He had borrowed the Houssa signalling staff from headquarters, and stationed them at intervals along the river. On a still night the tapping of a drum carries far, but the rattle of iron-wood sticks on a hollowed tree-trunk carries farthest of all.
"Clok-clok, clockitty-clock."
It sounded like the far-away croaking of a bull-frog; but Sanders picked out the letters:
"Devil Man sacrifices to-morrow night in the Forest of Dreams."
As he jotted down the message on the white sleeve of his jacket, Abiboo came running up the path.
"I have heard," said Sanders briefly. "There is steam in the pucapuc?"
"We are ready, master," said the man.
Sanders waited only to take a hanging revolver from the wall and throw his overcoat over his arm, for his travelling kit was already deposited on the Zaire, and had been for three days.
In the darkness the sharp nose of his little boat swung out to the stream, and ten minutes after the message came the boat was threshing a way against the swift river.
All night long the steamer went on, tacking from bank to bank to avoid the shoals.