthrustthemintothepouchhewore。AlsohepickedupthegildedlinenmaskwhichAlanhadremovedfromhisheadandplaceditinthesamereceptacle，remarking，thathe“alwaystaughtthatitwickedtowasteanythingwhensomanypoorintheworld。“
Thentheystarted，theMunganafollowingthem。Jeekiepausedandwavedhimoff，butthepoorwretchstillcameon，whereonJeekieproducedthebig，crookedknife，Mungana’sownknife。
“Whatareyougoingtodo，“saidAlan，awakingtothesituation。
“Cutoffheadofthatcocktailman，Major，andsosavehimlotoftrouble。Alsowegotnogrub，andifwefindanyhewanteatalot。
Chopwhatdofortwop’raps，makeveryshortcommonsforthree。Alsohemightplaydirtytrick，somuchbestdead。“
“Nonsense，“saidAlansternly；“letthepoordevilcomealongifhelikes。Onegoodturndeservesanother。“
“Justso，Major；thathello-swellowantcutourthroats，soIwantcuthis——onegoodturndeserveanother，aswisekingsayinBook，whenhegivehalfbabytowomanwhatwouldn’thaveit。Well，sobe，Major，speciallyasitnomatter，forhenotstopwithuslong。“
“Youmeanthathewillrunaway，Jeekie？“
“Oh！no，henotrunaway，heintoobluefunkforthat。Butsomethingrunawaywithhim，becauseheoughtdieto-morrownight。Oh！yes，yousee，yousee，andJeekiehopethatsomethingnotrunawaywithyoutoo，Major，becauseyououghtbemarriedatsametime。“
“Hopenot，Iamsure，“answeredAlan，andbethinkinghimofBigBonsawallowingandscreamingonthewaterandbleedingoutwhiteblood，heshiveredalittle。
Bythistime，advancingatatrot，theMunganarunningafterthemlikeadog，theyhadenteredthebushpiercedwithafewwanderingpaths。
Alongthesepathstheyspedforhourafterhour，Jeekieleadingthemwithoutamoment’shesitation。Theymetnomanandheardnothing，exceptoccasionalweirdsoundswhichAlanputdowntowildbeasts，butJeekieandtheMunganasaidwereproducedbyghosts。Indeeditappearedthatallthisjunglewassupposedtobehaunted，andnoAsikiwouldenteritatnight，orunlesshewereveryboldandprotectedbymanycharms，bydayeither。Thereforeitwasanexcellentplaceforfugitiveswhosorelyneededagoodstart。
Atlengththedaybegantodawnjustastheyreachedthemainroadwhereitcrossedthehills，whenceonhisjourneythitherAlanhadhisfirstviewofBonsaTown。Peeringfromtheedgeofthebush，theyperceivedafireburningneartheroadandrounditfiveorsixmen，whoseemedtobeasleep。Theirfirstthoughtwastoavoidthem，buttheMungana，creepinguptoAlan，forJeekiehewouldnotapproach，whispered:
“NotAsiki，OgulachiefandslaveswholeftBonsaTownyesterday。“
Theycreptnearerthefireandsawthatthiswasso。Thenrejoicingexceedingly，theyawoketheoldchief，Fahni，whoatfirstthoughttheymustbespirits。ButwhenherecognizedAlan，heflunghimselfonhiskneesandkissedhishand，becausetohimheowedhisliberty。
“Notimeforallthat，Fahni，“saidAlan。“Giveusfood。“
Nowofthisasitchancedtherewasplenty，sincebytheAsika’sorderstheslaveshadbeenladenwithasmuchastheycouldcarry。
Theyateofitravenously，andwhiletheyate，toldFahnisomethingofthestoryoftheirescape。Theoldchieflistenedamazed，butlikeJeekieaskedAlanwhyhehadnotkilledtheMungana，whowouldhavekilledhim。
Alan，whowasinnomoodforlongexplanations，answeredthathehadkepthimwiththembecausehemightbeuseful。
“Yes，yes，friend，Isee，“exclaimedtheoldcannibal，“althoughheissothinhewillalwaysmakeamealortwoatapinch。Trulywhitemenarewiseandprovident。Liketheants，youtakethoughtforthemorrow。“
Assoonastheyhadswallowedtheirfoodtheystartedalltogether，foralthoughAlanpointedouttoFahnithathemightbesaferapart，theoldchiefwhohadarealaffectionforhim，wouldnotbepersuadedtoleavehim。
“Letusliveordietogether，“hesaid。
NowJeekie，abandoningthemainroad，ledthemupastream，walkinginthewatersothattheirfootstepsmightleavenotrace，andthusawayintothebarrenmountainswhichrosebetweenthemandthegreatswamp。
OnthecrestofthesemountainsAlanturnedandlookedbacktowardsBonsaTown。Therefaracrossthefertilevalleywasthehateful，river-encircledplace。Therefellthegreatcataractintheroarofwhichhehadlivedforsomanyweeks。ThereweretheblackcedarsandtheregleamedtheroofsoftheGoldHouse，hisprisonwheredwelttheAsikaandthedreadfulfetishesofwhichshewasthepriestess。Tohimitwaslikethevisionofanightmare，hecouldscarcelythinkitreal。Andyetbythistimedoubtlesstheysoughthimfarandwide。
Whatmood，hewondered，wouldtheAsikabeinwhenshelearnedofhisescapeandthefashionofit，andhowwouldshegreethimifhewererecapturedandtakenbacktoher？Well，hewouldnotberecaptured。Hehadstillsomecartridgesandhewouldfighttilltheykilledhim，orfailingthat，savethelastofthemforhimself。Never，nevercouldheenduretobedraggedbacktoBonsaTowntheretoliveanddie。
Theywentonacrossthemountains，tillintheafternoononcemoretheysawtheroadrunningbeneaththemlikearibbon，andattheendofitthelagoon。Nowtheyrestedawhileandheldaconsultationwhiletheyate。Acrossthatlagoontheycouldnotescapewithoutacanoe。
“Lord，“saidtheMunganapresently，“yesterdaywhenthesecannibalswereletgoaswiftrunnerwassentforwardcommandingthatagoodboatshouldbeprovisionedandmadereadyforthem，andbynowdoubtlessthishasbeendone。Letthemdescendtotheroad，walkontothebayandaskfortheboat。Look，yonder，farawayatongueoflandcoveredwithtreesjutsoutintothelake。Wewillmakeourwaythitherandafternightfallthischiefcanrowbacktoitandtakeusintothecanoe。“
Alansaidthattheplanwasgood，butJeekieshookhishead，askingwhatwouldhappenifFahni，findinghimselfsafeuponthewater，thoughtitwisestnottocometofetchthem。
Alantranslatedhiswordstotheoldchief，whereonFahniwantedtofightJeekiebecauseoftheslurthathehadcastuponhishonour。
ThischallengeJeekieresolutelydeclined，sayingthatalreadytherewereplentyofwaystodieinAsiki-landwithoutaddinganothertothem。ThenFahnisworebyhistribalgodandbythespiritofeverymanhehadevereaten，thathewouldcometothatpromontoryafterdark，ifhewerestillalive。
Sotheyseparated，Fahniandhismenslippingdowntotheroad，whichtheydidwithoutbeingseenbyanyone，whileAlan，JeekieandtheMunganaboreawaytotherighttowardsthepromontory。Theroadwaslongandroughand，thoughbygoodfortunetheymetnoone，sincethefewwhodweltinthesewildpartshadgoneuptoBonsaTowntobepresentatthegreatfeast，thesunwassinkingbeforeevertheyreachedtheplace。Moreover，thispromontoryprovedtobecoveredwithdensethornscrub，throughwhichtheymustforceawayinthegatheringdarkness，notwithouthurtanddifficulty。Stilltheyaccomplisheditandatlength，quiteexhausted，crepttotheverypoint，wheretheyhidthemselvesbetweensomestonesatthewater’sedge。
Heretheywaitedforthreelonghours，butnoboatcame。
“Allupagum-treenow，Major，“saidJeekie。“Oldblackguard，Fanny，boltandleaveushere，andto-morrowmorningAsikanobbleus。Betterhavegonedowntobay，stealhisboatandleavehimbehind，becauseAsikanowant/him/。“
Alanmadenoanswer。Hewastootired，andalthoughhetrustedFahni，itseemedlikelyenoughthatJeekiewasright，orperhapsthecannibalshadnotbeenabletogettheboat。Well，hehaddonehisbest，andifFateovertookthemitwasnofaultofhis。Hebegantodoze，foreventheirimminentperilcouldnotkeephiseyesopen，thenpresentlyawokewithastart，forinhissleephethoughtheheardthesoundsofpaddlesbeatingthequietwater。Yes，theredimlyseenthroughthemist，wasacanoe，andseatedinthesternofitFahni。Sothatdangerhadgonebyalso。
Hewokehiscompanions，whosleptathisside，andverysilentlytheyrose，steppingfromrocktorocktilltheyreachedthecanoeandenteredit。Itwasnotalargecraft，barelybigenoughtoholdthemallindeed，buttheyfoundroom，andthenatasignfromFahnitheoarsmengavewaysoheartilythatwithinhalfanhourtheyhadlostsightoftheaccursedshoresofAsiki-land，althoughpresentlyitsmountainsshowedupclearlybeneaththemoon。
MeanwhileFahnihadtoldhistale。ItappearedthatwhenhereachedthebayhefoundtheAsikiheadmanwhodweltthere，andthoseunderhim，inastateofconsiderableexcitement。
RumourshadreachedthemthatsomeonehadescapedfromBonsaTown；
theythoughtitwastheMungana。Fahniaskedwhohadbroughttherumour，whereontheheadmanansweredthatitcame“inadream，“andwouldsaynomore。Thenhedemandedthecanoewhichhadbeenpromisedtohimandhispeople，andtheheadmanadmittedthatitwasreadyinaccordancewithordersreceivedfromtheAsika，butdemurredtolettinghimhaveit。Alongargumentfollowed，inthemidstofwhichFahniandhismengotintothecanoe，theheadmanapparentlynotdaringtouseforcetopreventhim。JustastheywerepushingoffamessengerarrivedfromBonsaTown，reelingwithexhaustionandhistonguehangingfromhisjaws，whocalledoutthatitwasthewhitemanwhohadescapedwithhisservantandtheMungana，andthatalthoughtheywerebelievedtobestillhiddenintheholywoodsnearBonsaTown，noneweretobeallowedtoleavethebay。SotheheadmanshoutedtoFahnitoreturn，buthepretendednottohearandrowedaway，nordidanyoneattempttofollowhim。StillitwasonlyafternightfallthathedaredtoputtheboataboutandreturntotheheadlandtopickupAlanandtheothersashehadpromised。Thatwasallhehadtosay。
Alanthankedhimheartilyforhisfaithfulnessandtheypaddledonsteadily，puttingmileaftermileofwaterbetweenthemandAsiki-
land。Hewonderedwhetherhehadseenthelastofthatcountryanditsinhabitants。SomethingwithinhimansweredNo。HewassurethattheAsikawouldnotallowhimtodepartinpeacewithoutmakingsomedesperateefforttorecapturehim。Farashewasaway，itseemedtohimthathecouldfeelherfuryhangingoverhimlikeacloud，acloudthatwouldburstinarainofblood。Doubtlessitwouldhaveburstalreadyhaditnotbeenfortheaccidentthatheandhiscompanionswerestillsupposedtobehidinginthewoods。Butthaterrormustbediscovered，andthenwouldcomethepursuit。
