gowithyoutoAsiki-land。Jeekiehaveplentybaddreamlately，LittleBonsacomeinmiddleofthenightandsitonhisstomachandscratchhisfacewithhergoldleg，andsay，’Jeekie，Jeekie，yousonofBonsa，yougetupquickandtakemebackBonsaTown，forIdarnedtiredofCityfogandfinishedallIcomeheretodo。NowIwantjollygoodsacrificeandgotplentybusinessattendtothereathome，thingsyounotunderstandjustyet。Youtakemebacksharp，orImakeyousitup，Jeekie，myboy；’“andhepaused。
“Indeed，“saidAlan；“anddidshetellyouanythingelseinhermidnightvisitations？“
“Yes，Major。Shesay，’Youtakethatwhitemasterofyoursalongalso，forIwantcomebackAsiki-landonhishead，andsomeonewishseehimthere，oldpal，whatheforgetbutwhatnotforgethim。YoutellhimLittleBonsagotscoreshewantssettlewiththatpartyandwishusehimtosquareaccount。Youtellhimtoothatshepayhimwellfortrip；helosenothingifheplayhergame’causeshegotnoscoreagainsthim。Butifhenotgo，thatanothermatter，thenhelookout，forLittleBonsaverynastycustomerifsheriled，ashislatepartnersfindoutoneday。’“
“Oh！shutup，Jeekie。What’stheuseofwastingtimetellingmeyournightmares？“
“Verywell，Major，justasyoulike，Major。ButIgototherreasonswhyIwillinggo。Jeekiewantseehisma。“
“Yourma？Ineverheardyouhadama。Besidesshemustbedeadlongago。“
“No，Major，’causesheturnupindreamtoo，verymuchalive，swearatme’causeIbagherblanket。Alsoshetougholdwoman，takelotkillher。“
“Perhapsyouhaveapatoo，“suggestedAlan。
“Thinknot，Major，mymaalwayssaysheforgethim。Whatshemean，shenotliketalkabouthim，hesuchaswell。WhyJeekiesostrong，socleverandwithsuchbeautifulface？Nodoubtbecauseheissonofverygreatman。Allthistruereasonwhyhewanttogowithyou，Major。Still，p’rapspooroldJeekiemakemistake，p’rapshedream’causeheeattoomuchsupper，p’rapshismadead，afterall。Ifso，p’rapsbetterstayathome——notknow。“
“No，“answeredAlan，“notknow。WhatbetweenLittleBonsaandonethingandanothermyheadisswimming——likeLittleBonsainthewater。“
“BigBonsaswiminwater，“interruptedJeekie。“LittleBonsaswimingoldtub。“
“Well，BigBonsa，orLittleBonsa，Idon’tcarewhich。I’mgoingtobedandyouhadbetterclearawaythesethingsanddothesame。But，Jeekie，ifyousayawordofourtalktoanyone，Ishallbeveryangry。Doyouunderstand？“
“Yes，Major，Iunderstand。IunderstandthatifItellsecretsofLittleBonsatoanyoneexceptyouwithwhomsheliveinstrangelandfarawayfromhome，LittleBonsacomeatmelikeonelion，andcutmythroat。NofearJeekiesplitonLittleBonsa，oh！nofearatall，“andstillshakinghisheadsolemnly，forthesecondtimeheseizedthecoldmuttonandvanishedfromtheroom。
“Afarragoofsuperstitiousnonsense，“thoughtAlantohimselfwhenhehadgone。“Butstilltheremaybesomethingtobemadeoutofit。
EvidentlythereislotsofgoldinthisAsikicountry，ifonlyonecanpersuadethepeopletodeal。“
ThenwearyofJeekieandhistribalgods，AlanlithispipeandsatawhilethinkingofBarbaraandalltheeventsofthattumultuousday。
NotwithstandinghisrebuffatthehandsofMr。Haswellandthedifficultiesanddangerswhichthreatened，hefelteventhenthatithadbeenahappyandafortunateday。ForhadhenotdiscoveredthatBarbaralovedhimwithallherheartandsoulashelovedBarbara？Andasthiswasso，hedidnotcarea——LittleBonsaaboutanythingelse。
Thefuturemustlooktoitself，sufficienttothedaywastheabidingjoythereof。
Sohewenttobedandforawhiletosleep，buthedidnotsleepverylong，forpresentlyhefelltodreaming，somethingaboutBigBonsaandLittleBonsawhichsat，orratherfloatedoneithersideofhiscouchandheldaninterminableconversationoverhim，whileJeekieandSirRobertAylward，perchedrespectivelyatitsheadanditsfoot，likethesymbolsofthegoodandevilgeniionaMahommedantomb，actedasakindofinsanechorus。Hestruckhisrepeater，itwasonlyoneo’clock，sohetriedtogotosleepagain，butfailedutterly。Neverhadhebeenmorepainfullyawake。
ForanhourormoreAlanpersevered，thenatlastindespairhejumpedoutofbedwonderingwhathecoulddotooccupyhismind。Suddenlyherememberedthediaryofhisuncle，theRev。Mr。Austin，whichhehadinheritedwiththeYellowGodandafewotherpossessions，butneverexamined。Theyhadbeenputawayinaboxinthelibraryaboutfifteenyearsbefore，justatthetimeheenteredthearmy，andtheredoubtlesstheyremained。Well，ashecouldnotsleep，whyshouldhenotexaminethemnow，andthusgetthroughsomeofthiswearynight？
Helitacandleandwentdowntothelibrary，anancientandbeautifulapartmentwithblackoakpanellingbetweenthebookcases，setthereinthetimeofElizabeth。Inthispanellingtherewerecupboards，andinoneofthecupboardswastheboxhesought，madeofteakwood。Onitslidwaspainted，“TheReverendHenryAustin。PassengertoAcra，“
showingthatithadoncebeenhisuncle’scabinbox。Thekeyhungfromthehandle，andhavinglitmorecandles，Alandrewitoutandunlockedit，tobegreetedbyasmellofmustydocumentsdoneupingreatbundles。Onebyoneheplacedthemonthefloor。Itwasadrearyoccupationalonethereinthatgreat，silentroomatthedeadofnight，oneindeedwithwhichhewassoonsatisfied，forsomehowitremindedhimofriflingcoffinsinavault。Beforehimsocarefullyputawaylaytherecordsofagoodifnotadistinguishedlife，anduntilthismomenthehadneverfoundtheenergyeventolookthroughthem。
Atlengthhecametotheendofthebundlesandsawthatbeneathlayanumberofmanuscriptbookspackedcloselywiththeirbacksupwards，marked——“Journal“——andwiththeyearandsometimestheplaceoftheauthor’sresidence。Asheglancedatthemindismay，fortheyweremany，hiseyecaughtthetitleofoneinscribed——aswereseveralothers——“WestAfrica，“andwritteninbracketsbeneath——“Thisvol。
containsallthatisleftofthenotesofmyescapewithJeekiefromtheAsikiDevil-worshippers。“
Alandrewitout，andhavingrefilledandclosedthebox，boreitofftohisroom，whereheproceededtoreaditinbed。Asamatteroffacthefoundthattherewasnotverymuchtoread，forthereasonthatmostoftheclosely-writtenvolumehadbeensodamagedbywater，thatthepencilledwritinghadrunandbecomeutterlyillegible。Thecentrepages，however，nothavingbeensoaked，couldstillbedeciphered，atanyrateinpart，alsotherewasalargemanuscriptmap，executedinink，apparentlyatalaterdate，onthebackofwhichwaswritten:“I
purpose，D。V。，tore-writeatsomeconvenienttimeallthehistoryofmyvisittotheunknownAsikipeople，asmyoriginalnoteswerepracticallydestroyedwhenthecanoeoversetintherapidsandmostofourfewpossessionswerelost，exceptthisbookandthegoldfetishmaskwhichiscalledLittleBonsaorSmallSwimmingHead。ThisIthinkIcandowiththeaidofJeekiefrommemory，butasthematterhasonlyapersonalandnoreligiousinterest，seeingthatIwasnotableeventopreachtheWordamongthosebenightedandblood-thirstysavagesinwhosecountry，asIverilybelieve，theDevilhasoneofhisprincipalhabitations，itmuststandovertillaconvenientseason，suchasthetimeofoldageorsickness。H。A。“
“P。S。IoughttoaddwithgratitudethatevenoutofthishellfireI
wasenabledtosnatchonebrandfromtheburning，namely，thenegrolad，Jeekie，towhoseextraordinaryresourceandfaithfulnessIowemyescape。AfteralonghesitationIhavebeenabletobaptizehim，althoughIfearthatthetaintofheathenismstillclingstohim。ThusnotsixmonthsagoIcaughthimsacrificingawhitecocktotheimage，LittleBonsa，ingratitude，astomyhorrorheexplained，formyhavingbeenappointedanHonoraryCanonoftheCathedral。Ihavetoldhimtotakethatuglymaskwhichhasbeensooftensoakedinhumanblood，andmeltitdownoverthekitchenstove，afterpickingoutthegemsintheeyes，thattheproceedsmaybegiventothepoor。/Note。/
Ihadbetterseetothismyself，aswhereLittleBonsaisconcerned，Jeekieisnottobetrusted。Hesayswithsomeexcusethatithasmagic，andthatifhemeltsitdown，hewillmeltdowntoo，andsoshallI。Howdarkandridiculousarethesuperstitionsoftheheathen！
Perhaps，however，insteadofdestroyingthething，whichiscertainlyunique，Imightsellittoamuseum，andthussparethefeelingsofthatweakvessel，Jeekie，whootherwisewouldverylikelytakeitintohisheadtowasteawayanddie，astheseAfricansdowhentheirnervesareaffectedbyterroroftheirfetish。“
ReflectingthattimeevidentlyhadmadelittlechangeinJeekie，Alanstudiedthisroutemapwithcare，andfoundthatitstartedfromOldCalabar，intheBightofBiafra，onthewestcoastofAfrica，whenceitranuptotheGreatQuaRiver，whichitfollowedforalongway。
Thenitstruckacrosscountrymarked“denseforest，“northwards，andcametoarivercalledKatsena，alongthebanksofwhichtheroutewenteastwards。Thenceitturnednorthwardagainthroughswamps，andendedinmountainscalledShaku。Inthemiddleofthesemountainswaswritten“AsikiPeoplelivehereonRaabaRiver。“
Themapwasroughlydrawntoscale，andAlan，whowasanengineeraccustomedtosuchthings，easilycalculatedthatthedistanceofthisRaabaRiverfromOldCalabarwasabout350milesasthecrowflies，thoughprobablytheactualroutetobetravelledwasnearerfivehundredmiles。
Havingmasteredthemap，heopenedthewater-soakeddiary。Turningpageafterpage，onlyhereandtherecouldhemakeoutasentence，suchas“soIdefiedthatbeautifulbutterrificwoman。I，aChristianminister，thehusbandofaheathenpriestess！Perishthethought。
SoonerwouldIbesacrificedtoBonsa。“
Thencamemoreillegiblepagesandagainaparagraphthatcouldberead——“Theygaveme’TheBean’inagoldcup，andknowingitsdeadlynatureIpreparedmyselffordeath。Buthappilyformemystomach，alwaysdelicate，rejecteditatonce，thoughIfeltqueerfordaysafterwards。WhereontheyclappedtheirhandsandsaidIwasevidentlyinnocentandagreatmedicineman。“
Andagain，furtheron——“neverdidIseesomuchgoldwhetherindust，nuggets，orworkedarticles。Iimagineitmustbeworthmillions，butatthattimegoldwasthelastthingwithwhichIwishedtotroublemyself。“