"Think that man no liar what say our great papas was monkeys. Never look
down on monkey no more. Wake up, Major, those priests monkey-men too,
for we all brothers, you know. Wait a bit, I stop their little game,"
and springing up with three or four cuts of the big curved knife, he
severed the remaining rope just as their pursuers reached the further
side of the chasm.

They shouted with rage as the long bridge swung back against the rock,
the cut end of it falling into the torrent, and waved their spears
threateningly. To this demonstration Jeekie replied with gestures
of contempt such as are known to street Arabs. Then he looked at the
Mungana, who lay upon the ground a melancholy and dilapidated spectacle,
for the perspiration had washed lines of paint off his face and patches
of dye from his hair, also his gorgeous robes were water-stained and
his gem necklaces broken. Having studied him a while Jeekie kicked
him meditatively till he got up, then asked him to set out the exact
situation. The Mungana answered that they were safe for a while, since
that torrent could only be crossed by the broken bridge and was too
rapid to swim. The Asiki, he added, must go a long journey round through
the city in order to come at them, though doubtless they would hunt them
down in time.

Here Jeekie cut him short, since he knew all that country well and
only wished to learn whether any more bridges had been built across the
torrent since he was a boy.

"Now, Major," he said, "you get up and follow me, for I know every inch
of ground, also by and by good short cut over mountains. You see
Jeekie very clever boy, and when he herd sheep and goat he made note of