Yonder upon the waters, driven forward by the gentle breeze,
floated a canoe and lo! in the prow of that canoe sat a white man and
on his head the god which they had lost a whole generation gone. On
the head of a white man it had departed; on the head of a white man it
returned. They saw and fell upon their knees.
"Blow, Major, blow!" whispered Jeekie, and Alan blew a feeble note
through the whistle in the mouth of the mask. It was enough, they knew
it. They sprang into the water and dragged the canoe to land. They set
Alan on the shore and worshipped him. They haled up a lad as though for
sacrifice, for a priest flourished a great knife above his head, but
Jeekie said something that caused them to let him go. Alan thought it
was to the effect that Little Bonsa had changed her habits across the
Black Water, and wanted no blood, only food. Then he remembered no more;
again the darkness fell upon him.
CHAPTER X
BONSA TOWN
When consciousness returned to Alan, the first thing of which he became
dimly aware was the slow, swaying motion of a litter. He raised himself,
for he was lying at full length, and in so doing felt that there was
something over his face.
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