Thus matters stood with a battered Grasshopper high and dry on the shelving beach of the Akasava village, and two intrepid but unhappy gold smugglers discussing ways and means, when complications occurred which did much to make the life of Mr. Commissioner Sanders unbearable.
* * * * *
There was a woman of the Akasava who bore the name of Ufambi, which means a "bad woman." She had a lover—indeed, she had many, but the principal was a hunter named Logi. He was a tall, taciturn man, and his teeth were sharpened to two points. He was broad-shouldered, his hair was plastered with clay, and he wore a cloak that was made from the tails of monkeys. For this reason he was named Logi N'kemi, that is to say, Logi the Monkey.
He had a hut far in the woods, three days' journey, and in this wood were several devils; therefore he had few visitors.
Ufambi loved this man exceedingly, and as fervently hated her husband, who was a creature of Ofesi. Also, he was not superior to the use of the stick.
One day Ufambi annoyed him and he beat her. She flew at him like a wild cat and bit him, but he shook her off and beat her the more, till she ran from the hut to the cool and solitary woods, for she was not afraid of devils.
Here her lover found her, sitting patiently by the side of the forest path, her well-moulded arms hugging her knees, her chin sunk, a watchful, brooding and an injured woman.
They sat together and talked, and the woman told him all there was to be told, and Logi the Monkey listened in silence.
"Furthermore," she went on, "he has buried beneath the floor of the hut certain treasures given to him by white men, which you may take."
She said this pleadingly, for he had shown no enthusiasm in the support of her plan.