The boy made no resistance, but he was on the alert for he knew that trouble was coming.
He was left at the edge of the fire while all the savages who had been standing there withdrew to one side.
The two warriors who had rushed him to the spot then took up their positions in front of the king’s house, while one of them took a bow that was hanging on the wall of the hut, and selected an arrow from a quiver that leaned beside it.
“Tell the king,” said Trim to the interpreter, who appeared in the door of the hut, “that I know what he intends to do. Tell him that the Bangwas’ arrows cannot hurt me!”
This remark was translated to the king, who merely grunted and evidently gave a command to the warriors, one of whom raised the bow and aimed the arrow directly at Trim.
The boy stood still, apparently not alarmed, and watched the savage as he took careful aim.
A moment later there was a twang as the savage let go the string and an arrow[Pg 18] shot forward. At that instant Trim raised his right arm suddenly.
There was a loud report, and the arrow, broken in two, fell harmlessly mid-way between him and the savage who had shot it.
A cry of wonder went up from the crowd.
They had not seen the weapon which Trim had fired, but they had seen the flash that seemed to come from his empty hand.