So they returned to the room, which had been swept and garnished in
their absence. No sooner had they entered it than the door opened and
through it came long lines of Asiki priests, each of whom staggered
beneath the weight of a hide bag that he bore upon his shoulder, which
bags they piled up about the stone altar. Then, as though at some
signal, each priest opened the mouth of his bag and Alan saw that they
wee filled with gold, gold in dust, gold in nuggets, gold in vessels
perfect or broken; more gold than Alan had ever seen before.
"Why do they bring all this stuff here?" he asked, and Jeekie translated
his question.
"It is an offering to the lord of Little Bonsa," answered the head
priest, bowing, "a gift from the Asika. The heaven-born white man sent
word by his Ogula messengers that he desired gold. Here is the gold that
he desired."
Alan stared at the treasure, which after all was what he had come to
seek. If only he had it safe in England, he would be a rich man and
his troubles ended. But how could he get it to England? Here it was
worthless as mud.
"I thank the Asika," he said. "I ask for porters to bear her gift back
to my own country, since it is too heavy for me and my servant to carry
alone.
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