“Barbaraandyourself！“hesaid。“DoIunderstand——“
“Don’tyouunderstandnothing，Major，“brokeinJeekie。“Don’tyoubelieveonewordwhatthispigdogsay。IfMissBarbaramarryhimhenowantshootyou；heaskyoutoteatoseetheMissusandhowmuchshelovehim，ducky！WejustgoonandcallonMissBarbaraandhearthenews。Walkup，SirRobertAylward，Bart。，andshowuswhichway。“
“Idonotchoosetoreceiveyouandyourimpertinentservantatmycamp，“saidAylward，grindinghisteeth。
“Wequiteunderstandthat，SirRobertAylward——“
“LordAylward，ifyouplease，MajorVernon。“
“Ibegyourpardon——LordAylward。Iwasawareofthecontemplatedpurchaseofthattitle，Ididnotknowthatithadbeencompleted。I
wasabouttoaddthatallthesamewemeantogotothatcamp，andthatifanyviolencetowardsusisattemptedasweapproachit，youwillrememberthatyouareinourhands。“
“Yes，myLord，“addedJeekie，bowing，“andthatmonkeysdon’ttellnotales，myLord，andthatherethereain’tnotwelveGood-Truestositonnoblecorpseunhappilydeceased，myLord，andtobringinCrowner’sverdictofdonetodeathlawfulorunlawful，accordingasevidencemayshowwhengot，myLord。Somarchon，forwenobreakfastyet。No，notthatway，roundheretoleft，whereIthinkIhearkettlesing。“
Sohavingnochoice，Aylwardcame，marchingbetweentheothertwoandsayingnothing。WhentheyhadgoneacoupleofhundredyardsAlanalsoheardsomething，andtohimitsoundedlikeamancryingoutinpain。
ThensuddenlytheypassedroundsomegreattreesandreachedagladeintheforestwheretherewasaspringofwaterwhichAlanremembered。
Inthisgladethecamphadbeenbuilt，surroundedbya“boma“orpalisadeofroughwood，withinwhichstoodtwotentsandsomenativesheltersmadeoftallgrassandboughs。Outsideofthiscampacuriousandunpleasantscenewasinprogress。
Toasmalltreethatgrewtherewastiedaman，whomfromthefashionofhishairAlanknewtobelongtotheCoastnegroes，whiletwogreatfellows，evidentlyofanothertribe，floggedhimunmercifullywithhidewhips。
“Ah！“exclaimedJeekie，“thatthekettleIhearsing。Thinkyoubettertakenhimoffthefire，myLord，orheboilover。Alsohisbrothersnoseemtolikethatmusic，“andhepointedtoanumberofothermenwhowerestandingroundwatchingthescenewithsullendissatisfaction。
“Amatterofcampdiscipline，“mutteredAylward。“Thismanhasdisobeyedorders。“
BynowJeekiewasshoutingsomethingtothenativesinanunknowntongue，whichtheyseemedtounderstandwellenough。Atanyratethefloggingceased，thetwofellowswhowereinflictingitslunkaway，andtheothermenrantowardsthem，shoutingbackastheycame。
“Allright，Major。YoupleasestophereoneminutewithmyLord，lateBart。ofBloodyHand。Someofthesechapsfriendsofmine，ImeetthemOldCalabarwhilewegetreadytomarchlastrains。NowIhavelittletalkwiththemandfindoutthingortwo。“
Aylwardbegantoblusteraboutinterferencewithhisservantsandsoforth。Jeekieturnedonhimwithaveryuglygrin，andshowinghiswhiteteeth，aswashisfashionwhenhegrewfierce。
“Begpardon，RightHonourableLord，“hesaid，orrathersnarled，“youdowhatItellyoujusttopleaseJeekie。JeekienooneinEngland，butJeekiedamnbigLordtooouthere，greatmedicineman，palofLittleBonsa。YourememberLittleBonsa，eh！ThesechapsthinkitgreathonourtomeetJeekie，so，Major，ifhestir，pleaseshoothimthroughhead；Jeekie’sponsible，notyou。Orifyounotlikedoit，I
comebackandseetojobmyselfanddon’tthinkthosefellowscryverymuch。“
TherewassomethingaboutJeekie’smannerthatfrightenedAylward，whounderstoodforthefirsttimethatbeneathallthenegro’sgrotesquetalklaysomedreadful，ironpurpose，ascouragelayunderhisaffectedcowardiceandunderhisveneerofselfishness，fidelity。AtanyratehehaltedwithAlan，whostoodbesidehim，therevolverofwhichAylwardhadbeenrelievedbyJeekie，inhishand。MeanwhileJeekie，whoheldtheriflewhichhehadreloaded，wentonandmetthenativesabouttwentyyardsaway。
“Wealwaysdislikedeachother，Vernon，butImustsaythatIneverthoughtadaywouldcomewhenyouproposedtomurdermeinmyowncamp，“saidAylward。
“Oddthing，“answeredAlan，“butaverysimilarideawasinmymind。I
neverthought，LordAylward，thathoweverunscrupulousyoumightbe——
financially——adaywouldcomewhenyouwouldattempttoshootdownanunarmedmaninanAfricanforest。Oh！don’twastebreathinlying；I
sawyourecognizeme，aim，andfire，afterwhichJeekiewouldhavehadtheotherbarrel，andwhothenwouldhaveremainedtotellthestory，LordAylward？“
Aylwardmadenoanswer，butAlanfeltthatifwishescouldkillhimhewouldnotlivelong。Hiseyefelluponalong，unmistakablemoundoffreshearth，beneathatree。Hecalculateditslength，andwithathrillofterrornoticedthatitwastoosmallforanegro。
“Whoisburiedthere？“heasked。
“Findoutforyourself，“wasthesneeringanswer。
“Don’tbeafraid，LordAylward；Ishallfindouteverythingintime。“
TheconversationbetweenJeekieandthenativesproceeded，theirheadswereclosetogether；itgrewanimated。Theyseemedtobecomingtosomedecision。Presentlyoneofthemranandcutthelashingsofthemanwhohadbeenboundtothetree，andhestaggeredtowardsthemandjoinedinthetalk，pointingtohiswounds。Thenthetwofellowswhohadbeenengagedinflogginghim，accompaniedbyeightcompanionsofthesametype——theyappearedtobesoldiers，fortheycarriedguns——
swaggeredtowardsthegroupwhowerebeingaddressedbyJeekie，ofwhomAlancountedtwenty-three。AstheyapproachedJeekiemadesomesuggestionwhich，afteronehesitatingmoment，theothersseemedtoaccept，fortheynoddedtheirheadsandseparatedoutalittle。
Jeekiesteppedforwardandaskedaquestionoftheguards，towhichtheyrepliedwithaderisiveshout。ThenwithoutawordofwarningheliftedAylward’sexpressriflewhichhecarried，andfiredfirstonebarrelandthentheother，shootingthetwoleadingsoldiersdead。
Theircompanionshaltedamazed，butbeforetheycouldlifttheirguns，Jeekieandthosewithhimrushedatthemandbeganstabbingthemwithspearsandstrikingthemwithsticks。Inthreeminutesitwasoverwithoutanothershotbeingfired。Mostofthemweredespatched，andtheothers，throwingdowntheirguns，hadfledwoundedintotheforest。
Now，shoutinginjubilation，someofthemenbegantodragawaythedeadbodies，whileotherscollectedtheriflesandtheremainder，headedbyJeekie，advancedtowardsAlanandAylward，wavingtheirredspears。Alanstoodstaring，forhedidnotintheleastunderstandthemeaningofwhathadhappened，butAylward，whohadturnedverypale，addressedJeekie，saying:
“Isupposethatyouhavecometomurdermealso，youblackvillain。“
“No，no，myLord，“answeredJeekiepolitely，“notatpresent。Alsothatwrongword，execute，notmurder，justwhatyoudotosomeofthesepoordevils，“andhepointedtothemobofporters。“Besides，mustn’tkillholywhiteman，poorblackchapdon’tmatter，plentymorewherehecomefrom。ThinkweallgoseeMissBarbaranow。Youcometoo，myLordBart。，butp’rapsbesttieyourhandsbehindyoufirst；
ifyouwantscratchhead，Idoitforyou。Thatonlyfair，youscratchminethismorning。“
ThenatawordfromJeekiesomeofthenativessprangonAylwardandtiedhishandsbehindhisback。
“IsMissBarbaraalive？“saidAlantoJeekieinanagonizedwhisper，atthesametimenoddingtowardsthegravethatwassoominouslyshort。
“Hopeso，thinkso，thesecardssayso，butGodHeknowalone，“
answeredJeekie。“Goandlook，thatbestwaytofindout。“
SotheyadvancedintothecampthroughanarrowgatewaymadeofaV-shapedpieceofwood，towherethetwotentswereplacedinitsinnerdivision。Ofthesetents，thefirst，wasopen，whereasthesecondwasclosed。Astheopententwasobviouslyempty，theywenttothesecond，whereofJeekiebegantoloosenthelashingsoftheflap。
Itwasalongbusiness，fortheyseemedtohavebeencarefullyknottedinside；indeedatlast，growingimpatient，Jeekiecutthecord，usingthecurvedknifewithwhichtheMunganahadtriedtokillAlan。
MeanwhileAlanwassufferingtorments，beingconvincedthatBarbarawasdeadandburiedinthatnew-madegravebeneaththetrees。Hecouldnotspeak，hecouldscarcelystand，andyetapicturebegantoforminhisnumbmind。HesawhimselfseatedinthedarkintheTreasure-houseatBonsa-Town；hesawavisionintheairbeforehim。
Lo！thetentdooropenedandthatvisionreappeared。
TherewasthepaleBarbaraseated，weeping。Thereagain，asheenteredshesprangupandsnatchingthepistolthatlaybesideher，turnedittoherbreast。Thensheperceivedhimandthepistolsankdownwardstillfromherrelaxedhanditdroppedtotheground。Shethrewupherarmsandwithoutasoundfellbackwards，orwouldhavefallen，hadhenotcaughther。
Barbarahadrecovered。ShesatuponherbedinthetentandbyhersatAlan，holdingherhand，whilebeforethemstoodAylwardlikeaprisonerinthedock，andbehindhimthearmedJeekie。
