The Keepers of the King's Peace

nd they have a weakness for destroying things to discover the secrets of volition. A too prosperous nation mystifies less fortunate people, who demand of their elders and rulers some solut

ry is filled with fierce communities, banded together against a common enemy-the law. They call this land the B'wigini,

, the very famous K'sungasa, "very famous," since he had been in his time a man of remarkable g

taken him a long journey into the forest he loved so well, and they would have put out his eyes and left him to the mercy of the beast

him to the care of his dearest friends, for he had an affinity for the wild dw

ng and fluttering to his hand. He could call the shy little monkeys from the high branches where the

overridden, and since there was no other method of treating the blind but that prescribed by precedent, he should be allowed to live in a grea

in the balance, he sent word to the chief's nephews that he was somewhere in the neighbourhood, and that the revival of the bad old custom of blinding would be followed by the introduction of the

e fact that there came a period of famine, when crops were bad and fish was scarce, and when, remarkably enough, the village of L'bini, dis

men and burnt a few huts. For two hours the combatants pranced and yelled and thrust at one another amidst a pandemonium of screaming wom

was sent to the Village of Irons for the term of his natural life. O'ka, who ha

able days in the village of Jumburu, came bac

r with Bones?" ask

er her book, but off

at?" demanded H

d Bones were a source of constant joy to him. Taciturn and a thought dour as he was, Pat would never have suspected the bubbl

have a feud,"

rs sm

ud as O'ka and I hav

ttle and looked

the threats of the people y

too expensive an affair. He has apparently settled with the B'wigini people. If t

ask him,

came next day, when B

credulously. "Leave, Bones? What

mrod before the office table at

affairs, sir,"

ested Hamilton. "Your life is an open book-

young life. My word, sir, has been called into doubt by your jolly old

leg!" suggested Hamilton,

bt in re leopards an' buffaloes. I'm goin' out, sir, into the wilds-amidst dangers, Ham, old feller, that only

ry beautiful in dazzling white, with her solar h

saying to Bones?" as

sai

sai

and finishe

a tell-tale," a

on't spare me. I'm a liar an' a th

elieve he shot the leopard-the

arcasm, "I didn't shoot it-oh, no!

u shoot it?

old Ham?" asked Bone

sked Hamilto

liberately, "an' was he found next mornin' cold

nd Bones faced the

e, child,

," she replied, with some heat.

led to he

ked from one

pard was foun

dear old sister

was found, with a

by a wanderin' cad of a nati

d the girl, and Bones shrug

e was certainly beyond human aid, and though no bull

d Bones. He had seen out of the tail of hi

o produce scientific

Bones went to the door of the

ence of one who enjoyed the confidence of dear old Profes

n figure, salaame

se of his master had driven him to service with a lieutenant of Houssas. His v

remember m

shaking his head,

" asked Bones. "Tell

ed to t

hibited by Sir Bones-was particularly ferocious, and departed this life as a result of hunting conducted by aforesaid. Examination of subject after demise under most scientific

y?" asked Bone

sped the girl, "that you fri

out his hands

e, dear old sister," he sai

d laughed until her grey e

you humbug!"

y than ever, stuck his monocle in

r," he said, "that m

his heel, knocked over Hamilton's stationery rack, s

the next morning, she found

ed to this phenomenon. Bones was an artist, and so small a m

p in bed and r

iend and Dou

was always perfe

penetrate to the lares of the wild beasts of the forest, of the forest. I am determined to wipe out the reproach which you have made. I will bring back, not a dead leppard, not a dead lep

r fr

B

nes is learning to spell. It only seems yesterday when he was spellin

to the door," said

were near enough to the B'wigini to resent overmuch discipline. But his business was with K'sungasa, for the two days' stay which Bones

. He lay on a fine raised bed, a big yellow-eyed wild cat at his feet, a monkey or two shivering by the bedside, and a sprawling litte

an, "I see you! This is a good tim

about for the snake which was usually coiled round the old ma

never see flood and only little-little rivers. Now, I tell you, lord, that I am glad to die, because I

errand, and the old

ny beautiful leopards by my magic. Now, because I love Sandi, I will

boiled in an earthen vessel, produced, by a rough method of distillation, a most pun

ht back the right plant. Fortunately it was seed-time, and once he was on the right tra

f his retort, a fault sweet aroma filled the hut. First the cat, then the monkeys began to show signs of extraordinary agitation. Cat and kittens cro

squirrels, a long black snake with spade-shaped head and diamond markings, little bush hares,

eble fingers to them; but their eyes were on the retort and the cr

before the Residency and focussed th

muzzled and held in leash by a chain affixed to a stout collar, and

you catch him?"

ugged his

e which invariably came to him when he was excited. "I'm not goin' to speak of myself. If you expect me to tell you

his lair?" demanded Hamilt

tters," evaded Bones tactfully. "Here are the goods

mechanically, and the cub look

nderful fellow," sa

s bo

ll excuse me, I'll take my l

ff the chain. Even Sanders stepped back and dropped his

marched off to his hut, and the gre

adventure yet. He would go out under the admiring eyes of Patricia Hamilton, and would retu

seed. As a matter of fact, his secret would have been out the moment he entered San

hen a dark figure rose from the gro

aside. A hand clutched at his jacket, but he wrenched h

d there was nothin

ng out to the darkness of the ve

and fired twice. One man fell, the oth

at the far end of the square. Sanders saw a

s blundered Ali Abid, h

has divested muzzlement and proper restraint,

e ground before the Residency, so close that th

ed Bones. "Hi, st

the flying man came a

came and washed away the scent of crude aniseed, Bones dared not leave his hut by night for fear of the strange be