 CHAPTER 11. The Coming of Doghita. The sunset that day was like the sunrise, particularly fine, although, as in the case of the tea, I remembered little of it till afterwards. In fact, thunder was about which always produces grand cloud-effects in Africa. The sun went down like a great red eye, over which there dropped suddenly a black eyelid of cloud with a fringe of purple lashes. At the last I shall see of you, my old friend, I thought to myself, unless I catch you up presently. The gloom began to gather. The king looked about him, also at the sky overhead, as though he feared rain, then whispered something to Babemba, who nodded and strolled up to my post. "'Wait, Lord,' he said, the elephant wishes to know if you are ready, as presently the light will be very bad for shooting.' "'No,' I answered with decision, not until half an hour after sundown, as was agreed. Babemba went to the king and returned to me. "'Wait, Lord, the king says that a bargain is a bargain, and he will keep to his word. Only you must not blame him if the shooting is bad, since, of course, he did not know that the night would be so cloudy, which is not usual at this time of year. It grew darker and darker, till at length we might have been lost in a London fog. The dense masses of the people looked like banks, and the archers, flitting to and fro as they made ready, might have been shadows and hades. Once or twice lightning flashed and was followed after a pause by the distant growling of thunder. The air, too, grew very oppressive. Dense silence reigned. In all those multitudes no one spoke or stirred. Even Sammy ceased his howling. I suppose because he had become exhausted and fainted away, as people often do just before they are hanged. It was a most solemn time. Nature seemed to be adapting herself to the mood of sacrifice, and making ready for us a mighty paw. At length I heard the sound of arrows being drawn from their quivers, and then the squeaky voice of embowsy, saying, Wait a little, the cloud will lift. There is light behind it, and it will be nicer if they can see the arrows coming. The cloud did begin to lift very slowly, and from beneath it flowed a green light like that in a cat's eye. Shall we shoot, embowsy? asked the voice of the captain of the archers. Not yet, not yet, not, till the people can watch them die. The edge of the cloud lifted a little more. The green light turned to a fiery red thrown by the sun, and reflected back upon the earth from the dense black cloud above. It was as though all the landscape had burst into flames, while the heaven over us remained of the hue of ink. Again the lightning flashed, showing the faces and staring eyes of the thousands who watched, and even the white teeth of a great bat that flittered past. That flash seemed to burn off an edge of the lowering cloud, and the light grew stronger and stronger, and redder and redder. Embowsy uttered a hiss like a snake. I heard a bowstring twang, and almost at the same moment as the thud of an arrow striking my post just above my head. Indeed, by lifting myself I could touch it. I shut my eyes and began to see all sorts of queer things that I had forgotten for years and years. My brain swam, and seemed to melt into a kind of confusion. Through the intense silence I thought I heard the sound of some animal running heavily, much as a fat ball e-land does when it is suddenly disturbed. Someone uttered a startled exclamation, which caused me to open my eyes again. The first thing I saw was the scot of savage arches lifting their bows. Evidently that first arrow had been a kind of trial shot. The next, looking absolutely unearthly in that terrible and ominous light, was a tall figure seated on a white ox, shambling rapidly towards this along the open roadway that ran from the southern gate of the marketplace. Of course I knew that I dreamed, for this figure exactly resembled Brother John. There was his long, snowy beard. There in his hand was his butterfly-net, with a handle of which he seemed to be prodding the ox. Only he was wound about with wreaths of flowers as were the great horns of the ox, and on either side of him and before and behind him ran girls, also wreathed with flowers. It was a vision, nothing else, and I shut my eyes again, awaiting the fatal arrow. Short! screamed Imbause, nay, shoot not, shouted Babemba, Dogita is gum. A moment's pause during which I heard arrows falling to the ground, then from all those thousands of throats a roar that shaped itself to the words, Dogita, Dogita is gum to save the white lords. I must confess that after this my nerve, which is generally pretty good, gave out to such an extent that I think I fainted for a few minutes. During that faint I seemed to be carrying on a conversation with Movovo, though whether it ever took place, or I only imagined it, I am not sure, since I always forgot to ask him. He said, or I thought he said to me, Under now, Mokumo Zahan, my father, what have you to say? Does my snake stand upon its tail, or does it not? Answer, I am listening. To which I replied, or seemed to reply, Movovo, my child, certainly it appears as though your snake does stand upon its tail. Still, I hold that all this is a fantasy, that we live in a land of dream in which nothing is real except those things which we cannot see, or touch, or hear, that there is no me, and no you, and no snake at all, nothing but a power in which we move, that shows us pictures and laughs when we think them real. Whereon Movovo said, or seemed to say, Ah, at last do you touch the truth, O Mokumo Zahan, my father, all things are a shadow, and we are shadows in a shadow. But what throws the shadow, O Mokumo Zahan, my father? Why does Dogita appear to come here, the riding on a white ox? And why do all these thousands think that my snake stands so very stiff upon its tail? I'm hanged if I know, I replied, and woke up. There, without doubt, was Old Brother John with a wreath of flowers. I noted in disgust that they were orchids, hanging in a Bacchanalian fashion from his dinted sun-helmet over his left eye. He was in a furious rage and reviling Bowsy, who literally crouched before him, and I was in a furious rage and reviling him. What I said I do not remember, but he said, his white beard bristling with indignation while he threatened Bowsy with a handle of a butterfly net. You dog, you savage, whom I saved from death and called brother. What were you doing to these white men who are in truth my brothers, and to their followers? Were you about to kill them? Oh, if so, I will forget my vow. I will forget the bond that binds us, and don't pray, don't, said Bowsy. It is all a horrible mistake. I am not to be blamed at all. It is that witch doctorium, Bowsy, whom by the ancient law of the land I must obey in such matters. He consulted his spirit and declared that you were dead. Also that these white lords were the most wicked of men, slave traders with spotted hearts, who came hither to spy out the Merzito people and to destroy them with magic and bullets. Then he lied, thundered brother John, and he knew that he lied. Yes, yes, it is evident that he lied, answered Bowsy. Bring him here and with him those who serve him. Now by the light of the moon, which was shining brightly in the heavens, for the thunderclouds had departed with the last glow of sunset, soldiers began an active search from Bowsy and his confederates. Of these they caught eight or ten all wicked-looking fellows, hideously painted and adorned like their master, but in Bowsy himself they could not find. I began to think that in the confusion he had given us the slip, one presently from the far end of the line, for we were all still tied to our stakes. I heard the voice of Sammy Horst, it is true, but quite cheerful now, saying, Mr. Quaterman, in the interests of justice, will you inform His Majesty that the treacherous wizard for whom he is seeking is now peeping and muttering at the bottom of the grave which was dug to receive my mortal remains? I did inform His Majesty, and in double-quick time our friend in Bowsy was once more fished out of a grave by the strong arms of Babamba and his soldiers and dragged into the presence of the irate Bowsy. Loose the white lords and their followers, said Bowsy, and let them come here. So our bonds were undone and we walked to where the King and Brother John stood, the miserable in Bowsy and his attendant doctors huddled in a heap before them. Who is this? Said Bowsy to him, pointing at Brother John. Is it not he whom you vowed was dead? In Bowsy did not seem to think that the question required an answer, so Bowsy continued. What was the song that you sang in our ears just now? That if Dogita came, you would be ready to be shocked to death with arrows in the place of these white lords whose lives you swore away. Was it not? Again in Bowsy made no answer, although Babamba called his attention to the King's query with a vigorous kick. Then Bowsy shouted, by your own mouth you are condemned, oh liar, and that shall be done to you which you have yourself decreed. Adding, almost in the words of Elijah, after he triumphed over the priests of Baal, take away these false prophets, let none of them escape. Say you not so, old people. Aye, roared the multitude fiercely, take them away. Not a popular character in Bowsy, Stephen remarked to me in a reflective voice, while he is going to be served hot on his own toast now and serve the brute right. Who is the false doctor now? Marked Movovo in the silence that followed. Who was about to push up on arrow heads or painter of white spots? And he pointed to the mark that in Bowsy had so gleefully chalked over his heart as a guide to the arrows of the archers. Now seeing that all was lost, the little humpback villain with a sudden twist caught me by the legs and began to plead for mercy. So piteously did he plead that being already softened by the fact of our wonderful escape from those black graves, my heart was melted in me. I turned to ask the king to spare his life, there was little hope that the prayer would be granted, for I saw that Bowsy feared and hated the man and was only too glad of the opportunity to be rid of him. In Bowsy, however, interpreted my movement differently, since among savages the turning of the back always means that a petition is refused. Then, in his rage and despair, the venom of his wicked heart boiled over. He leapt to his feet and drawing a big carved knife from among his witch doctor's trappings, sprang at me like a wild cat shouting, at least you shall come to white dog. Most mercifully Movovo was watching him, for that is a good Zulu saying which declares that, wizard is wizard's feet. With one bound he was on him, just as the knife touched me, it actually pricked my skin, though without drawing blood, which was fortunate as probably it was poisoned. He gripped him Bowsy's arm in his grasp of iron and hurled into the ground as though he were but a child. After this, of course, all was over. Come away, I said to Stephen and to brother John, this is no place for us. So we went and gained our huts without molestation and indeed quite unobserved, for the attention of everyone in Beesertown was fully occupied elsewhere. From the marketplace behind us rose so hideous a clamour that we rushed into my hut and shut the door to escape or lessen the sound. It was dark in the hut for which I was really thankful for the darkness seemed to soothe my nerves. Especially was this so when brother John said, friend, Alan Quatermain and you young gentleman whose name I don't know, I will tell you what I think I never mentioned to you before, that in addition to being a doctor, I am a clergyman of the American Episcopalian Church. Well, as a clergyman, I will ask your leave to return thanks for your very remarkable deliverance from a cruel death. By all means, I muttered for both of us and he did so in a most earnest and beautiful prayer. Brother John may or may not have been a little touched in the head at this time of his life, but he was certainly an able and a good man. Afterwards, as the shrieks and shouting had now died down to a confused murmur of many voices, we went and sat outside under the projecting eaves of the hut where I introduced Stephen Summers to brother John. And now, I said, in the name of goodness, where do you come from tied up in flowers like a Roman priest at a sacrifice and riding on a bull like a lady called Europa? And what on earth do you mean by playing as such a scurvy trick down there in Durban, leaving us without a word after you had agreed to guide us to this hellish hull? Brother John stroked his long beard and looked at me reproachfully. I guess, Alan, he said in his American fashion, there is a mistake somewhere. To answer the last part of your question first, I did not leave you without a word. I gave a letter to that lame old Greek gardener of yours, Jack, to be handed to you when you arrived. Then the idiot either lost it or lied to me as Greek as well, or he forgot all about it. That is likely. I ought to have thought of that, Alan, but I didn't. Well, in that letter, I said that I would meet you here, where I should have been six weeks ago, waiting you. Also, I sent a message to Bousie to warn him of your coming in case I should be delayed. But I suppose that something happened to it on the road. Why did you not wait and come with us like a sensible man? Alan, as you ask me straight out, I will tell you, although the subject is one of which I do not care to speak. I knew that you were going to journey by Kilwa. Indeed, it was your only route with a lot of people and so much baggage, and I did not wish to visit Kilwa. He paused, then went on. A long time ago, nearly 23 years to be accurate, I went to live at Kilwa as a missionary with my young wife. I built a mission station and a church there, and we were happy and fairly successful in our work. Then one evil day, the Swahili and other Arabs came in dows to establish a slave-dealing station. I resisted them, and the end of it was that they attacked us, killed most of my people, and enslaved the rest. In that attack I received a cut from a sword on the head. Look, here is the mark of it. And drawing his white hair apart, he showed us a long scar that was plainly visible in the moonlight. The blow knocked me senseless just about sunset one evening. When I came to myself again, it was broad daylight and everybody was gone, except one old woman who was tending me. She was half-crazed with grief because her husband and two sons had been killed, and another son, a boy, and a daughter had been taken away. I asked her where my young wife was. She answered that she too had been taken away eight or 10 hours before, because the Arabs had seen the lights of a ship out at sea and thought they might be those of a British man of war that was known to be cruising on the coast. On seeing these, they had fled inland in a hurry, leaving me for dead but killing the wounded before they went. The old woman herself had escaped by hiding among some rocks on the seashore, and after the Arabs had gone, had crept back to the house and found me still alive. I asked her where my wife had been taken. She said she did not know, but some others of our people told her that they had heard the Arabs say they were going to some place 100 miles inland to join their leader, a half-bred villain named Hassan Ben-Mohammed to whom they were carrying my wife as a present. Now we knew this wretch, for after the Arabs landed at Kilwa, but before actual hostilities broke out between us, he had fallen sick of smallpox and my wife had helped to nurse him. Had it not been for her, indeed he would have died. However, although the leader of the band, he was not present at the attack being engaged in some slave-raiding business in the interior. When I learned this terrible news, the shock of it or the loss of blood brought on a return of insensibility, from which I only awoke two days later to find myself on board a Dutch trading vessel that was sailing for Zanzibar. It was the lights of this ship that the Arabs had seen and mistaken for those of an English man of war. She had put into Kilwa for water and the sailors, finding me on the veranda of the house and still living in the goodness of their hearts, carried me on board. Of the old woman they had seen nothing, I suppose that at their approach she ran away. At Zanzibar, in an almost dying condition, I was handed over to a clergyman in our mission in whose house I lay desperately ill for a long while. Indeed, six months went by before I fully recovered my right mind. Some people say that I have never recovered it. Perhaps you are one of them, Alan. At last the wound in my skull healed after a clever English naval surgeon had removed some bits of splintered bone and my strength came back to me. I was and still am an American subject and in those days we had no consul at Zanzibar. If there is one there now of which I am not sure and of course no warship. The English made what inquiries they could for me but could find out little or nothing since all the country about Kilwa was in possession of Arab slave traders who were supported by a Ruffian who called himself the Sultan of Zanzibar. Again he paused as though overcome by the sadness of his recollections. Did you never hear any more of your wife? asked Stephen. Yes, Mr. Summers. I heard at Zanzibar from a slave whom our mission bought and freed that he had seen a white woman who answered to her description alive and apparently well. At some place I was unable to identify. He could only tell me that it was 15 days journey from the coast. She was then in charge of some black people. He did not know of what tribe who he believed had found her wandering in the bush. He noted that the black people seemed to treat her with the greatest reverence although they could not understand what she said. On the following day whilst searching for six lost goats he was captured by Arabs who he heard afterwards were out looking for this white woman. The day after the man had told me this he was seized with inflammation of the lungs of which being in a weak state from his sufferings and the slave gang he quickly died. Now you will understand why I was not particularly anxious to revisit Kilwa. Yes, I said. We understand that and a good deal more of which we will talk later. But to change the subject where do you come from now and how did you happen to turn up in just the nick of time? I was journeying here across country by a route I will show you on my map. He answered. When I met with an accident to my leg here Stephen and I looked at each other which kept me laid up in a cafe or hut for six weeks. When I got better as I could not walk very well I rode upon oxen that I had trained. That white beast you saw is the last of them. The others died of the bite of the titsy fly. A fear which I could not define caused me to press forward as fast as possible. For the last 24 hours I have scarcely stopped to eat or sleep. When I got into the Mazitu country this morning I found the crowds empty except for some women and girls who knew me again and threw these flowers over me. They told me that all the men had gone to Bisa town for a great feast. But what the feast was they either did not know or would not reveal. So I hurried on and arrived in time. Thank God in time. It is a long story. I will tell you the details afterwards. Now we are all too tired. What's that noise? I listened and recognized the triumphant song of the Zulu hunters who were returning from the savage scene in the marketplace. Presently they arrived headed by Sameh, a very different Sameh from the wailing creature who had gone out to execution an hour or two before. Now he was the gayest of the gay and about his neck were strung certain weird ornaments which I identified as the personal property of Imbauzi. Virtue is victorious and justice has been done, Mr. Quartermain. These are the spoils of war. He said, pointing to the trappings of the late witch doctor. Out, get out you little cur. We want to know nothing more, I said. Go cook us some supper. And he went, not in the least abashed. The hunters were carrying between them what appeared to be the body of Hans. At first I was frightened thinking that he must be dead but examination showed that he was only in a state of insensibility such as might be induced by Lordnam. Brother John ordered him to be wrapped up in a blanket and laid by the fire and this was done. Presently Movovo approached and squatted down in front of us. Mokumu Zahan, my father, he said quietly, what words have you for me? Words of thanks, Movovo, if you had not been so quick Imbauzi would have finished me as it is the knife only touched my skin without breaking it for Dogita has looked to see. Movovo waved his hand as though to sweep this little matter aside and asked, looking me straight in the eyes. And what other words, Mokumu Zahan? As to my sneak, I mean. Only that you were right and I was wrong, I answered shame-facedly. Things have happened as you foretold, how or why I do not understand. No, my father, because you white men are sore vein. Blown out was his word, that you think you have always done. Now you have learned that this is not a sore. I am content. The false doctors are all dead, my father. I think that Imbauzi. I held up my hand, not wishing to hear details. Movovo rose and with a little smile went about his business. What does he mean about his snake, inquired brother John curiously. I told him as briefly as I could and asked him if he could explain the matter. He shook his head. The strangest example of native vision that I have ever heard of, he answered, and the most useful, explained there is no explanation, except the old one, that there are more things in heaven and earth, et cetera, and that God gives different gifts to different men. Then we ate our supper. I think one of the most joyful meals of which I have ever partaken. It is wonderful how good food tastes when one never expected to swallow another mouthful. After it was finished, the others went to bed, but with a still unconscious hands for my only companion, I sat for a while smoking by the fire, for on this high table-land the air was chilly. I felt that as yet I could not sleep, for if no other reason because of the noise that the Mizzito were making in the town, I suppose in celebration of the execution of the terrible witch-doctors and the return of Dogita. Suddenly Han's awoke and sitting up stared at me through the bright flame which I had recently fed with dry wood. "'Mass,' he said in a hollow voice, "'there you are, here I am, "'and there is the fire which never goes out, "'a very good fire. "'But, Bass, why are we not inside of it "'as your father the predicate promised, "'instead of outside here in the cold?' "'Because you are still in the world, you old fool, "'and not where you deserve to be,' I answered. "'Because M'vovo's snake was a snake "'with a true tongue after all, "'and Dogita came as foretold, "'because we are all alive and well, "'and it is M'bousy and his spawn "'who are dead upon the posts. "'That is why, Han's, as you would have seen "'for yourself if you had kept awake, "'instead of swallowing filthy medicine "'like a frightened woman, "'just because you were afraid of death, "'which at your age you ought to have welcomed.' "'Oh, Bass,' broken Han's, "'don't tell me that things are so "'and that we are really alive "'in what your honoured father used to call "'this gourd full of tears. "'Don't tell me, Bass, "'that I made a coward of myself "'and swallowed that weaseliness. "'If you knew what it was made of, "'you would understand, Bass, "'for nothing but a bad headache. "'Don't tell me that Dogita came "'when my eyes were not open to see him, "'and worst of all that M'bousy and his children "'were tied to those posts "'when I was not able to help them "'out of the bottle of tears "'into the fire that burns forever and ever. "'Oh, it is too much, "'and I swear, Bass, "'that however often I die, "'hence forth it shall always be with my eyes open "'and holding his aching head between his hands, "'he rocked himself to and fro in bitter grief. "'Well might Hans be sad, "'seeing that he never heard the last of the incident. "'The hunters invented a new and gigantic name for him, "'which meant the little yellow mouse "'who feeds on sleep "'while the black rats eat up their enemies. "'Even Sammy made a mock of him, "'showing him the spoils which he declared "'he had wrenched unaided "'from the mighty master of magic M'bousy, "'as indeed he had, "'after the said M'bousy was stoned dead at the stake. "'It was very amusing, "'until things grew so bad "'that I feared Hans would kill Sammy "'and had to put a stop to the joke.' End of chapter 11 Chapter 12 of Alan and the Holy Flower This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Alan and the Holy Flower by H. Ryder Haggard Chapter 12 Brother John's Story "'Although I went to bed late, I was up before sunrise, "'chiefly because I wish to have some private conversation "'with Brother John, "'whom I knew to be a very early riser. "'Indeed he slept less than any man I ever met. "'As I expected, I found him a stir in his hut. "'He was engaged in pressing flowers by candlelight. "'John,' I said, "'I have brought you some property which I think you have lost. "'And I handed him the Morocco-bound Christian year "'and the water-colored drawing which we had found "'in the sacked mission-house at Kilwa. "'He looked first at the picture and then at the book. "'At least I suppose he did, "'for I went outside the hut for a while "'to observe the sunrise. "'In a few minutes he called me "'and when the door was shut said in an unsteady voice, "'how did you come by these relics, Alan?' "'I told him the story from beginning to end. "'He listened without a word, "'and when I had finished said, "'I may as well tell what perhaps you have guessed. "'That picture is that of my wife, and the book is her book.' "'Is?' I exclaimed. "'Yes, Alan. "'I say is because I do not believe that she is dead. "'I cannot explain why any more than I could explain last night "'how that great Zulu savage was able to prophesy my coming. "'But sometimes we can ring secrets from the unknown, "'and I believe that I have won this truth "'in answer to my prayers, that my wife still lives.' "'After twenty years, John, yes, after twenty years. "'Why do you suppose?' he asked almost fiercely, "'that for two-thirds of a generation "'I have wandered about among African savages, "'pretending to be crazy, "'because these wild people revere them mad "'and always let them pass unharmed. "'I thought it was to collect butterflies "'and botanical specimens.' "'Butterflies and botanical specimens. "'These were the pretext. "'I have been and am searching for my wife. "'You may think it a folly, "'especially considering what was her condition "'when we separated. "'She was expecting a child, Alan. "'But I do not. "'I believe that she has hidden away "'among some of these wild peoples.' "'Then perhaps it would be as well not to find her,' "'I answered, "'bethinking me of the fate which had overtaken "'sundry white women in the old days, "'who had escaped from shipwrecks on the coast "'and become the wives of kafirs. "'Not so, Alan. "'On that point I fear nothing. "'If God has preserved my wife, "'he has also protected her from every harm. "'And now,' he went on, "'you will understand why I wish to visit these pongo, "'the pongo who worship a white goddess.' "'I understand,' I said, and left him. "'For having learned all there was to know, "'I thought it best not to prolong a painful conversation. "'To me it seemed incredible "'that this lady should still live, "'and I feared the effect upon him of the discovery "'that she was no more. "'How full of romance is this poor little world of ours? "'Think of Brother John.' "'Eversley was his real name, "'as I discovered afterwards. "'And what his life had been? "'A high-minded, educated man trying to serve his faith "'in the dark places of the earth, "'taking his young wife with him, "'which for my part I have never considered "'a right thing to do. "'Neither tradition nor holy writ record "'that the apostles dragged their wives and families "'into the heathen lands where they went to preach. "'Although I believe that some of them were married. "'But this is by the way. "'Then falls the blow. "'The mission house is sacked. "'The husband escapes by a miracle, "'and the poor young lady is torn away "'to be the prey of a vile slave-trader. "'Lastly, according to the quite unreliable evidence "'of some savage already in the shadow of death, "'she is seen in the charge of other unknown savages. "'On the strength of this, the husband, "'playing the part of a mad botanist, "'hunts for her for a score of years, "'enduring incredible hardships, "'and yet void up by a high and holy trust. "'To my mind it was a beautiful and pathetic story. "'Still, for reasons which I have suggested, "'I confess that I hoped that long ago "'she had returned into the hands of the power "'which made her for what would be the state "'of a young white lady who for two decades "'had been at the mercy of these black brutes. "'And yet, and yet, after my experience "'of Movovo and his snake, "'I did not feel inclined to dogmatize about anything. "'Who and what was I that I should venture "'not only to form opinions, "'but to thrust them down the throats of others? "'After all, how narrow are the limits "'of the knowledge upon which we base our judgments? "'Perhaps the great sea of intuition that surrounds us "'is safer to float on than are these little eyelets "'of individual experience, "'whereon we are so wont to take our stand. "'Meanwhile, my duty was not to speculate "'on the dreams and mental attitudes of others, "'but like a practical hunter and trader "'to carry to a successful issue an expedition "'that I was well-paid to manage "'and to dig up a certain rare flower-root "'if I could find it, "'in the marketable value of which I had an interest. "'I have always prided myself upon my entire lack of imagination "'and all such mental fantasies, "'and upon an aptitude for a hard business "'and an appreciation of the facts of life. "'That after all are the things with which we have to do. "'This is the truth, at least, I hope it is. "'For if I were to be quite honest, "'which no one ever has been, "'except a gentleman named Mr. Peeps, "'who I think lived in the reign of Charles II "'and who, to judge from his memoirs, "'which I have read lately, did not write for publication, "'I should have to admit that there is another side "'to my nature. "'I sternly suppress it, however, "'at any rate for the present.' "'While we were at breakfast, Hans, "'who, still suffering from headache and remorse, "'was lurking outside the gateway far "'from the madding crowd of critics, "'crepped in like a beaten dog "'and announced that Pbembo was approaching "'followed by a number of laden soldiers. "'I was about to advance to receive him. "'Then I remembered that, owing to a queer native custom, "'such as that which caused Sir Theophilus Shepston, "'whom I used to know very well, "'to be recognized as the holder of the spirit "'of the great Chaka and therefore as the equal "'of the Zulu monarchs. "'Brother John was really the important man in our company. "'So I gave way and asked him to be good enough "'to take my place and to live up to that station "'and savage life to which it pleased God to call him. "'I am bound to say that he rose to the occasion "'very well, being by nature and appearance "'a dignified old man. "'Swallowing his coffee in a hurry, "'he took his place at a little distance from us "'and stood there in a statuesque pose. "'To him entered Bbemba crawling on his hands and knees "'and other native gentlemen likewise crawling. "'Also the burdened soldiers, "'in as obsequious an attitude as their loads would allow. "'Oh, King Doghita,' said Bbemba, "'your brother King Mausie returns the guns "'and fire-goods of the white men, your children, "'and sends certain gifts. "'Glad to hear it,' General Bbemba, said brother John, "'although it would be better if he had never taken them away. "'Put them down and get on to your feet. "'I do not like to see men wriggling "'on their stomachs like monkeys. "'The order was obeyed and we checked to the guns "'and ammunition, also our revolvers "'and the other articles that had been taken away from us. "'Nothing was missing or damaged. "'And in addition there were four fine elephants tusks "'and offering to Stephen and myself, "'which, as a businessman, I promptly accepted, "'some carosses and mozito-weapons, "'presents to Movovo and the hunters. "'A beautiful native bedstead with ivory legs "'and mats of finely woven grass, "'a gift to Hans in testimony to his powers of sleep "'under trying circumstances. "'The Zulus roared when they heard this, "'and Hans vanished cursing behind the huts. "'And for Sammy a weird musical instrument "'with a request that in future he would use it in public "'instead of his voice.' "'Sammy, I may add, did not see the joke "'anymore than Hans had done, "'but the rest of us appreciated "'the mozito sense of humour very much. "'It is all very well, Mr. Quatermain,' he said, "'for these black babes and zucklings "'to sit in the seat of the scornful. "'On such an occasion silent prayers "'would have been of little use, "'but I am certain that my loud crying "'to heaven delivered you all from the bites "'of the heathen arrows. "'O Doggita and white lords,' said Babamba, "'the king invites your presence, "'that he may ask your forgiveness for what has happened, "'and this time there will be no need for you to bring arms, "'since henceforward no hurt can come to you "'from the mozito people.' "'So presently we set out once more, "'taking with us the gifts that had been refused. "'Our march to the royal quarters "'was a veritable triumphal progress. "'The people prostrated themselves "'and clapped their hands slowly in salutation as we passed, "'while the girls and children pelted us with flowers "'as though we were brides going to be married. "'Our road ran by the place of execution "'where the stakes, at which I confess I looked with a shiver, "'were still standing, though the graves had been filled in. "'On our arrival, "'Bausi and his councillors rose and bowed to us. "'Indeed the king did more, for coming forward "'he seized Brother John by the hand "'and insisted upon rubbing his ugly black nose "'against that of his revered guest. "'This, it appeared, was the mozito method of embracing, "'an honour which Brother John did not seem at all "'to appreciate. "'Then followed long speeches, "'washed down with draughts of thick native beer. "'Bausi explained that his evil proceedings "'were entirely due to the wickedness "'of the deceased in Bausi and his disciples, "'under whose tyranny the land had grown for long "'since the people believed them to speak "'with the voice of heaven above. "'Brother John, on our behalf, accepted the apology "'and then read a lecture or rather preached a sermon "'that took exactly twenty-five minutes to deliver. "'He is rather long in the wind, "'in which he demonstrated the evils of superstition "'and pointed to a higher and better path. "'Bausi replied that he would like to hear more of that path "'another time, which, as he presumed, "'that we were going to spend the rest of our lives "'in his company, could easily be found, "'say during the next spring when the crops had been sown, "'and the people had leisure on their hands. "'After this we presented our gifts, "'which were now eagerly accepted. "'Then I took up my parable and explained to Bausi "'that so far from stopping in Beesertown "'for the rest of our lives, "'we were anxious to press forward at once to Pongoland. "'The king's face fell, as did those of his counsellors. "'Listen, O Lord Makumazahan and all of you,' he said, "'these Pongo are horrible wizards, "'a great and powerful people who live by themselves "'amidst the swamps and mix with none. "'If the Pongo catch Mazito or folk of any other tribe, "'either they kill them or take them as prisoners "'to their own land where they enslave them, "'or sometimes sacrifice them to the devils they worship. "'That is so,' broke in Babemba, "'for when I was a lad, I was a slave to the Pongo "'and doomed to be sacrificed to the white devil. "'It is in escaping from them that I lost this eye.' "'Needless to say, I made a note of this remark, "'though I did not think the moment "'opportuned to follow the matter up. "'If Babemba has once been to Pongoland,' "'I reflected to myself, "'Babemba can go again or show us the way there. "'And if we catch any of the Pongo,' went on Bowsy, "'as sometimes we do when they come to hunt for slaves, "'we kill them. "'Ever since the Mazito have been in this place, "'there has been hate and war between them and the Pongo. "'And if I could wipe out those evil ones, "'then I should die happily. "'That you will never do, O King, "'while the white devil lives,' said Babemba. "'Have you not heard the Pongo prophecy? "'That while the white devil lives "'and the holy flower blooms, they will live. "'But when the white devil dies "'and the holy flower ceases to bloom, "'then their women will become barren "'and their end will be upon them.' "'Well, I suppose that this white devil will die someday,' I said. "'Not so, Makumazahan. "'It will never die of itself "'like its wicked priest. "'It has been there from the beginning "'and will always be there unless it is killed. "'But who is there that can kill the white devil?' "'I thought to myself that I would not mind trying, "'but again I did not pursue the point.' "'My brother Dogita and the lords,' exclaimed Bowsy, "'it is not possible that you should visit these wizards "'except at the head of an army. "'But how can I send an army with you, "'seeing that the Mazito are a land people "'and have no canoes in which to cross the great lake "'and no trees were of to make them?' "'We answered that we did not know "'but would think the matter over, "'and we had come from our own place for this end "'and meant to carry it out. "'Then the audience came to an end "'and we returned to our huts, "'leaving Dogita to converse with his brother Bowsy "'on matters connected with the latter's health. "'As I passed Pbemba, I told him "'I should like to see him alone, "'and he said that he would visit me "'that evening after supper. "'The rest of the day passed quietly, "'for we had asked the people "'might be kept away from our encampment. "'We found Hans, who had not accompanied us, "'being a little shy of appearing in public just then, "'engaged in cleaning the rifles, "'and this reminded me of something. "'Taking the double-barrelled gun "'of which I have spoken, I called Movovo "'and handed it to him, saying, "'It is yours, O true prophet.' "'Yes, my father,' he answered, "'it is mine for a little while, "'then perhaps it will be yours again.' "'The words struck me, "'but I did not care to ask their meaning. "'Somehow I wanted to hear no more "'of Movovo's prophecies. "'Then we dined, "'and for the rest of that afternoon slept, "'for all of us, including brother John, "'needed rest badly. "'In the evening Bbemba came, "'and we three white men saw him alone. "'Tell us about the pongo "'and this white devil they worship,' I said. "'Makumazahan,' he answered, "'fifty years have gone by since I was in that land, "'and I see things that happened to me there "'as though through a mist. "'I went to fish amongst the reeds "'when I was a boy of twelve, "'and tall men robed in white game in a canoe "'and seized me. "'They led me to a town "'where there were many other such men, "'and treated me very well, "'giving me sweet things to eat "'till I grew fat and my skin shone. "'Then in the evening I was taken away, "'and we marched all night to the mouth of a great cave. "'In this cave sat a horrible old man "'about whom danced robed people, "'performing the rites of the white devil. "'The old man told me that on the following morning "'I was to be cooked and eaten, "'for which reason I had been made so fat. "'There was a canoe at the mouth of the cave "'beyond which lay water. "'While all were asleep, I crept to the canoe. "'As I loose the rope, one of the priests "'walk up and ran at me, "'but I hit him on the head with the paddle, "'for though only a boy I was bold and strong, "'and he fell into the water. "'He came up again and gripped the edge of the canoe, "'but I stuck his fingers with the paddle "'till he let go. "'A great wind was blowing that night, "'tearing off balls from the trees "'which grew upon the other shore of the water. "'It whirled the canoe round and round, "'and one of the bows struck me in the eye. "'I scarcely felt it at the time, "'but afterwards the eye withered. "'For perhaps it was a spear or a knife "'that struck me in the eye. "'I do not know. "'I paddled till I lost my senses, "'and always that wind blew. "'The last thing that I remember "'was the sound of the canoe "'being driven by the gale through the reeds. "'When I woke up again, I found myself near a shore, "'to which I waded through the muds, "'getting great krakadiles. "'And there must have been some days later, "'for now I was quite thin. "'I fell down upon the shore, "'and there some of our people found me "'and nursed me till I recovered. "'That is all. "'And quite enough, too, I said, "'now answer me. "'How far was the town "'from the place where you were captured in Mizituland? "'A whole day's journey in the canoe Makumazahan. "'I was captured in the morning early, "'and we reached the harbour in the evening "'at a place where many canoes would tide up, "'perhaps fifty of them, "'some of which would hold forty men. "'And how far was the town from this harbour? "'Quite close Makumazahan. "'Now, Brother John asked a question. "'Did you hear anything about the land "'beyond the water by the cave? "'Yes, Dogita, I heard then, or afterwards, "'for from time to time, "'rumours reached us concerning these pongo, "'that it is an island where gurus, "'the holy flower of which you know. "'For when last you were here, you had one of its blooms. "'I heard, too, that this holy flower was tended "'by a priestess named Mother of the Flower, "'and her servants, all of whom were virgins, "'who was the priestess? "'I do not know, but I have heard "'that she was one of those people who, "'although her parents are black, are born white, "'and that of any females among the pongo are born white, "'or with pink eyes, or deaf and dumb, "'they are set apart to be the servants of the priestess. "'But this priestess must now be dead, "'seeing that when I was a boy, she was already old, "'very, very old, "'and the pongo were much concerned "'because there was no one of white skin "'who could be appointed to succeed her. "'Indeed, she is dead. "'Since many years ago, there was a great feast "'in pongo land, and numbers of slaves were eaten "'because the priests had found a beautiful new princess "'who was white with a yellow hair "'and had fingernails of the right shape. "'Now I bethought me that this finding of the priestess "'named mother of the flower, "'who must be distinguished by certain personal peculiarities, "'resembled not a little that of the finding "'of the apus bull-god, "'which also must have certain prescribed "'and holy markings by the old Egyptians, "'as narrated by Herodotus. "'However, I said nothing about it at the time "'because Brother John asked sharply, "'and is this priestess also dead? "'I do not know Doghita, but I think not. "'If she were dead, I think that we should have heard "'some rumour of the feast of the eating of the dead mother. "'Eating the dead mother,' I exclaimed, "'Yasmokomazahan, it is the law among the pongo that, "'for a certain sacred reason, "'the body of the mother of the flower, "'when she dies, must be partaken of "'by those who are privileged to the holy food. "'But the white devil neither dies nor is eaten, I said. "'Nor, as I have told you, he never dies. "'It is he who causes others to die, "'as if you go to pongo land, "'the doubtless you will find out,' the Bember added grimly. "'Upon my word, I thought to myself "'as the meeting broke up, "'because the Bember had nothing more to say. "'If I had my way, I would leave pongo land "'in its white devil alone.' "'Then I remembered how Brother John "'stood in reference to this matter, "'and with a sigh resigned myself to fate. "'As it proved, I mean fate, "'was quite equal to the occasion. "'The next morning early, the Bember turned up again. "'Lord, Lord,' he said, "'a wonderful thing has happened. "'Last night we spoke of the pongo, and now behold, "'an embassy from the pongo is here. "'It arrived at sunrise.' "'What for?' I asked. "'To propose peace between their people and the mojito? "'Yes, they ask that Bausi should send envoys "'to their town to arrange a lasting peace, "'as if any one would go,' he added. "'Perhaps some might dare to,' I answered, "'for an idea occurred to me. "'But let us go to see Bausi.' "'Half an hour later we were seated "'in the king's enclosure, that is, Stephen and I were, "'for Brother John was already in the royal hut, "'talking to Bausi. "'As we went, a few words had passed between us. "'Has it occurred to you, John?' I asked, "'that if you really wish to visit pongo land, "'here is perhaps what you would call a providential opportunity. "'Certainly none of these mojito will go, "'since they fear less they should find a permanent peace "'inside of the pongo. "'Well, you are a blood brother to Bausi, "'and can offer to play the part of envoy, "'extraordinary with us as the members of your staff. "'I've already thought of it, Alan,' he replied, "'stroking his long beard. "'We sat down among a few of the leading counsellors, "'and presently Bausi came out of his hut accompanied "'by Brother John, and having greeted us, "'ordered the pongo envoys to be admitted. "'They were led in at once, tall, light-coloured men "'with regular and semitic features, "'who were clothed in white linen-like Arabs, "'and wore circles of gold or copper, "'upon their necks and wrists. "'In short, they were imposing persons, "'quite different from ordinary Central African natives, "'though there was something about their appearance "'which chilled and repelled me. "'I should add that their spears had been left outside, "'and that they saluted the king by folding their arms "'upon their breasts and bowing in a dignified fashion. "'Who are you?' asked Bausi. "'And what do you want?' "'I am Comba,' answered their spokesman, "'quite a young man with flashing eyes, "'the accepted of the gods, "'who in a day to come that perhaps is near "'will be the Calubi of the Pongo people, "'and these are my servants. "'I have come here bearing gifts of friendship, "'which are without, "'by the desire of the Holy Motombo, "'the High Priest of the Gods. "'I thought that Calubi was the Priest of your gods,' "'interrupted Bausi. "'Not so. "'The Calubi is the King of the Pongo, "'as you are the King of the Mazzitu, "'the Motombo, who is seldom seen, "'is King of the Spirits and the Mouth of the Gods.' "'Bausi nodded in the African fashion, "'that is by raising the chin, not depressing it, "'and Comba went on. "'I have placed myself in your power, trusting to your honor. "'You can kill me if you wish, "'though that will avail nothing, "'since there are others waiting to become Calubi "'in my place. "'Am I a Pongo that I should wish to kill messengers "'and eat them?' asked Bausi with sarcasm, "'a speech at which I noticed the Pongo envoys "'winced a little. "'King, you are mistaken. "'The Pongo only eat those whom the white God has chosen. "'It is a religious right. "'Why should they who have cattle "'in plenty desire to devour men?' "'I don't know,' grunted Bausi. "'But there is one year who can tell a different story.' "'And he looked at the Bemba, who wriggled uncomfortably. "'Comba also looked at him with his fierce eyes.' "'It is not conceivable,' he said, "'that anybody should wish to eat one so old and bony, "'but let that pass. "'I thank you, King, for your promise of safety. "'I have come here to ask that you send envoys "'to confer with the Calubi and the Mutombo, "'that a lasting peace may be arranged between our peoples.' "'Why do not the Calubi and the Mutombo come here "'to confer?' asked Bausi. "'Because it is not lawful "'that they should leave their land, O King. "'Therefore they have sent me who am the Calubi to come.' "'Harken, there has been war between us for generations. "'It began so long ago that only the Mutombo "'knows of its beginnings, which he has from the gods. "'Once the Pongo people owned all this land "'and only had their sacred places beyond the water, "'then your forefathers came and fell on them, "'killing many, enslaving them "'and taking their women to life. "'Now, say the Mutombo and the Calubi, "'in the place of war let there be peace. "'Where there is but barren sand, "'there let corn and flowers grow. "'Let the darkness wherein men lose their way and die "'be changed to pleasant light "'in which they can sit in the sun, "'holding each other's hands. "'Here, here,' I muttered, "'quite moved by this eloquence. "'But Bausi was not at all moved. "'Indeed, he seemed to view these poetic proposals "'with the darkest suspicion. "'Give up killing our people "'or capturing them to be sacrificed to your white devil, "'and then in a year or two we may listen to your words "'that are smeared with honey,' he said. "'As it is, we think that they are but a trap "'to catch flies. "'Still, if there are any of our counselors "'willing to visit your Mutombo and your Calubi "'and hear what they have to propose, "'taking the risk of whatever may happen to them there, "'I do not forbid it. "'Now, all my counselors, speak, "'not altogether but one by one, "'and be swift, since to the first that speaks "'shall be given this honour.' "'I think I never heard a denser silence "'than that which followed this invitation. "'Each of the Indonnas looked at his neighbour, "'but not one of them uttered a single word.' "'What?' exclaimed Bausi in effected surprise. "'Do none speak? "'Well, well, you are lawyers and men of peace. "'What says the great General Babamba?' "'I say, O king, that I went once to Pongoland "'when I was young, taken by the hair of my head, "'to leave an eye there, and that I do not wish "'to visit it again, walking on the soles of my feet. "'It seems, O Kamba, that since none of my people "'are willing to act as envoys, "'if there is to be talk of peace between us, "'the Mutombo and the Calubi must come here "'under safe conduct.' "'I have said that cannot be, O king. "'If so, all is finished, O Kamba. "'Rest, eat of our food, and return to your own land.' "'Then,' brother John rose, and said, "'we are blood brethren, Bausi, "'and therefore I can speak for you. "'If you and your counsellors are willing, "'and these Pongos are willing, "'I and my friends do not fear "'to visit the Mutombo and the Calubi, "'to talk with them of peace on behalf of your people, "'since we love to see new lands "'and new races of mankind. "'Say, Kamba, if the king allows, "'will you accept us as ambassadors?' "'It is for the king to name his own ambassadors,' answered Kamba. "'Yet the Calubi has heard of the presence "'of you white lords in Mezituland, "'and bade me say that if it should be your pleasure "'to accompany the embassy and visit him, "'he would give you welcome. "'Only when the matter was laid before the Mutombo, "'the oracle spoke thus. "'Let the white man come, if come they will, "'or let them stay away. "'But if they come, let them bring with them "'none of those iron tubes, great or small, "'whereof the land has heard, "'that vomit smoke with a noise "'and cause death from afar. "'They will not need them to kill meat, "'for meat shall be given to them in blenty. "'Moreover, among the Pongo, they will be safe, "'unless they offer insult to the god.' "'These words,' Kamba spoke very slowly "'and with much emphasis. "'His piercing eyes fixed upon my face "'as though to read the thoughts it hid. "'As I heard them, my courage sank into my boots. "'Well, I knew that the Kalubi was asking us to Pongoland "'that we might kill this great white devil "'that threatened his life, "'which I took it was a monstrous ape. "'And how could we face that "'or some other frightful brute without firearms? "'My mind was made up in a minute.' "'Orkamba,' I said. "'My gun is my father, my mother, my wife, "'and all my other relatives. "'I do not stir from here without it.' "'Then, white lord,' answered Kamba, "'you will do well to stop in this place "'in the midst of your family, "'since if you try to bring it with you to Pongoland, "'you will be killed as you set foot upon the shore.' "'Before I could find an answer,' brother John spoke, saying, "'It is natural that the great hunter, "'Makumazahan, should not wish to be parted "'from that which to him is as a stick to a lame man. "'But with me it is different. "'For years I have used no gun, "'who kill nothing that God made "'except a few bright-winged insects. "'I am ready to visit your country "'with nought save this in my hand.' "'And he pointed to the butterfly-net "'that leaned against the fence behind him.' "'For good, you are welcome,' said Kamba, "'and I thought that I saw his eyes gleam "'with unholy joy. "'Now followed a pause during which I explained "'everything to Stephen, showing that the thing was madness. "'But here, to my horror, "'that young man's mulish obstancy came in. "'I say, you know Quatermain,' he said. "'You can't let the old boy go alone, or at least I can't. "'It's another matter for you who have a son dependent on you. "'But putting aside the fact that I mean to get, "'he was about to add the orchid when I nudged him. "'Of course it was ridiculous. "'But an uneasy fear took me lest this Kamba "'should in some mysterious way understand what he was saying. "'What's up? "'Oh, I see. But the beggar can't understand English. "'Well, putting everything aside, it isn't the game, "'and there you are, you know. "'You know, Mr. Brother John goes, I go too, "'and indeed, if he doesn't go, I'll go alone. "'You unutterable young ass,' I muttered in the stage aside. "'What is it? The young white lord says he wishes "'in our country?' asked the cold Kamba, "'who with diabolical acuteness had read "'some of Stephen's meaning in his face. "'He says that he is a harmless traveller "'who would like to study the scenery "'and to find out if you have any gold there,' I answered. "'Indeed, he shall study the scenery, and we have gold, "'and he touched the bracelets on his arm, "'of which he shall be given as much as he can carry away. "'But, perchance, white lords, "'you would wish to took this matter over. "'Have we or leave to withdraw while oaking?' "'Five minutes later we were seated in the king's great house, "'with Bowsy himself and Babemba. "'Here there was a mighty argument. "'Bowsy implored, brother John, not to go, and so did I. "'Babemba said that to go would be madness, "'and he smelled witchcraft and murder in the air. "'He who knew the pongo.' "'Brother John replied sweetly that he certainly intended "'to avail himself of this heaven-sent opportunity "'to visit one of the few remaining districts "'in this part of Africa, "'through which he had not yet wandered. "'Steven yawned and fanned himself "'for the pocket handkerchief, for the hut was hot, "'and remarked that having come so far "'after a certain rare flower, "'he did not mean to return empty-handed. "'I perceived, dogita,' said Bowsy, at last, "'that you have some reason for this journey "'which you are hiding from me. "'Still I am minded to hold you here by force.' "'If you do it, we'll break our brotherhood,' answered Brother John, "'seek not to know what I would hide, Bowsy, "'but wait till the future shall declare it.' Bowsy groaned and gave in. "'The Bemba said that dogita and wasila were bewitched, "'and that I, Makuma Zahan alone, retained my senses. "'Then that settled,' exclaimed Stephen. "'John and I are to go as envoys to the pongo, "'and you courtermane will stop here "'to look after the hunters and the stores.' "'Young man,' I replied, "'do you wish to insult me? "'After your father put you in my charge, too. "'If you two are going, I shall come also, "'if I have to do so mother-naked. "'But let me tell you once and for all "'in the most emphatic language I can command "'that I consider you a brace of confounded lunatics, "'and that if the pongo don't eat you, "'it will be more than you deserve. "'To think that at my age I should be dragged "'among a lot of cannibal savages without even a pistol "'to fight some unknown brute with my bare hands. "'Well, we can die only once, "'that is, so far as we know at the present.' "'How true,' remarked Stephen, "'how strangely and profoundly true. "'Oh, I could have boxed his ears.' "'We went into the courtyard again "'with a combo we summoned with his attendants. "'This time they came bearing gifts, "'or having them borne for them. "'These consisted, I remember, "'of two fine tusks of ivory, "'which suggested to me that their country "'could not be entirely surrounded by water, "'since elephants would scarcely live upon an island, "'gold dust in a gourd and copper bracelets, "'which showed that it was mineralized, "'white native linen, very well-woven, "'and some really beautiful decorated pots, "'indicating that the people had artistic tastes. "'Where did they get them from, I wonder, "'and what was the origin of their race? "'I cannot answer the question "'for I never found out with any certainty, "'nor do I think they knew themselves.' "'The endabo was resumed. "'Bausi announced that we three white men "'with a servant apiece, I stipulated for this, "'would visit Fongoland as his envoys, "'taking no firearms with us, "'there to discuss terms of peace between the two peoples, "'and especially the questions of trade and intermarriage. "'Comba was very insistent that they should be included. "'At the time I wondered why. "'He, Comba, on behalf of the Mutombo and the Colubi, "'the spiritual and temporal rulers of his land, "'guaranteed a safe conduct "'on the understanding that we attempted no insult "'or violence to the gods, "'a stipulation from which there was no escape, "'though I liked it little. "'He swore also that we should be delivered safe and sound "'in the Mazitu country within six days "'of our having left its shores. "'Bausi said that it was good, "'adding that he would send five hundred armed men "'to escort us to the place where we were to embark "'and to receive us on our return. "'Also that if any hurt came to us, "'he would wage war upon the Pongo people forever, "'until he found means to destroy them. "'So we parted it being agreed that we would start "'upon our journey on the following morning.' "'End of Chapter 12. "'Chapter 13 of Alan and the Holy Flower. "'This Librivox recording is in the public domain. "'Alan and the Holy Flower by H. Ryder Haggard. "'Chapter 13, Rika Town. "'As a matter of fact, we did not leave Beezatown "'till twenty-four hours later than had been arranged, "'since it took some time for old Babemba, "'who was to be in charge of it, "'to collect and provision our escort of five hundred men. "'Here I may mention that when we got back to our huts, "'we found the two Mazitu bearers, Tom and Jerry, "'eating a hearty meal, but looking rather tired. "'It appeared that in order to get rid "'of their favourable evidence, "'the deceased witch-doctor Imbause, "'who for some reason or other had feared to kill them, "'caused them to be marched off to a distant part of the land "'where they were imprisoned. "'On the arrival of the news of the fall "'and death of Imbause and his subordinates, "'they were set at liberty, "'and at once returned to us at Beezatown. "'Of course it became necessary to explain to our servants "'what we were about to do. "'When they understood the nature "'of our proposed expedition, they shook their heads, "'and when they learned that we had promised "'to leave our guns behind, "'they were speechless with amazement. "'Kransik, kransik, which means ill in the skull or mad, "'exclaimed harms to the others "'as he tapped his forehead significantly. "'They have got it from Dogita, "'one who lives on insects, "'which he entangles in a net "'and carries no gun to kill game. "'Well, I knew they would.' "'The hunters nodded in assent, "'and Sammy lifted his arms to heaven as though in prayer. "'Only Movovo seemed indifferent. "'Then came the question of which of them was to accompany us. "'So, as far as I am concerned, that is soon settled,' said Movovo. "'I go with my father, Mokuma Zahan, "'seeing that even without a gun I am still strong "'and can fight as my male ancestors fought with a spear. "'And I, too, go with a bass quarter-main,' grunted Hans, "'seeing that even without a gun I am gunning, "'as my female ancestors were before me. "'Except when you take medicine's bodied snake "'and Lujozov in the midst of sleep, "'mocked one of the Zulus, "'does that fine bed's dead, "'which the king's then to you, go with you?' "'No, son of a fool,' Hans said Hans, "'I lend it to you, who do not understand "'that there is more wisdom within me when I am asleep "'than there is in you when you are awake. "'It remained to be decided who the third man should be, "'as neither of Brother John's two servants, "'who had accompanied him on his cross-country journey, "'was suitable, one being ill and the other afraid. "'Steven suggested Sammy as the man, "'chiefly, because he could cook. "'No, Mr. Summers, no,' said Sammy, "'with earnestness, "'at this proposal I draw the thick rope. "'To ask one who can cook to visit a land "'where he will be cooked is to seal the offspring "'in its parent's milk.' "'So we gave him up, "'and after some discussion fixed upon Jerry, "'a smart and plucky fellow who was quite willing "'to accompany us. "'The rest of that day we spent in making our preparations, "'which, if simple, required a good deal of thought. "'To my annoyance, at the time I wanted to find "'Hans to help me, he was not forthcoming. "'When at length he appeared, I asked him where he had been. "'He answered to cut himself a stick in the forest, "'as he understood we should have to walk a long way. "'Also he showed me the stick, "'a long, thick staff of a hard "'and beautiful kind of bamboo that grows in Mizitu land. "'What do you want that clumsy thing for?' "'I said, when there are plenty of sticks about.' "'New journey, new stick-bars! "'All this kind of wood is full of air, "'and might help me to float if we are upset into the water.' "'What an idea,' I exclaimed, "'and dismissed the matter from my mind. "'At dawn on the following day we started, "'Steven and I riding on the two donkeys, "'which were now fat and lusty, "'and brother John upon his white ox, "'a most docile beast that was quite attached to him. "'All the hunters, fully armed, "'came with us to the borders of the Mizitu country, "'where they were to await our return "'in company of the Mizitu regiment. "'The king himself went with us to the west gate of the town, "'where he bade us all, "'and especially brother John, "'and affectionate farewell. "'Moreover he sent for Kumar and his attendants, "'and again swore to him that if any harm happened to us, "'he would not rest till he had found a way "'to destroy the pongo, root, and branch. "'Have no fear,' answered the cold Comba, "'in our holy town of Rika we do not tie innocent guests "'to stakes to be shot to death with arrows.' "'The repartee, which was undoubtedly neat, irritated Bowsy, "'who was not fond of illusions to this subject. "'If the white men are so safe, "'why do not let them take their guns with them?' "'He asked, somewhat illogically. "'If we meant evil king, would their guns help them, "'they being but few among so many? "'For instance, we could not steal them "'as you did when you plotted the murder of these white lords. "'It is a law among the pongo that no such magic weapon "'shall be allowed to enter their land.' "'Why?' I asked, to change the conversation, "'for I saw that Bowsy was growing very wrath "'and feared complications. "'Because, my lord Makuma Zahan, "'there is a prophecy among us that when a gun is fired "'in pongo land, its gods will desert us, "'and the Mutombo who is their priest will die. "'That saying is very old, "'but until a little while ago none knew what it meant, "'since it spoke of a hollow spear that smoked, "'and such a weapon was not known to us.' "'Indeed,' I said, "'morning within myself that we should not be in a position "'to bring about the fulfilment of that prophecy, "'which, as Han said, shaking his head sadly, "'was a great bitty, a very great bitty. "'Three days march over a country that gradually sloped downward "'from the high table-land on which Stodbiza town "'brought us to the lake called Karua, "'a word which, I believe, means the place of the island. "'Of the lake itself we could see nothing "'because of the dense break of tall reeds "'which grew out into the shallow water "'for quite a mile from the shore, "'and was only pierced here and there "'with paths made by the hippopotami "'when they came to the mainland at night to feed. "'From a high mound, which looked exactly like a tumulus, "'and, for ought I know, may have been one, "'however the blue waters beyond were visible, "'and in the far-distance watt, looked at through glasses, "'appeared to be a tree-clad mountaintop.' "'I asked Combo what it might be, "'and he answered that it was the home of the gods "'in Dupongo land.' "'What gods?' I asked again, "'whereon he replied like a black eroditus, "'that of these it was not lawful to speak. "'I have rarely met anyone more difficult to pump "'than that frigid and un-African Combo.' "'On top of this mound we planted the Union Jack, "'fixed to the tallest pole that we could find. "'Comba asked suspiciously why we did so, "'and as I was determined to show this unsympathetic person "'that there were others as unpumpable as himself, "'I replied that it was the god of our tribe "'which we set up there to be worshiped, "'and that anyone who tried to insult or injure it "'would certainly die as the witch-doctor, "'Imbausi, and his children had found out. "'For once Combo seemed a little impressed, "'and even bowed to the bunting as he passed by. "'What I did not inform him was that we had set the flag "'there to be a sign and beacon to us, "'in case we should ever be forced to find our way "'back to this place unguided and in a hurry. "'As a matter of fact, this piece of forethought, "'which oddly enough originated with the most "'reckless of our party, Stephen, "'proved our salvation, as I shall tell later on. "'At the foot of the mound we set our camp for the night, "'the Mesitu soldiers under Babemba, "'who did not mind mosquitoes, "'making theirs nearer to the lake, "'just opposite to where a wide hippopotamus-lane "'pierced the reeds, leaving a little canal of clear water. "'I asked Combo when and how we were to cross the lake. "'He said that we must start at dawn "'on the following morning when, at this time of the year, "'the wind generally blew offshore, "'and that if the weather were favourable, "'we should reach the Pongo town of Rika by nightfall. "'As to how we were to do this, "'he would show me if I cared to follow him. "'I nodded, and he led me four or five hundred yards "'along the edge of the reeds in a southerly direction. "'As we went, two things happened. "'The first of these was, at a very large, black rhinoceros, "'which was sleeping in some bushes, "'suddenly got our wind, "'and after the fashion of these beasts, "'charged down on us from about fifty yards away. "'Now I was carrying a heavy single-barreled rifle, "'for as yet we and our weapons were not parted. "'On came the rhinoceros, and Combo, "'small blame to him, for he only had a spear, started to run. "'I cocked the rifle, and waited my chance. "'When it was not more than fifteen paces away, "'the rhinoceros threw up its head, "'at which, of course, it was useless to fire "'because of the horn, and I let drive at the throat. "'The bullet hit it fair, "'and I suppose penetrated to the heart. "'At any rate it rolled over and over like a shot rabbit, "'and with a single stretch of its limbs expired almost at my feet. "'Comba was much impressed. "'He returned, he stared at the dead rhinoceros, "'and at the hole in its throat. "'He stared at me, "'and he stared at the still-smoking rifle. "'The great beast of the plains killed with a noise,' he muttered, "'killed in an instant by this little monkey of a white man. "'I thanked him for that, and made a note of it, and his magic. "'Oh, the Mutombo was wise when he commanded. "'And with an effort he stopped. "'Well, friend, what is the matter?' I asked. "'You see, there was no need for you to run. "'If you had stepped behind me, "'you would have been as safe as you are now, after running.' "'It is so, Lord Makumazahan, that the thing is strange to me. "'Forgive me if I do not understand. "'Oh, I forgive you, my Lord Kalube, that is to be. "'It is clear that you have a good deal to learn in Pongoland.' "'Yes, my Lord Makumazahan, and so perhaps have you,' he replied, dryly, having by this time recovered his nerve and sarcastic powers. Then, after telling Movovo, who appeared mysteriously at the sound of the shot, I think he was stalking us in case of accidents, to fetch men to cut up the rhinoceros. Comba and I proceeded on our walk. A little further on, just by the edge of the reeds, I caught sight of a narrow oblong trench dug in a patch of stony soil, and of a rusted mustard tin half hidden by some scanty vegetation. "'What is that?' I asked, in seeming astonishment, though I knew well what it must be. "'Oh!' replied Comba, who evidently was not quite himself yet. "'That is where the White Lord Dogita, Thousie's blood brother, set his little canvas house when he was here over twelve moons ago.' "'Really?' I exclaimed. He never told me he was here. This was a lie, but somehow I was not afraid of lying to Comba. How do you know that he was here?' "'One of our people, who was fishing in the reeds, saw him.' "'Oh, that explains it, Comba. But what an odd place for him to fish in so far from home! And I wonder what he was fishing for. When you have time, Comba, you must explain to me what it is that you catch amidst roots of thick reeds in such shallow water.' Comba replied that he would do so with pleasure when he had time. Then as though to avoid further conversation he ran forward and thrusting the reeds apart, showed me a great canoe, big enough to hold thirty or forty men, which with infinite labour had been hollowed out of the trunk of a single huge tree. This canoe differed from the majority of those that personally I have seen used on African lakes and rivers, in that it was fitted for a mast now unshipped. I looked at it and said it was a fine boat, where on Comba replied that there were a hundred such at Rika town, though not all of them were so large. Ah! I thought to myself as we walked back to the camp, then allowing an average of twenty to a canoe, the Pongo tribe number about two thousand males old enough to paddle, an estimate which turned out to be singularly correct. Next morning at dawn we started with some difficulty. To begin with, in the middle of the night, old Babamba came to the canvas shelter under which I was sleeping, woke me up and in a long speech implored me not to go. He said he was convinced that the Pongo intended foul play of some sort, and that all this talk of peace was a mere trick to entrap us white men into the country, probably in order to sacrifice us to its gods for a religious reason. I answered that I quite agreed with him, but that as my companions insisted on making this journey I could not desert them. All that I could do was to beg him to keep a sharp lookout so that he might be able to help us in case we got into trouble. Here I will stay and watch for you, Lord Makumazahan. He answered, But if you fall into a snare, am I able to swim through the water like a fish, or to fly through the air like a bird to free you? After he had gone one of the Zulu hunters arrived, a man named Ganza, a sort of lieutenant to Movovo and sang the same song. He said it was not right that I should go without guns to die among devils and lead him and his companions wandering alone in a strange land. I answered that I was much of the same opinion, but that Dogita insisted upon going and that I had no choice. Then let us kill Dogita, or at any rate, die him up so that he can do no more mischief in his madness. Ganza suggested blindly, whereon I turned him out. Lastly, Sammy arrived and said, Mr. Quartermain, before you plunge into this deep well of foolishness, I beg that you will consider your responsibilities to God and man, and especially to us, your household, who are now but lost sheep far from home, and further, that you will remember that if anything disagreeable should overtake you, you are indebted to me to the extent of two months wages, which will probably prove unrecoverable. I produced a little leather bag from a tin box, and counted out to Sammy the wages due to him, also those for three months in advance. To my astonishment he began to weep. Sir, he said, I do not seek filthy looker. What I mean is that I'm afraid you will be killed by this bongo. But alas, although I love you, sir, I am too great a coward to come and be killed with you. For God made me like that. I pray you not to go, Mr. Quartermain, because I repeat, I love you, sir. I believe you do, my good fellow, I answered, and I also am afraid of being killed, who only seem to be brave because I must. However, I hope we should come through all right. Meanwhile, I am going to give this box and all the gold in it, of which there is a great deal, into your charge, Sammy, trusting to you, if anything happens to us, to get it safe back to Durban, if you can. Oh, Mr. Quartermain, he exclaimed, I am indeed honoured, especially as you know that once I was in jail for embezzlement with extenuating circumstances, Mr. Quartermain. I tell you that although I am a coward, I will die before anyone gets his fingers into that box. I am sure you will, Sammy, my boy, I said, but I hope all the things look queer that none of us will be called upon to die just yet. The morning came at last, and the Six of us marched down to the canoe, which had been brought round to the open waterway. Here we had to undergo a kind of customs-house examination at the hands of Comber and his companions, who seemed terrified lest we should be smuggling firearms. You know what rifles are like, I said indignantly. Can you see any in our hands? Moreover, I gave you my word that we had none. Comber bowed politely, but suggested that perhaps some little guns, by which he meant pistols, remained in our baggage by accident. Comber was a most suspicious person. Undo all the loads, I said to Hans, who obeyed with an enthusiasm, which I confess struck me as suspicious. Knowing his secretive and torturous nature, this sudden zeal for openness seemed almost unnatural. He began by unrolling his own blanket, inside of which appeared a miscellaneous collection of articles. I remember among them a spare pair of very dirty trousers, a battered tin cup, a wooden spoon such as kaffirs used to eat their scoff with, a bottle full of some doubtful compound, sundry roots and other native medicines, an old pipe I had given him, and last but not least, a huge head of yellow tobacco in the leaf, of a kind that the mozito, like the Pongos, cultivate to some extent. What on earth do you want so much tobacco for, Hans? I asked. For us three black people to smoke was, or to dig a snuff, or to chew. Perhaps where we are going we may find little to eat, and then tobacco is a food on which one can live for days. Also it brings sleep at nights. Oh, that will do, I said. Fearing Hans, like a second Walter Raley, was about to deliver a long lecture upon the virtue of tobacco. There is no need for the yellow man to dig this weed to our land, interrupted Comber. For there we have plenty. Why does he cummer himself with the stuff? And he stretched out his hand idly, as though to take hold of it, and examine it closely. At this moment, however, Movovo called attention to his bundle which he had undone, whether on purpose or by accident I do not know, and forgetting the tobacco, Comber turned to attend to him. With a marvellous celerity, Hans rolled up his blanket again. In less than a minute the lashings were fast, and it was hanging on his back. A gained suspicion took me, but an argument which had sprung up between Brother John and Comber about the former's butterfly net, which Comber suspected of being a new kind of gun, or at least a magical instrument of a dangerous sort attracted my notice. After this dispute, another arose over a common garden trowel that Stephen had thought fit to bring with him. Comber asked what it was for. Stephen replied through Brother John that it was to dig up flowers. Flowers, said Comber, one of our gods is a flower. Does the White Lord wish to dig up our god? Of course, this was exactly what Stephen did desire to do, but not unnaturally he kept the fact to himself. The squabble grew so hot that finally I announced that if our little belongings were treated with so much suspicion, it might be better that we should give up the journey altogether. We have passed our word that we have no firearms, I said in the most dignified manner that I could command, and that should be enough for you, O Comber. Then Comber, after consultation with his companions, gave way. Evidently he was anxious that we should visit Pongirland. So at last we started. We three white men and our servants seated ourselves on the stone of the canoe on grass cushions that had been provided. Comber went to the boughs, and his people, taking the broad paddles, rode and pushed the boat along the waterway made by the hippopotami through the tall and matted reeds, from which ducks and other fowl rose in multitudes with a sound like thunder. A quarter of an hour or so of paddling through these weed encumbered shallows brought us to a deep and open lake. Here, on the edge of the reeds, a tall pole that served as a mast was shipped, and a square sail made of closely woven mats run up. It filled with the morning offland breeze, and presently we were bowling along at a rate of quite eight miles the hour. The shore grew dim behind us, and for a long while above the clinging mists I could see the flag that we had planted on the mound. By degrees it dwindled till it became a mere speck and vanished. As it grew smaller my spirit sank, and when it was quite gone I felt very low indeed. Another of your fools errands, Alan Maboy, I said to myself, I wonder how many more you are destined to survive. The others, too, did not seem in the best of spirits. Brother John stared at the horizon, his lips moving as though he were engaged in prayer, and even Stephen was temporarily depressed. Jerry had fallen asleep, as a native generally does when it is warm, and he has nothing to do. Movovo looked very thoughtful. I wondered whether he had been consulting his snake again, but did not ask him. Since the episode of our escape from execution by Bow and Arrow, I had grown somewhat afraid of that unholy reptile. Next time it might foretell our immediate doom, and if it did I knew that I should believe. As for Hans he looked very much disturbed, and was engaged in wildly hunting for something in the flat pockets of an antique corduroy waistcoat, which from its general appearance must I imagine years ago, have adorned to the person of a British gamekeeper. Three, I heard him mutter, by my great grandfather's spirit only three left. Three what? I asked in Dutch. Three John's boss, and they're ought to have been quite 24. The rest have fallen out through a hole that the devil himself made in this rotten stuff. Now we shall not die of hunger, and we shall not be shot, and we shall not be drowned. At least none of those things will happen to me, but there are twenty-one other things that may finish us, as I have lost to the charms to ward them off thus. Oh, stop your rubbish, I said, and fell again into the depths of my uncomfortable reflections. After this I too went to sleep. When I woke it was past midday, and the wind was falling. However it held while we ate some food we had brought with us, after which it died away altogether, and the Pongo people took to their paddles. At my suggestion we offered to help them, for it occurred to me that we might just as well learn how to manage these paddles. So six were given to us, and Comba, who now I noted was beginning to speak in a somewhat imperious tone, instructed us in their use. At first we made, but a poor hand at the business, but three or four hours' steady practice taught us a good deal. Indeed, before our journey's end I felt that we should be quite capable of managing a canoe, if ever it became necessary for us to do so. By three in the afternoon the shores of the island we were approaching, if it really was an island, a point that I never cleared up, were well in sight, the mountaintop that stood some miles inland, having been visible for hours. In fact, through my glasses I had been able to make out its configuration almost from the beginning of the voyage. About five we entered the mouth of a deep bay, fringed on either side with forests, in which were cultivated clearings with small villages of the ordinary African stamp. I observed from the smaller size of the trees adjacent to these clearings, that much more land had once been under cultivation here, probably within the last century, and asked Combo why this was so. He answered in an enigmatic sentence, which impressed me so much that I find I entered it verbatim into my notebook. When man dies, corn dies, man is corn, and corn is man. Under this entry I see that I wrote, Compare the saying, bread is the staff of life. I could not get any more out of him. Evidently he referred, however, to a condition of shrinking in the population, a circumstance which he did not care to discuss. After the first few miles the bay narrowed sharply, and at its end came to a point where a stream of no great breadth fell into it. On either side of this stream that was roughly bridged in many places stood the town of Rika. It consisted of a great number of large huts roofed with palm leaves and constructed apparently of whitewashed clay, or rather as we discovered afterwards of lake mud mixed with chopped straw or grass. Reaching a kind of wharf which was protected from erosion by piles formed of small trees driven into the mud, to which were tied a fleet of canoes, we landed it just as the sun was beginning to sink. Our approach had doubtless been observed, for as we drew near the wharf a horn was blown by someone on the shore, whereon a considerable number of men appeared. I suppose out of the huts and assisted to make the canoe fast. I noted that these all resembled Comba and his companions in build and features. They were so like each other that, except for the difference in their ages, it was difficult to tell them apart. They might all have been members of one family. Indeed, this was practically the case, owing to constant intermarriage carried on for generations. There was something in the appearance of these tall, cold, sharp-featured white-robed men that chilled my blood. Something unnatural, almost inhuman. Here was nothing of the usual African jollity. No one shouted. No one laughed or chattered. No one crowded on us trying to handle our persons or clothes. No one appeared afraid or even astonished. Except for a word or two they were silent. Merely contemplating us in a chilling and distant fashion, as though the arrival of three white men in the country or before no white man had ever set foot were an everyday occurrence. Moreover, our personal appearance did not seem to impress them, for they smiled faintly at Brother John's long beard and at my stubbly hair, pointing these out to each other with their slender figures or with the handles of their big spears. I remarked that they never used the blade of the spear for this purpose, perhaps because they thought that we might take this for a hostile or even a war-like demonstration. It is humiliating to have to add that the only one of our company who seemed to move them to wonder or interest was Hans. His extremely ugly and wrinkled countenance it was clear did appeal to them to some extent, perhaps because they had never seen anything in the least like it before, or perhaps for another reason which the reader may guess in due course. At any rate I heard one of them pointing to Hans ask Comber whether the ape-man was our god or only our captain. The compliment seemed to please Hans, who hitherto had never been looked on as either a god or a captain, but the rest of us were not flattered. Indeed, Movovo was indignant and told Hans outright that if he heard any more such talk he would beat him before these people, to show them that he was neither a captain nor a god. Wait till I claim to be either or butcher of a zulu before you threaten to treat me thus, ejaculated Hans indignantly. Then he added with his peculiar hot-and-tot snigger and his diligence drew that before all the meat is eaten, i.e. before all is done, you may think me both. A dark saying which at the time we did not understand. When we had landed and collected our belongings Comber told us to follow him and led us up a wide street that was very tidily kept and bordered on either side by the large huts whereof I have spoken. Each of these huts stood in a fenced garden of its own, a thing I have rarely seen elsewhere in Africa. The result of this arrangement was that although as a matter of fact it had but a comparatively small population, the area covered by Rika was very great. The town, by the way, was not surrounded with any wall or other fortification which showed that the inhabitants feared no attack. The waters of the lake were their defence. For the rest the chief characteristic of this place was the silence that brooded there. Apparently they kept no dogs, for none barked, and no poultry, for I never heard a cock crow in Pongirland. Cattle and native sheep they had in abundance, but as I did not fear any enemy these were pastured outside the town, their milk and meat being brought in as required. A considerable number of people were gathered to observe us, not in a crowd but in little family groups which collected separately at the gates of the gardens. For the most part these consisted of a man and one or more wives, finely formed and handsome women. Sometimes they had children with them, but these were very few. The most I saw with any one family was three, and many seemed to possess none at all. Both the women and the children like the men were decently clothed in long white garments, another peculiarity which showed that these natives were no ordinary African savages. Oh, I can see Rika town now after all these many years. The wide street swept and garnished, the brown roofed white walled huts in their fertile irrigated gardens, the tall, silent folk, the smoke from the cooking fires rising straight as a line in the still air, the graceful palms and other tropical trees, and at the head of the street, far away to the north, the rounded, towering shape of the forest-clad mountain that was called House of the Gods. Often that vision comes back to me in my sleep or at times in my waking hours when some heavy odour reminds me of the overpowering scent of the great trumpet-like blooms which hung in profusion upon broad-leaved bushes that were planted in almost every garden. On we marched till at last we reached a tall, live fence that was covered with brilliant scarlet flowers, arriving at its gate just as the last red glow of day faded from the sky and night began to fall. Comba pushed open the gate, revealing a scene that none of us are likely to forget. The fence enclosed about an acre of ground of which the back part was occupied by two large huts standing in the usual gardens. In front of these not more than fifteen paces from the gate stood another building of a totally different character. It was about fifty feet in length by thirty broad and consisted only of a roof supported upon carved pillars of wood, the spaces between the pillars being filled with grass mats or blinds. Most of these blinds were pulled down, but four exactly opposite to the gate were open. Inside the shed forty or fifty men who wore white robes and peculiar caps and who were engaged in chanting a dreadful melancholy song were gathered on three sides of a huge fire that burned in a pit in the ground. On the fourth side, that facing the gate, a man stood alone with his arms outstretched and his back towards us. Of a sudden he heard our footsteps and turned round, springing to the left so that the light might fall on us. Now we saw by the glow of the great fire that over it was an iron grid not unlike a small bedstead, and that all this grid lay some fearful object. Stephen, who was a little ahead, stared and exclaimed in a horrified voice, My God, it is a woman! In another second the blinds fell down, hiding everything, and the singing ceased. End of chapter 13