Helookedatthefullmoonshininguponhimandreflectedthatatthisveryhourheshouldhavebeenseateduponthechairofstate，wedding，orratherbeingweddedbytheAsikainthepresenceofBigandLittleBonsaandallthepeople。HiseyefellupontheMungana，whohadalsobeendestinedtoplayaprominentpartinthatceremony。Atoncehesawthattherewassomethingwrongwiththeman。Acuriouschangehadcomeoverhisemaciatedface。Itwasworkinglikethatofamaniac。
Foamappeareduponhisdyedlips，hishauntedeyesrolled，histhinhandsgrippedthesideofthecanoeandhebegantosing，orratherhowllikeadogbayingatthestars。Jeekiehithimontheheadandbadehimbesilent，buthetooknonotice，evenwhenhehithimagainmoreheavily。Presentlycametheclimax。Themansprangupinthecanoe，causingittorockfromsidetoside。Hepointedtothefullmoonaboveandhowledmoreloudlythanbefore；hepointedtosomethingthatheseemedtoseeintheairnearbyandgibberedasthoughinterror。Thenhiseyesfixedthemselvesuponthewateratwhichhestared。
Harderandharderhestared，hisheadsinkinglowereverymoment，tillatlengthwithoutanothersound，veryquietlyandunexpectedlyhewentoverthesideoftheboat。Forafewsecondstheysawhisbright-
colouredgarmentssinkingtothedepths，thenhevanished。
Theywaitedawhile，expectingthathewouldriseagain。Butheneverrose。Ashot-weightedcorpsecouldnothavedisappearedmorefinallyandcompletely。Thethingwasveryawful，andforawhiletherewassilence，whichasusualwasbrokenbyJeekie。
“Thatgaydoggone，“hesaidinareflectivevoice。“Allthoseoldghostscometofetchhimatpropertime。Nogoodrunawayfromghosts；
theytraveltooquick；onejump，andpopupwhereyounoexpect。Well，moreplaceforJeekienow，“andhespreadhimselfoutcomfortablyintheemptyseat，adding，“likehello-swello’sroommuchbetterthancompany，hegoinscent-batheverydayandstinktoomuch，allthatwaterneverwash/him/clean。“
ThusdiedtheMungana，andsuchwasthepoorwretch’srequiem。WithashiverAlanreflectedthathaditnotbeenforhimandhisinsanejealousy，hetoomighthavebeenexpectedtogointothatsamescent-
bathandhavehisfacepaintedlikeachorusgirl。OnlywouldheescapethespellthathaddestroyedhispredecessorintheaffectionsofthepriestessoftheBonsas？OrwouldsomedimpowersuchashaddrawnMunganatothedeathdraghimbacktothearmsoftheAsikaortothetorturepitof“GreatSwimmingHead。“HerememberedhisdreamintheTreasureHallandshudderedattheverythoughtofit，forallhehadundergoneandseenmadehimsuperstitious；thenbadethemenpaddlefaster，everfaster。
Allthatnighttheyrowedon，takingturnstorest，exceptAlanandJeekie，whosleptagooddealandasaconsequenceawokeatdawnmuchrefreshed。Whenthesunrosetheyfoundthemselvesacrossthelagoon，overthirtymilesfromthebordersofAsiki-land，almostatthespotwheretheriverupwhichtheyhadtravelledsomemonthsbefore，flowedoutofthelake。WhetherbychanceorskillFahnihadsteeredawonderfullystraightcourse。Now，however，theywerefacetofacewithanewtrouble，forscarcelyhadtheybeguntodescendtheriverwhentheydiscoveredthatatthisdryseasonoftheyearitwasinmanyplacestooshallowtoallowthecanoetopassoverthesandandmudbanks。Evidentlytherewasbutonethingtobedone——abandonitandwalk。
Sotheylanded，atefromtheirstoreoffoodandbeganaterribleandtoilsomejourney。Oneithersideoftheriverlaydessicatedswampcoveredwithdeadreedstenortwelvefeethigh。Doubtlessbeyondtheswamptherewashighland，butinordertoreachthis，ifitexisted，theywouldbeobligedtoforceapaththroughmilesofreeds。
Thereforetheythoughtitsafertofollowtheriverbank。Theirprogresswasveryslow，sincecontinuallytheymustmakedetourstoavoidaquicksandoracreek，alsothestonesandscrubbygrowthdelayedthemsothatfifteenoratmosttwentymileswasagoodday’smarch。
Stilltheywentonsteadily，seeingnoman，andwhentheirfoodwasexhausted，livingonthefishwhichtheycaughtinplentyintheshallows，andonyoungflapperducksthathauntedthereeds。Soatlengththeycametothemainriverintowhichthistributaryflowed，andcampedtherethankfully，believingthatifanypursuitofthemhadbeenundertaken，itwasabandoned。AtleastAlanandtherestbelievedthis，butJeekiedidnot。
Onthefollowingmorning，shortlyafterdawn，Jeekieawokehismaster。
“Comehere，Major，“hesaidinasolemnvoice，“Igotsomethingprettyshowyou，“andheledhimtothefootofanoldwillowtree，adding，“nowupyougo，Major，andlook。“
SoAlanwentupandfromthetopmostforkofthattreesawasightatwhichhisbloodturnedcold。Forthere，notfivemilesbehindthem，oneithersideoftheriverbank，thelightgleamingontheirspears，marchedtwoendlesscolumnsofmen，whofromtheirhead-dresseshetooktobeAsiki。Foraminutehelooked，thendescendedthetreeandapproachingtheothers，askedwhatwastobedone。
“Hook，scoot，bolt，legit！“exclaimedJeekieemphatically；thenhelickedhisfinger，heldituptothewindandadded，“butfirstfirereedsandmakeithotforBonsacrowd。“
Thiswasagoodsuggestionandoneonwhichtheyactedwithoutdelay。
Takingredembers，theyblewthemintoaflameandlittorches，whichtheyappliedtothereedsoverawidthofseveralhundredyards。Thestrongnorthwardwindsoondidtherest；indeedwithaquarterofanhouravastsheetofflametwentyorthirtyfeetinheightwasrushingtowardstheAsikicolumns。Thentheybegantheiradvancealongtheriverbank，runningatasteadytrot，forherethegroundwasopen。
Allthatdaytheyran，pausingatintervalstogettheirbreath，andatnightrestedbecausetheymust。WhenthelightcameuponthefollowingmorningtheylookedbackfromalittlehillandsawtheoutpostsoftheAsikiadvancingnotamilebehind。Doubtlesssomeofthearmyhadbeenburned，buttherest，guessingtheirroute，hadforcedawaythroughthereedsandcutacrosscountry。Sotheybegantorunagainharderthanbefore，andkepttheirleadduringthemorning。ButwhenafternooncametheAsikagainedonthem。Nowtheywerebreastingalongrise，theriverrunninginthecleftbeneath，andJeekie，whoseemedtobeabsolutelyuntiring，heldAlanbythehand，Fahnifollowingclosebehind。Twooftheirmenhadfallendownandbeenabandoned，andthereststraggled。
“Nogo，Jeekie，“gaspedAlan，“theywillcatchusatthetopofthehill。“
“Neversaydie，Major，neversaydie，“puffedJeekie，“theygetblowntooandwhoknowwhatothersideofhill？“
Somehowtheystruggledtothecrestandbehold！therebeneaththemwasagreatarmyofmen。
“Ogula！“yelledJeekie，“Ogula！JustwhatItellyou，Major，whoknowwhatothersideof/any/hill。“
InfiveminutesmoreAlanandJeekiewereamongtheOgula，who，havingrecognizedtheirchiefwhilehewasyetsomewayoff，greetedhimwithrapturouscheersandtheclappingofhands。Thenastherewasnotimeforexplanation，theyretreatedacrossalittlestreamwhichrandownthevalley，fourthousandormoreofthem，andpreparedforbattle。
Thatevening，however，therewasnofighting，forwhenthefirstoftheAsikireachedthetopoftheriseandsawthatthefugitiveshadescapedtotheenemy，whowereinstrength，theyhaltedandfinallyretired。
NowAlan，andFahnialso，hopedthatthepursuitwasabandoned，butagainJeekieshookhisbighead，saying:
“Notatall，Major，IknowAsikiandtheirlittleways。Whileoneofthemalive，notdaregobacktoAsikawithout/you/，Major。“
“Perhapssheiswiththemherself，“suggestedAlan，“andwemighttreatwithher。“
“No，Major，AsikaneverleaveBonsaTown，thatagainstlaw，andifshedoso，priestsmakeanotherAsikaandkillherwhentheycatchher。“
Afterthisacouncilofwarwasheld，anditwasdecidedtocamptherethatnight，sincethepositionwasgoodtomeetanattackifoneshouldbemade，andtheOgulawereafraidofbeingcaughtonthemarchwiththeirbackstowardstheenemy。Alanwasgladenoughtohearthisdecision，forhewasquitewornoutandreadytotakeanyriskforafewhours’rest。AtthiscouncilhelearnedalsothattheAsikibearerscarryinghisgoldwiththeirOgulaguideshadarrivedsafelyamongtheOgula，whohadmusteredinanswertotheirchief’scallandwereadvancingtowardsAsiki-land，thoughthebusinesswasonethatdidnotpleasethem。AsfortheseAsikibearers，itseemedthattheyhadgoneonintotheforestwiththegold，andnothingmorehadbeenheardofthem。
AstheywereleavingthecouncilAlanaskedJeekieifhehadanytidingsofhismother，whohadbeentheirfirstmessenger。
“No，Major，“heansweredgloomily，“can’tlearnnothingofmyma，don’tknowwheresheis。Ogulacampnoplaceforoldgirliftheyshortofchopandhungry。Butp’rapsshenevergetthere；Inoseroundandfindout。“
ApparentlyJeekiedid“noseround“tosomepurpose，forjustasAlanwasdroppingofftosleepinhisboughshelteramostfearfuldinarosewithout，throughwhichherecognizedthevociferationsofJeekie。RunningoutoftheshelterhediscoveredhisretainerandagreatOgulawhomheknewagainastheheadmanwhohadbeenimprisonedwithhimandfreedbytheAsikatoguidethebearers，rollingoverandoverontheground，watchedbyacuriouscrowd。JustashearrivedJeekie，whonotwithstandinghisyearswasamanofenormousstrength，gotthebetteroftheOgulaandkneelingonhisstomach，wasproceedingtothrottlehim。Rushingathim，Alandraggedhimoffandaskedwhatwasthematter。
“Matter，Major！“yelledtheindignantJeekie。“Mymainsidethisblackvillain，/that/thematter。Dirtycannibalgotdigestionofoneostrichandeatherupwithallhismates，allexceptonewhonotlikehertasteandtellme。TheycatchpooroldladyasleepbyroadsostopandlunchatoncewhenAsikibearersnotlooking。Letmegetathim，Major，letmegetathim。IfIcan’tburymyma，asallgoodsonoughttodo，Iburyhim，whichnextbestthing。“
“Jeekie，Jeekie，“saidAlan，“exerciseaChristianspiritandletbygonesbebygones。Ifyoudon’t，youwillmakeaquarrelbetweenusandtheOgula，andtheywillgiveusuptotheAsiki。Perhapsthemandidnoteatyourmother；Iunderstandthathedeniesit，andwhenyourememberwhatshewaslike，itseemsincredible。Atanyratehehasarighttoatrial，andIwillspeaktoFahniaboutitto-morrow。“
