“There，“hesaid，“thinkthatdo，“andhestudiedhimbythelightofthecandle。“Sameheight，samecolourhair，samedirtyclothes，andasAsikineverseeMajor’sfacebecausehealwayswearmaskinpublic，likeastwopeasonshovel。Ohmy！Jeekiecleverchap，Jeekiedevilishcleverchap。ButwhenAsikapulloffthatmasktogivehimtrueloverkiss，OHMY！wonderthathappenthen？ThinkwholeofBonsa-Townbustup；thinkbigwaterfallrunbackwards；thinkshenotquitepleased；
thinkmygoodLordfindhimselfinfalseposition；thinkJeekiegladtobeoncoast；thinkhenotgobacktoBonsa-Townnomore。Ohmyaunt！no，hestopinEnglandandgochurchtwiceonSunday，“andpressinghisbighandsonthepitofhisstomachherockedandrolledinfierce，silentlaughter。
ThenanowlhootedagainimmediatelybeneaththefenceandJeekie，blowingoutthecandle，openedtheflapofthetentandtappedtheheadporter，whostoodoutside，ontheshoulder。HecreptinandbetweenthemtheyliftedthesenselessAylwardandborehimtotheV-shapedentranceofthebomawhichwasimmediatelyoppositetothetentand，oddlyenough，halfopen。HerethetwootherporterswithwhomJeekiehadperformedsomeceremony，chancedtobeonguard，therestoftheircompanybeingstationedatadistance。Jeekieandtheheadporterwentthroughthegaplikemencarryingacorpsetomidnightburial，andpresentlyinthedarknesswithouttwoowlsbegantohoot。
NowAylwardwaslaiduponalitterthathadbeenprepared，andeightwhite-robedAsikibearersstaredathisgoldmaskinthefaintstarlight。
“Isupposeheisnotdead，brother，“saidOwlNo。2doubtfully。
“Nay，brother，“saidOwlNo。1，“feelhisheartandhispulse。Notdead，onlydrunk。Hewillwakeupbydaylight，bywhichtimeyoushouldbefaruponyourway。BegoodandgentletothewhitemanVernoon，whohasbeenmymaster。Becareful，too，thathedoesnotescapeyou，brother，forasyouknowheisverystrongandcunning。
SaytotheAsikathatJeekieherservantmakeshisreverencetoher，andhopesthatshewillhavemany，manyhappyyearswiththehusbandthathesendsher；alsothatshewillrememberhimwhomshecalled’BlackDog，’inherprayerstothegodsandspiritsofourpeople。“
“Itshallbedone，brother，butwhydoyounotreturnwithus？“
“Because，brother，IhavetiesacrosstheBlackWater——dearchildren，almostwhite——whomIlovesomuchthatIcannotleavethem。Farewell，brethren，theblessingsoftheBonsasbeonyou，andmayyougrowfatandprosperintheloveandfavourofourladytheAsika。“
“Farewell，“theymurmuredinanswer。“Goodfortunebeyourbedfellow。“
Anotherminuteandtheyhadliftedupthelitterandvanishedataswingingtrotintotheshadowofthetrees。Jeekiereturnedtothecampandorderedthethreementore-stopthegatewaywiththorns，mutteringintheirears:
“Remember，brethren，onewordofthisandyoudie，allofyou，asthosediewhobreaktheoath。“
“Havewenotsworn？“theywhispered，astheywentbacktotheirposts。
Jeekiestoodawhileinfrontoftheemptytentandifanyhadbeentheretonotehim，theymighthaveseenashadowasofcompunctioncreepoverhispowerfulblackface。
“Whenhewakeuphewon’tknowwhereheare，“hereflected，“andwhenhegettoBonsa-Townhe’llwonderwhereheis，andwhenhemeetAsika！
Well，heverybigblackguard；trytomurderMajor，whomJeekienurseasbaby，theonlythingthatJeekiecarefor——except——Jeekie；trytomakelovetoMissBarbaraagainstwillwhenhecatchheraloneinforest，whichnotplayinggame。Jeekieselfnotsuchbigblackguardasthatdirt-bornnobleLord；Jeekienevermurdernoone——notquite；
Jeekienevermakelovetogirlwhatnotwanthim——noneed，somanywhatdothathehavetoshovethemoff，likegoodChristianman。Mrs。
Jeekieseetothatwhileshelive。AlsobetterthatmeanwhitemangocallonBonsasthanMajorandMissyBarbaraandallporters，andJeekie——speciallyJeekie——getthroatcut。No，no，Jeekienothingtobeashamedof，Jeekiedogoodday’swork，thoughJeekiekeepittightaswaxsincewhitefolksuchsillypeople，andwhenMajorinarage，heverynastycustomerandseeeverythingupsidedown。Now，Jeekiequitetired，sosayhisprayersandhavenap。No，thinknotintent，thoughverycomfortable。Majormightwakeup，pokehisnoseinthere，andifheseeblackfaceinsteadofwhiteone，askuglyquestion，whichifJeekiehalfasleephenoabletoanswerniceandneat。Stillhejustarrangethingsalittlesotheylookallright。“
DawnbegantobreakintheforestandAlanwokeinhisshelterandstretchedhimself。Hehadsleptsoundlyallthenight，sosoundlythattheinnocentJeekiewonderedmuchwhetherbyanychancehealsohadtakenatotoutofthatparticularwhiskybottle，asindeedhehadrecommendedhimtodo。Peoplewhodrinkwhiskyafterlongabstinencefromspiritsareapttosleeplong，hereflected。
AlancreptoutoftheshelterandgazedaffectionatelyatthetentinwhichBarbaraslumbered。ThankHeavenshewassafesofar，asforsomeunknownreason，evidentlytheAsikihadpostponedtheirattack。Justthenaclamouraroseintheair，andheperceivedJeekiestridingtowardshimwavingonearminanexcitedfashion，whilewiththeotherhedraggedalongthecaptainoftheporters，whoappearedtobeprayingformercy。
“Hereprettygo，Major，“heshouted，“devilandalltopay！ThatmyLord，hegoneandbolted。Thissillyfoolsaythatthreehoursagohehearsomethingbreakthroughfenceandthinkitonlyhy？nawhatcometosteal，sotakenonotice。Well，thathy？na，youguesswhoheis。
Youcomelook，Major，youcomelook，andthenwetiethisfellowupandfloghim。“
AlanrantoAylward’stenttofinditempty。
“Look，“saidJeekie，whohadfollowed，“seehowhedobusiness，thatjollycleverhy？na，“andhepointedtoabrokenwhiskybottleandsomeseveredcords。“Youseehemanagebreakbottleandrubropeagainstcutglasstillitcomeintwo。Thenhedohy？nadodgeandhookit。“
Alaninspectedthearticles，nordidanyshadowofdoubtenterhismind。
“Certainlyhemanagedverywell，“hesaid，“especiallyforaLondon-
bredman，but，Jeekie，whatcanhavebeenhisobject？“
“Oh！whoknow，Major？Mindofmanverystrangeandvariousthing；
p’rapshenobeartoseeyouandMissBarbaratogether；p’rapsheboltcoast，getearoflocalmagistratebeforeyou；p’rapshesituptreetoshootyou；p’rapsnastytempermakehimmad。Buthegoneanyway，andIhopehenomeetAsiki，poorfellow，’causeifso，whoknow？
P’rapstheyknockhimonhead，oriftheythinkhimyou，theymakehimprisonerandkeephimquitelongwhilebeforetheylethimgoagain。“
“Well，“saidAlan，“hehasgoneofhisownfreewill，sowehavenoresponsibilityinthematter，andIcan’tpretendthatIamsorrytoseethelastofhim，atanyrateforthepresent。Letthatpoorbeggarloose，thereseemstohavebeenenoughflogginginthisplace，andafterallheisn’tmuchtoblame。“
Jeekieobeyed，apparentlywithmuchreluctance，andjustthentheysawoneoftheirownpeoplerunningtowardsthecamp。
“’FraidhegoingtotellusAsikicomeattack，“saidJeekie，shakinghishead。“Hopetheygiveustimebreakfastfirst。“
“Nodoubt，“answeredAlannervously，forhefearedtheresultofthatattack。
Thenthemanarrivedbreathlessandbegantogaspouthisnews，whichfilledAlanwithdelightandcausedalookofutteramazementtoappearuponthebroadfaceofJeekie。Itwastotheeffectthathehadclimbedahightreeashehadbeenbiddentodo，andfromthetopofthattreebythelightofthefirstraysoftherisingsun，milesawayontheplainbeyondtheforest，hehadseentheAsikiarmyinfullretreat。
“ThankGod！“exclaimedAlan。
“Yes，Major，butthatveryrumstory。Jeekiecan’tswallowitallatonce。Mustsendoutseenoneofthemleftbehind。P’rapstheyplaytrick，butiftheyreallygone，’sposeit’causegunsfrightensthemsomuch。Alwaysthinkpowderverygreat’vention，especiallywhenenemyhain’tgotnone，andquitesureofitnow。Jeekievery，veryseldomwrong。Soonbelieve，“headdedwithaburstofconfidence，“thatJeekieneverwrongatall。Helookfortruthsolongthatatlasthefindit/always/。“
SomethingmorethanamonthhadgonebyandMajorandMrs。Vernon，thelatterfullyrestoredtohealthandthemostsweetandbeautifulofbrides，stooduponthesteamship/Benin/，andasthesunsank，lookedtheirlastuponthecoastofWesternAfrica。
“Yes，dear，“Alanwassayingtohiswife，“fromfirsttolastithasbeenaveryqueerstory，butIreallythinkthatourgettingthatAsikigoldafterallwasoneofthequeerestpartsofit；alsouncommonlyconvenient，asthingshaveturnedout。“
“Namelythatyouhavegotalittlepauperforawifeinsteadofagreatheiress，Alan。Buttellmeagainaboutthegold。Ihavehadsomuchtothinkofduringthelastfewdays，“andsheblushed，“thatI
neverquitetookitallin。“
“Well，love，thereisn’tmuchtotell。Whenthatforwardingagent，Mr。
Aston，knewthatwewereinthetown，hecametomeandsaidthathehadaboutfiftycasesfullofsomethingheavy，ashesupposedsamplesofore，addressedtometoyourcareinEnglandwhichhewasproposingtoshiponbythe/Benin/。Ianswered’Yes，thatwasallright，’anddidnotundeceivehimabouttheircontents。ThenIaskedhowtheyhadarrived，andifhehadnotreceivedaletterwiththem。Herepliedthatonemorningbeforethewarehousewasopen，somenativeshadbroughtthemdowninacanoe，anddumpedthematthedoor，tellingthewatchmanthattheyhadbeenpaidtodeliverthemtherebysomeothernativeswhomtheymetalongwayuptheriver。Thentheywentawaywithoutleavinganyletterormessage。Well，IthankedAstonandpaidhischargesandthere’sanendofthematter。Thosefifty-threecasesarenowintheholdinvoicedasoresamplesand，asIinspectedthemmyselfandamsurethattheyhavenotbeentamperedwith，besidesthevalueofthenecklacetheAsikagavemewe’vegot￡100，000tobeginourmarriedlifeuponwithsomethingoverforoldJeekie，andI
