The Great White Queen: A Tale of Treasure and Treason. William Le Queux

first time, that right opposite us was the grinning, evil face of the black giant, Kouaga, the man who had so foully betrayed us.

      We exchanged glances, and he laughed at us in triumph.

      "Dost thou intend to keep me as hostage?" Omar asked his mother's enemy boldly.

      "Until thou hast performed the service for which I caused thee to journey hither with our good Kouaga."

      "The traitor's head shall fall," Omar blurted out with pardonable passion. Then he asked, "Thou desirest a service of me. Well, what is it?"

       There was a silence so deep that a feather if dropped upon the cool floor of polished marble would have made audible sound, and Samory slowly seated himself.

      "Give ear unto my words," he said a few moments later, in a clear voice, as he stroked his beard with his fat hand. "I know that within thine impenetrable kingdom many undreamed-of mysteries and wealth untold lie concealed. This is common report. Thine ancestors in their treasure-house, the whereabouts of which is known only to the Naya and to thyself, have deposited heaps of jewels and great quantities of gold, the spoils of war through many generations. I desire to ascertain, and I will ascertain from thine own lips, the exact spot where we may seek that treasure."

      A look of abject bewilderment crossed Omar's features, and he turned to me, saying in English:

      "All is now plain, Scars. Because only the Naya herself is aware of the spot where the treasure of the Sanoms is deposited, my mother, on the eve of my departure for England, divulged to me the secret, fearing lest she should die before my return. Kouaga was the only person who knew that my mother had thus spoken to me, and he has informed Samory and joined him for the purpose of obtaining the treasure."

      "Is not Kouaga aware of the spot where the treasure is hidden?" I asked hurriedly.

      "No. He came to England at Samory's suggestion to convey me hither so that they could get the secret from me. On gaining the information it is apparently their intention to make a raid, with Kouaga leading, in order to secure our wealth."

      But Samory himself interrupted our consultation.

      "Speak not with thine infidel companion," he roared. "Answer me. Tell me where this treasure of the Sanoms lieth."

      "The son of the Naya is no traitor," he answered with hauteur.

      "If thou speakest thou shalt have thy liberty. Indeed, if thou deemest fit thou shalt join the expedition into Mo, and share with us the loot," the chief urged.

      "Thy words insult me," cried Omar, full of wrath. "I will never share with thee, who murdered my father, that which is my birthright."

      "Very well," answered Samory indifferently. "Thou needest not. We will take it, kill thy mother and annex thy country. Already the whole kingdom is ripe for revolt, and we shall quickly accomplish the rest. I had thee brought hither because thou alone holdest a secret I desire to know—the secret of the royal Treasure-house, and——"

      "And I refuse to disclose it," my companion said, interrupting the gaudily-attired potentate.

      "If thou wilt not speak willingly, then my executioners shall force thee to loosen thine obstinate tongue's strings," Samory cried, frowning, while the hideous face of the black traitor grinned horribly.

      "The secret of the queen is inviolable. My lips are sealed," answered Omar with resolution.

      "Then my executioners shall unseal them."

      "If I cannot save my country from desolation at the hands of thy lawless bands," exclaimed my friend, "I can at least preserve from thee the treasure accumulated by my ancestors to be used only for the emancipation of our country should evil befall it. Until the present, Mo hath been held against all invaders by the hosts ready at the hands of my mother and her predecessors, and even now if thou marchest over my dead body thy path will not be clear of those who will oppose thee. Remember," he added, "the army of the Naya possesses many pom-poms[A] of the English, each of which is equal in power to the fire of one of thy battalions. With them our people will sweep away thine hosts like grains of sand before the sirocco."

      "Darest thou oppose my will?" cried Samory, rising in a sudden ebullition of wrath.

      "Thy will ruleth me not," Omar answered, his face pale and calm. "A Sanom never betrayed his trust, even though he suffered death."

      "Very well, offspring of sebel," he hissed between his white teeth. "We will test thy resolution, and cause thee to eat thy brave words. Thy body shall be racked by the torture, and thy flesh given unto the ants to eat." Then, turning to the executioner, a big negro with face hideously scarred by many cuts, who stood at his side leaning upon his razor-edged doka, he added:

      "You know my will. Loosen the lad's tongue. Let it be done here, so that we may watch the effect of thy persuasion."

      And all laughed loudly at their ruler's grim humour, while twenty slaves of the executioner rushed away in obedience to their master's command to bring in the instruments of torture.

      I turned to Omar. He still stood erect, with arms folded. But his face was pale as death.