 4. Movovo and Hans. We arrived safely at Durban at the beginning of March, and took up our quarters at my house on the Borea, where I expected that Brother John would be awaiting us, but no Brother John was to be found. The old lane greaker Jack, who looked after the place for me, and once had been one of my hunters, said that shortly after I went away in the ship, Dogita, as he called him, had taken his tin box and his net, and walked off inland, he knew not where, leaving as he declared no message or letter behind him. The cases full of butterflies and dried plants were also gone, but these I found that he had shipped to some port in America, by sailing-vessel bound for the United States, which chanced to put in at Durban for food and water. As to what had become of the man himself I could get no clue. He had been seen at Maritzburg, and according to some kaphiers whom I knew, afterwards on the borders of Zululand, where, so far as I could learn, he vanished into space. This, to say the least of it, was disconcerting, and a question arose as to what was to be done. Brother John was to have been our guide. He alone knew the Mesitu people. He alone had visited the borders of that mysterious Pongo land. I scarcely felt inclined to attempt to reach that country without his aid. When a fortnight had gone by, and still there were no signs of him, Stephen and I held a solemn conference. I pointed out the difficulties and dangers of the situation to him, and suggested that, under the circumstances, it might be wise to give up this wild orchid chase and go elephant hunting instead in a certain part of Zululand, where in those days these animals were still abundant. He was inclined to agree with me, since the prospect of killing elephants had attractions for him. And yet I said after reflection it's curious, but I never remember making a successful trip after altering plans at the last moment, that it is unless one was driven to it. I vote with toss-up, said Summers, it gives Providence a chance. Now then heads up the golden ship, and tails for the elephants. He spun a half-crown into the air. It fell and rolled under a great yellow wood chest full of curiosities that I had collected, which it took all our united strength to move. We dragged it aside, and not without some excitement, for a really good deal hung upon the chance, I lit a match and peered into the shadow. There in the dust lay the coin. What is it? I asked of Summers, who were stretched on his stomach on the chest. Orchid! I mean head, he answered. Well, that settled, so we needn't bother any more. The next fortnight was a busy time for me, as it happened there was a schooner in the bay of about one hundred tons burden which belonged to a Portuguese trader named Delgado, who dealt in goods that he carried to the various East African ports and Madagascar. He was a villainous looking person, whom I suspected of having dealings with the slave traders, who were very numerous and a great power in those days, if indeed he were not one himself. But as he was going to Kilwa, once we proposed to start inland, I arranged to make use of him to carry our party and the baggage. The bargain was not altogether easy to strike for two reasons. First he did not appear to be anxious that we should hunt in the districts at the back of Kilwa, where he assured me there was no game. And secondly he said that he wanted to sail at once. However, I overcame his objections with an argument he could not resist, namely money, and in the end he agreed to postpone his departure for fourteen days. Then I set about collecting our men of whom I had made up my mind there must not be less than twenty. Already I had sent messengers summoning to Durban from Zululand and the upper districts of Natal, various hunters who had accompanied me on other expeditions. To the number of a dozen or so they arrived in due course. I have always had the good fortune to be on the best of terms with my kaphiers, and where I went they were ready to go without asking any questions. The man whom I had selected to be their captain under me was a Zulu of the name of Movovo. He was a short fellow, past middle age, with an enormous chest. His strength was proverbial. Indeed it was said that he could throw an ox by the horns, and myself I have seen him hold down the head of a wounded buffalo that had fallen, until I could come up and shoot it. When I first knew Movovo he was a petty chief and witch doctor in Zululand. Like myself he had fought for the Prince Umbalasi in the great battle of the Tugela, a crime which Chetowayo never forgave him. About a year afterwards he got warning that he had been smelt out as a wizard and was going to be killed. He fled with two of his wives and a child. The slayers overtook them before he could reach the Natal border and stab the elder wife and child of the second wife. They were four men and, made mad by the sight, Movovo turned on them and killed them all. Then with the remaining wife cut to pieces as he was he crept to the river and threw it to Natal. Not long after his wife died also it was said from grief at the loss of her child. Movovo did not marry again, perhaps because he was now a man without means, for Chetowayo had taken all his cattle, also he was made ugly by an asagai wound which had cut off his right nostril. Shortly after the death of his second wife he sought me out and told me he was a chief without a crawl and wished to become my hunter. So I took him on, a step which I never had any cause to regret, since although morose and at times given to the practice of uncanny arts, he was a most faithful servant and brave as a lion, or rather as a buffalo, for a lion is not always brave. Another man whom I did not send for but who came was an old hotentot named Hans, with whom I had been more or less mixed up all my life. When I was a boy he was my father's servant in the Cape Colony and my companion in some of those early wars. Also he detailed some very terrible adventures with me which I have detailed in the history I have written of my first wife, Maria Marias. For instance, he and I were the only persons who escaped from the massacre of Ratif, and his companions by the Zulu king, Dingan. In the subsequent campaigns including the Battle of the Blood River he fought at my side and ultimately received a good share of captured cattle. After this he retired and set up a native store at a place called Pine Town, about fifteen miles out of Durban. Here I am afraid he got into bad ways and took to drink more or less, also to gambling. At any rate he lost most of his property, so much of it indeed that he scarcely knew which way to turn. Thus it happened that one evening when I went out of the house where I had been making up my accounts, I saw a yellow-faced, white-haired old fellow squatted on the veranda smoking a pipe made out of a corn cob. Good day, boss! he said. Here I am, hunts! So I see, I answered rather coldly, and what are you doing here, hans? How can I spare you from your drinking and gambling in Pine Town to visit me here, hans, after I've not seen you for three years? Boss, the gambling is finished because I have nothing more to stake, and the drinking is done too, because one bottle of capesmoke makes me feel quite ill next morning. So now I only take water and as little of that as I can, water and some tobacco to cover up its taste. I'm glad to hear it, hans, if my father the predicate who baptised you were alive now he would have much to say about your conduct as indeed I have no doubt he will presently when you have gone into a hole, i.e. a grave. For there in the hole he will be waiting for you, hans. I know, I know, boss. I have been thinking of that, and it troubles me. Your reverend father, the predicate, will be very cross indeed with me when I join him in the place of fires where he sits awaiting me. So I wish to make my peace with him by dying well, and in your service, boss. I hear that the boss is going on an expedition. I have come to accompany the boss. To accompany me? Why, you are old, you are not with five shillings a month and your scoff. Food. You are a shrunken old brandy cask that will not even hold water. Hans grinned right across his ugly face. Or, boss, I am old, but I am clever. All these years I have been gathering wisdom. I am as full of it as I deez nest is with honey when the summer is done. And, boss, I can stop those leaks in the cask. Hans, it is no good. I don't want you. I'm going into great danger. I must have those about me whom I can trust. Well, boss, who can be better trusted than Hans, who warned you of the attack of the Qabis at Maris Fontaine, and whoso saved the life of Hush, I said. I understand. I will not speak the name. It is wholly not to be mentioned. It is the name of one who stands with the white angels before God not to be mentioned by poor drunken hans. Still, who stood at your side in that great fight? Ah, it makes me young again to think of it. When the roof burned, when the door was broken down, when we met the Qabis on the spear, when you held the pistol to the head of the holy one whose name must not be mentioned, the great one who knew how to die? Oh, boss, our lives are twisted up together like the creeper in the tree, and where you go there I must go also. Do not turn me away. I ask no wages, only a bit of food and a handful of tobacco, and the light of your face and a word now and again of the memories that belong to both of us. I am still very strong. I can shoot well. Well, boss, who was it that put it into your mind to aim at the tales of the vultures on the hill of slaughter yonder in Zululand, and so save the lives of all the poor people, and of her whose holy name must not be mentioned? Boss, you will not turn me away. No, I answered, you could come. But you will swear by the spirit of my father the Predacon to touch no liquor on this journey. I swear by his spirit and by that of the holy one, and he flung himself forward onto his knees, took my hand, and kissed it. Then he rose and said in a matter-of-fact tone, Though the boss can give me two blankets I shall thank him, also five shillings to buy some tobacco and a new knife. Where are the boss's guns? I must go to oil them. I beg that the boss will take within that little rifle which is named in Tombi, Maiden, and the one with which he shot the vultures on the hill of slaughter, the one that killed the geese in the goose-cloof when I loaded for him, and he won the great match against the bore whom didn't gun called Two Faces. Good, I said, here are the five shillings. You shall have the blankets and a new gun and all things needful. You will find the guns in the little back room, and with them those of the bass, my companion, who also is your master. Go see to them. At length all was ready. The cases of guns, ammunition, medicines, presents, and food were on board the Maria. So were four donkeys that I had bought in the hope that they would prove useful, either to ride or as pack-beasts. The donkey, be it remembered, and man, are the only animals which are said to be immune from the poisonous effects of the bite of Tetsi-fly, except, of course, the wild game. It was our last night at Durban, a very beautiful night of full moon at the end of March, for the Portuguese Delgado had announced his intention of sailing on the following morning. Stephen Summers and I were seated on the steps, smoking, and talking things over. It is a strange thing, I said, that Brother John should never have turned up. I know that he was set upon making this expedition, not only for the sake of the orchard, but also for some other reason of which he would not speak. I think that the old fellow must be dead. Very likely, answered Stephen, we had become intimate and I called him Stephen now. The man alone among savages might easily come to grief and never be heard of again. Ah, what's that? And he pointed to some gardenia bushes in the shadow of the house nearby, whence came a sound of something that moved. A dog, I expect, or perhaps it is Hans, he curls up in all sorts of places, near to where I may be. Hans, are you there? A figure arose from the gardenia bushes. Yeah, I am here, Bas. What are you doing, Hans? I am doing what the dog does, Bas, watching my master. Good, I answered. Then an idea struck me. Hans, have you heard of the white Bas with the long beard whom the café is called Doggita? I have heard of him, and once I saw him a few moons ago passing through Pine Town. A café with him told me that he was going over the Drakensburg to hunt for things that crawl and fly, being quite mad, Bas. Well, where is he now, Hans? He should have been here to travel with us. Am I a spirit that I can tell the Bas whether a white man has wandered? Yet stay. Mavov may be able to tell. He is a great doctor he can see through distance, and even now, this very night, his snake of divination has entered into him, and he is looking into the future, yonder, beyond the house. I saw him form the circle. I translated what Hans said to Stephen, for he had been talking in Dutch, then asked him if he would like to see some café magic. Of course, he answered, but it's all Bosch, isn't it? Oh yes, all Bosch, or so most people say, I answered evasively. Still, sometimes these in-youngers tell one strange things. Then, led by Hans, we crept round the house to where there was a five-foot stone wall at the back of the stable. Beyond this wall, within the circle of some huts where my cafes lived, was an open space with an ant-heap floor where they did their cooking, here facing a sat-mav-ovo, while in a ring around him were all the hunters who were to accompany us, also Jack, the lame greaker, and of the two house-boys. In front of Mav-ovo burned a number of little wood-fires. I counted them and found that there were fourteen which I reflected was the exact number of our hunters plus ourselves. One of the hunters was engaged in feeding these fires little bits of stick and handfuls of dried grass so as to keep them burning brightly. The others sat round perfectly silent and watched with rapt attention. Mav-ovo himself looked like a man who is asleep. He was crouched on his haunches with his big head resting almost upon his knees. About his middle was a snakeskin and round his neck an ornament that appeared to be made of human teeth. On his right side lay a pile of feathers from the wings of vultures and on his left a little heap of silver money. I suppose the fees paid by the hunters for whom he was divining. After we had watched him for some while from our shelter behind the wall he appeared to wake out of his sleep. First he muttered then he looked up to the moon and seemed to say a prayer of which I could not catch the words. Next he shuddered three times convulsively and exclaimed in a clear voice, my snickers come it is within me now I can hear now I can see. Three of the little fires those immediately in front of him were larger than the others. He took up his bundle of vultures feathers selected one care held it towards the sky then passed it through the flame of the centre one of the three fires uttering as he did so my native name Makuma Zahan. With drawing it from the flame he examined the charred edges of the feather very carefully a proceeding that caused a cold shiver to go down my back for I knew well that he was inquiring of his spirit what would be my fate upon this expedition. How it answered I cannot tell for he laid the feather down and took another with which he went through the same process this time however the name he called out was Muam Wazela which in its shortened form of Wazela was the kaffir appellation that the natives had given to Steven Summers it means a smile and no doubt was selected for him because of his pleasant smiling countenance having passed it through the right hand fire of the three he examined it and laid it down so it went on one after another he called out the names of the hunters beginning with his own as captain past the feather which represented each of them through the particular fire of his destiny examined and laid it down after this he seemed to go to sleep again for a few minutes then woke up as a man does from a natural slumber yawned and stretched himself speak said his audience with great anxiety have you seen have you heard what did your snick tell you of me of me of me of me I have heard I have heard he answered my snick tells me that this will be a very dangerous journey of those who go on it six will die by the bullet by the spear or by sickness and others will be hurt I said one of them but which will die and which will come out zeef does not your snick tell you that oh doctor years of course my snick tells me that but my snick tells me also to hold my tongue on the matter less some of us should be turned to cowards it tells me further that the first who should ask me more will be one of those who must die now do you ask for you or you or you ask if you will strange to say no one accepted the invitation never have I seen a body of men so indifferent to the future at least to every appearance one and all they seem to come to the conclusion that so far as they were concerned it might be left to look after itself my snick told me something else went on the vovo it is that if among this company there is any jackal of a man who thinking that he might be one of the six to die dreams to avoid his fate by deserting it will be no use for then my snake will point him out and show me how to deal with him now with one voice each man present there declared that desertion from the lord makumazahan was the last thing that could possibly occur to him indeed I believe that those brave fellows spoke the truth no doubt they put faith in Movovo's magic after the fashion of their race still the death he promised was somewhere off and each hoped he would be one of the six to escape moreover the Zulu of those days was too accustomed to death to fear its terrors over much one of them did however venture to advance the argument which Movovo treated with proper contempt that the shillings paid for this divination should be returned by him to the next heirs of such of them as happened to deceased why he asked should these pay a shilling in order to be told that they must die it seemed unreasonable certainly the Zulu kafiers have a queer way of looking at things Hans I whispered visual fire among those that burn yonder not saw boss he wheezed back into my ear does the boss think me a fool if I must die I must die if I am to live I shall live why then should I pay a shilling to learn what time will declare moreover yonder Movovo takes the shillings and frightens everybody but tells nobody anything I call it cheating but bus do you and the bus was dealer have no fear you did not pay shillings and therefore Movovo though without doubt he is a great in younger cannot really prophesy concerning you since his snake will not work without a fee the argument seems remarkably absurd yet it must be common for now that I come to think of it no gypsy will tell a true fortune unless her hand is crossed with silver I say quarter main said Stephen idly since our friend Movovo seems to know so much ask him what has become of brother John as Han suggested tell me what he says afterwards for I want to see something so I went through the little gate in the wall in a natural kind of way as though I had seen nothing and appeared to be struck by the sight of the little fires well Movovo I said are you doing doctor's work I thought that it had brought you into enough trouble in Zululand that is so Baba replied Movovo who had a habit of calling me father though he was older than I it cost me my gift and ship and my cattle and my two wives and my son it made of me a one row who is glad to accompany a certain Sahant to strange lands where many things may be for me yes he added with meaning even the last of all things and yet a gift is a gift and must be used you Baba have a gift of shooting and do you cease to shoot you have a gift of wandering and can you cease to wonder he picked up one of the burnt feathers from the little pile by his side and looked at it attentively perhaps Baba you have been told my ears are very sharp and I heard some words floating through the air just now that we poor kaffir in young girls can prophesy nothing through unless we are paid and perhaps that is a fact so far as something of the moment is concerned and yet the snake in the in younger jumping over the little rock which hides the present from it may see the path that winds far and far away through the valleys across the streams up the mountains till it is lost in the heaven above and thus on this feather burnt in my magic fire I seem to see something of your future or my father mcgoma's a haan far and far your road runs and he drew his finger along the feather here is a journey and he flicked away a carbonized flake here is another and another and another and he flicked off flake after flake here is one that is very successful it leaves you rich and here is yet one more a wonderful journey this in which you see strange things and meet strange people then and he blew on the feather in such a fashion that all the charred filaments brother John says that lannani is the right word for them fell away from it then there is nothing left save such a pole as some of my people stick upright on a grave the shaft of memory they call it for my father you will die in a distant land but you will leave a great memory behind you that will live for hundreds of years for see how strong is this quill over which the fire has had no power with some of these others it is quite different he added I dare say I broke in but mavovo be so good as to leave me out of your magic for I don't at all want to know what is going to happen to me today is enough for me without studying next month and next year there is a saying in our holy book which runs sufficient to the day is it's evil quite so mokumazahan indeed that is a very good saying as some of those hunters of yours are thinking now yet an hour ago they were forcing their shillings on me that I might tell them of the future and you too want to know something you did not come through that gate to quote to me the wisdom of your holy book what is it baba be quick for my snake is getting very tired he wishes to go back to his hall in the world beneath very well I answered in a rather shame-faced fashion from a vovo had an uncanny way of seeing into one secret motives I should like to know if you can tell me which you can't what has become of the white man with a long beard whom you black people called dog eater he should have been here to go on this journey with us indeed he was to be our guide and we cannot find him where is he and why is he not here now view anything about you that belong to dog eater mokumazahan no I answered that is yes and from my pocket I produced the stump of pencil that brother John had given me which being economical I had saved up ever since move over took it and after considering it carefully as he had done in the case of the feathers swept up a pile of ashes with his horny hand from the edge of the largest of the little fires that indeed which had represented myself these ashes he patted flat then he drew on them with the point of the pencil tracing what seemed to me to be the rough image of a man such as children scratch upon whitewashed walls when he had finished he sat up and contemplated his handiwork with all the satisfaction of an artist a breeze had risen from the sea and was blowing in little gusts so that the fine ashes were disturbed some of the lines of the picture being filled in and others altered or enlarged for a while Movo sat with his eyes shut then he opened them studied the ashes and what remained of the picture and taking a blanket that lay nearby threw it over his head and over the ashes with drawing it again presently he cast it aside and pointed to the picture which was now quite changed indeed in the moonlight it looked more like a landscape than anything else all is clear my father he said in a matter of fact voice the white wanderer dog eater is not dead he lives but he is sick something is the matter with one of his legs so that he cannot walk perhaps a bone is broken or some beast has bitten him he lies in a hut such as cafes make only this hut has a veranda around it like your stuff and there are drawings on the wall the hut is a long way off I don't know where is that all I asked for he paused no not all dog eater is recovering you will join us in that country with a wee journey at a time of trouble that is all and the fee is half a crown you mean one shilling I suggested no my father mocomas on one shilling for simple magic such as for telling the fate of common black people half a crown for very difficult magic that has to do with white people magic of which only great doctors like me mobile other masters I gave him the half crown and said look here friend move over I believe in you as a fighter and a hunter that as a magician I think you are a humbug indeed I am so sure of it that if ever dog eater turns up at a time of trouble in that land with the we are journeying I will make you a present of that double barreled rifle of mine which you admired so much one of his rare smiles appeared upon Movovo's ugly face and give it to me now Baba he said for it is already earned my snake cannot lie especially when the fee is half a crown I shook my head and declined politely but with firmness ah said Movovo you white men are very clever and think you know everything but it is not so for in learning so much that is new you have forgotten more that is old when the snake that is in you Magumazahan dwelt in a black savage like me a thousand thousand years ago you could have done and did what I do but now you can only mock and say Movovo the brave in battle the great hunter the loyal man becomes a liar when he blows the burnt feather or reads what the wind writes upon the charm dashes I do not say that you are a liar Movovo I say that you are deceived by your own imaginings it is not possible that man can know what is hidden from man is it indeed so Omakumazahan watcher by night am I Movovo the pupil of Zikali the opener of roads with the greater tough wizards indeed deceived by my own imaginings as no man no eyes but those in his head that he cannot see what is hidden from man well you say so and all we black people know that you are very clever and why should I have poor Zulu be able to see what you cannot see yet a tomorrow and one sends you a message from the ship in which we are to sail begging you to come fast because there's trouble on the ship then we think you of your words and my words and whether or no man can see what is hidden from man in the blackness of the future oh that rifle of yours is mine already though you will not give it to me now you who think that I am a cheat well my father Makumazahan because you think I am a cheat never again will I blow the feather or read what the wind writes upon the ashes for you or any who eat your food then he rose saluted me with uplifted right hand collected his little pile of money and bag of medicines and marched off to the sleeping hut on our way round the house we met my old lane take your Jack in cozy he said the white chief was dealer paid me to say that he and the cook Sam have gone to sleep on board the ship to look after the goods some came up just now and fetched him away he says he will show you white tomorrow I nodded and passed on wondering to myself why Stephen had suddenly determined to stay the night on the Maria end of chapter chapter five of Alan and the Holy Flower this LibriVox recording is in the public domain Alan and the Holy Flower by H. Rider Haggard chapter five Hassan I suppose it must have been two hours after dawn on the following morning that I was awakened by knocks upon the door and the voice of Jack saying that Sam the cook wanted to speak to me wondering what he could be doing there as I understood he was sleeping on the ship I called out that he was to come in now this Sam I should say hailed from the Cape and was a person of mixed blood the original stock I imagine was melee which had been crossed with Indian Cooley also somewhere or other there was a dash of white and possibly but of this I am not sure a little hot and hot the result was a person of few vices and many virtues Sammy I may say at once was perhaps the biggest coward I ever met he could not help it it was congenital though curiously enough this cowardice of his never prevented him from rushing into fresh danger thus he knew that the expedition on which I was engaged would be most hazardous remembering his weakness I explained this to him very clearly yet that knowledge did not deter him from imploring that he must be allowed to accompany me perhaps this was because there was some mutual attachment between us as in the case of Hans once a good many years before I had rescued Sammy from a somewhat serious scrape by declining to give evidence against him I need not enter into the details but a certain sum of money over which he had control had disappeared I will merely say therefore that at the time he was engaged to a colored lady of very expensive tastes whom in the end he never married after this as its chance to he nursed me through an illness hence the attachment of which I have spoken Sammy was the son of a native Christian preacher and brought up upon what he called the word he had received an excellent education for a person of his class and in addition to many native dialects with which a varied career had made him acquainted spoke English perfectly though in the most bombastic style never would he use a short word of a long one came to his hand or rather to his tongue for several years of his life he was I believe a teacher in a school at Cape Town where colored persons receiving their education his department as he called it being English language and literature wearing of or being dismissed from his employment for some reason that he never specified he had drifted at the coast to Zanzibar where he turned his linguistic abilities to the study of Arabic and became the manager or head cook of an hotel after a few years he lost this billet I know not how or why and appeared at Durban in what he called a reversed position here it was that we met again just before my expedition to Pongoland in manners he was most polite in disposition most religious I believe he was a Baptist by faith and in appearance a small brown dandy of a man of uncertain age he were his hair parted in the middle and whatever the circumstances was always tidy in his garments I took him on because he was in great distress an excellent cook the best of nurses and above all for the reason that as I have said we were in a way attached to each other also he always amused me intensely which goes for something on a long journey of the sort that I contemplated such in brief was Sammy as he entered the room I saw that his clothes were very wet and asked him at once if it were raining or whether he had got drunk and been sleeping in the damp grass no mr. quarter-man he answered the morning is extremely fine and like the poor hot and hot hans I have endured the use of intoxicants though we differ on much else in this matter we agree then what the deuces up I interrupted to cut short his flow of fine language sir there's trouble on the ship remembering my Volvo I started at these words where I passed the night in the company of mr. summers at his special request it was the other way about really this morning before dawn when he thought that everybody was asleep the Portuguese captain and some of his arms began to weigh the anchor quite quietly also to hoist the sales but mr. summers and I being very much a week came out of the cabin and he sat upon the captain with the revolver in his hand saying when sir I will not repeat what he said no doubt what happened then then sir there followed much noise and confusion the Portuguese and the Arabs threatened mr. summers but he sir continued to sit upon the captain with a stern carriage of a rocket our rushing stream and remarked that he would see them all somewhere before they touched it after this sir I do not know what occurred since while I watched from the bulwark someone knocked me head over heels into the sea and being fortunately a good swimmer I gained the shore and hurried here to advise you and did you advise anyone else you idiot I asked yes sir as I sped along I communicated to an officer of the port that there was a devil of a mess upon the Maria which he would do well to investigate by this time I was in my shirt and trousers and shouting to Movovo and the others soon they arrived for as the costume of Movovo and his company consisted only of a mookah and a blanket it did not take them long to dress Movovo I began there is trouble on the ship or Baba he interrupted with something resembling a grin it is very strange but last night I dreamt that I told you curse your dreams I said gather the men and go down no that won't work there would be either it's all over now or it is all right get the hunters ready I come with them the luggage can be fetched afterwards within less than an hour we were at that wharf off which the Maria lay in what one day will be the splendid port of Durban though in those times it's shipping arrangements were extremely primitive a strange looking band we must have been I who was completely dressed I trust tidy marched ahead next came hounds in the filthy wide awake hat which he usually wore and greasy drawers and after him the early guineas Sammy a raid in European reach me downs a billy cock and a bright blue tie striped with red garments that would have looked very smart had it not been for his recent immersion after him followed the fierce looking Movovo and his squad of hunters all of whom were the ring or is the cocoa as the Zulus call it that is a circle of polished black wax sewn into their short hair they were grim set of fellows but as according to a recent law it was not allowable for them to the town their guns had already been shipped while their broad stabbing spears were rolled up in their sleeping mats the blades wrapped round with dried grass each of them however born his hand a large knob carry of redwood and they marched four by four in martial fashion it is true that when we embarked on the big boat to go to the ship much of their warlike ardor evaporated since these men who feared nothing on land were terribly afraid of that unfamiliar element the water we reached the Maria an unimposing kind of tub and climbed aboard on looking aft the first thing I saw was Steen seated on the capstone with a pistol in his hand as Sammy had said nearby leaning on the bullock was the villainous looking Portuguese Delgado apparently in the worst of tempers and surrounded by a number of equally villainous looking Arab sailors clad in dirty white in front was the captain of the port a well-known and esteemed gentleman of the name of Cato like myself a small man who had gone through many adventures accompanied by some attendants he was seated on the after skylight smoking at his eyes fixed upon Steven and the Portuguese glad to see you quarter main he said there's some brow on here but I've only just arrived and don't understand Portuguese and a gentleman on the capstone won't leave it to explain what's up Steven I asked after shaking Mr. Cato by the hand what's up replied some as this man and he pointed to Delgado wanted to sneak out to see with all our goods that's all to say nothing of me and Sammy whom no doubt he'd chucked overboard as soon as he was out of sight of land however Sammy who knows Portuguese overheard his little plans and as you see I objected well Delgado was after his version of the affair and as I expected explained that he only intended to get a little nearer to the bar and their wait till we arrive of course he lied and knew that we were aware of the fact and that his intention had been to slip out to see with all our valuable property which he would sell after having murdered or marooned Steven and the poor cook but as nothing could be proved and we were now in strong enough force to look after ourselves and our belongings I did not see the use of pursuing the argument so I accepted the explanation with a smile and asked everybody to join in a morning nip afterwards Steven told me that while I was engaged with Movovo on the previous night a message had reached him from Sammy who was on board the ship in charge of our belongings saying that he would be glad of some company knowing the cook's nervous nature fortunately enough he made up his mind at once to go and sleep upon the Maria in the morning trouble arose as Sammy had told me what he did not tell me was that he was not knocked overboard as he said but took to the water of his own accord when complications with Delgado appeared imminent I understand the position I said and all's well that it's lucky you thought of coming on board to sleep after this everything went right I sent some of the men back in charge of Steven for our remaining effects which they brought safely aboard and in the evening we sailed our voyage up to Kilwell was beautiful a gentle breeze driving us forward over a sea so calm that not even Hans who I think was one of the worst sailors in the world or the Zulu hunters were really sick though as Sammy put it today declined their food I think I was on the fifth night of our voyage or it may have been the seventh when we anchored one afternoon off the island of Kilwa not very far from the old Portuguese fort Delgado with whom we had little to do during the passage hoisted some queer sort of signal in response a boat came off containing what he called port officials a band of cutthroat desperate looking black fellas in charge of a pock marked elderly half breed who was introduced to us as the Bay Hassan Ben Mohammed then Mr. Hassan Ben Mohammed entirely disapproved of our presence on the ship and especially of our proposed landing at Kilwa was evident to me from the moment that I set eyes upon his ill-favoured countenance after a hurried conference with Delgado he came forward and addressed me an Arabic of which I could not understand a word luckily however Sam the cook who as I think I said was a great linguist had a fair acquaintance with this tongue and hired it appears while at the Zanzibar Hotel so not trusting Delgado I called on him to interpret what is he saying Sammy I asked he began to talk to Hassan and replied presently Sir, he makes your mimic compliments he says that he has heard what a great man you are from his friend Delgado also that you and Mr. Summers are English a nation which he adores does he I explained I should never have thought it from his looks thank him for his kind remarks and tell him that we are going to land here and march up country to shoot Sammy obeyed and the conversation went on somewhat as follows with all humility I i.e. Hassan request you not to land this country is not a fit place for such noble gentlemen there is nothing to eat and no head of game has been seen for years the people in the interior are savages of the worst sort whom hunger has driven to take to cannibalism I would not have your blood upon my head I beg of you therefore to go on in this ship to Delgado obey while you will find a good hotel or to another place you may select A.Q. May I ask you noble sir what is your position at Kilwa that you consider yourself responsible for our safety H. Honoured English lord I am a traitor here of Portuguese nationality but born of an Arab mother of hybrids and brought up among that people I have gardens on the mainland tended by my native servants who are as children to me where I grow palms and cassava and groundnuts and plantains and many other kinds of produce all the tribes in this district look upon me as their chief and venerated father A.Q. then noble Hassan he will be able to pass us through them seeing that we are peaceful hunters who wish to harm no one A long consultation between Hassan and Delgado during which I ordered Movovo to bring his Zulus on deck with their guns H. Honoured English lord I cannot allow you to land A.Q. Noble son of the prophet I intend to land with my friend my followers my donkeys and my goods early tomorrow morning if I can do so with your leave I should be glad if not and I glanced at the fierce group of hunters behind me H. Honoured English lord I shall be grieved to use force but let me tell you that in my peaceful village ashore I have at least a hundred men armed with rifles whereas here I see under twenty A.Q. after reflection I had a few words with you in summers Can you tell me noble sir if from your peaceful village you have yet sighted the English man of war crocodile I mean the steamer that is engaged in watching for the dows of wicked slavers A letter from her captain informed me that he would be in these waters by yesterday perhaps however he has been delayed for a day or two If I had exploded a bomb at the feet of the excellent Hassan I would have been more terrible than that of this question he turned not pale but a horrible yellow and exclaimed English man of war crocodile I thought she had gone to Aden to refit and would not be back at Zanzibar for four months A.Q. you have been misinformed noble Hassan she will not refit till October shall I read you the letter and I produced a piece of paper from my pocket it may be interesting the captain whom you remember is named flowers mentioned you in it he says Hassan waved his hand it is enough I Zee honoured lord that you are a man of metal not easily to be turned from your purpose in the name of God the compassionate land and go where so ever you like A.Q. I think that I had almost rather wait until the crocodile comes in H.Land land the captain Delgado get up the cargo and manual boat mine too is in the service of these lords you captain will like to get away by this night's tide there is still light lord Cortemane and such hospitality as I can offer is at your service A.Q. ah I knew Bay Hassan that you were only joking with me when you said that you wished us to go elsewhere an excellent jest truly from one whose hospitality is so famous you fall in with your wishes we will come ashore this evening and if the captain Delgado chances to sight the queenship crocodile before he sails perhaps he will be so good as to signal us with a rocket certainly certainly interrupted Delgado who upon this time had pretended that he understood no English the tongue in which I was speaking to the interpreter Same then he turned and gave orders to his Arab crew to bring up our belongings from the hold and to lower the Maria's boat never did I see goods transferred in quicker time within half an hour every one of our packages was off that ship for Steven Summers kept account of them our personal baggage went into the Maria's boat and the goods together with the four donkeys which were lowered onto the top of them were rumbled pel-mel into the barge like punt belonging to Hassan here also I was accommodated with about half of our people the rest taking their seats in the smaller boat under the charge of Steven at length all was ready and we cast off farewell captain I cried to Delgado if you should sight the crocodile at this point Delgado broke into such a torrent of bad language in Portuguese, Arabic and English that I fear the rest of my remarks never reached him as we rode shorewards I observed that Hans who was seated near to me under the stomach of a jackass was engaged in sniffing at the sides and bottom of the barge as a dog might do and asked him what he was about very odd smell in this boat he whispered back in Dutch it stings of gaffier man just like the hold of the Maria I think this boat is used to carry slaves be quiet I whispered back and stopped nosing at those planks but to myself I thought Hans is right we are in a nest of slave traders and this Hassan is their leader we rode past the island on which I observed the ruins of an old Portuguese fort and some long grass-roofed huts where I reflected the slaves were probably kept until they could be shipped away observing my glance fixed upon these Hassan hastened to explain through Sammy that they were storehouses in which he dried fish and hides and kept goods how interesting I answered further south we dry hides in the sun crossing a narrow channel we arrived at a rough jetty where we disembarked by Hassan not to the village which I now saw upon our left but to a pleasant looking though dilapidated house that stood a hundred yards from the shore something about the appearance of this house impressed me with the idea that it was never built by slavers the whole look of the place with its veranda and gardens suggested taste and civilization evidently educated people had designed it and resided here I glanced about me and saw amidst a grove of neglected orange trees that were surrounded with palms of some age the ruins of a church about this there was no doubt for there surmounted by a stone cross was a little pent house in which still hung the bell that once summoned the worshippers to prayer tell the English Lord said Hassan to Sammy that these buildings were a mission station of the Christians who are banned on them more than twenty years ago when I came here I found them empty indeed I answered and what were the names of those who dwelt in them I never heard said Hassan they had been gone a long while when I came then we went up to the house and for the next hour and more we're engaged with our baggage which was piled in a heap in what had been the garden and it unpacking and pitching two tents for the hunters which I caused to be placed immediately in front of the rooms that were assigned to us these rooms were remarkable in their way mine had evidently been a sitting chamber as I judged from some broken articles of furniture that appeared to be of American make that which Stephen occupied had once served as a sleeping place for the bedstead of iron still remained there also there were a hanging bookcase now fallen and some tattered remnants of books one of these that oddly enough was well preserved perhaps because the white ants or other creatures did not like the taste of its Morocco binding was a kibble's Christian year on the title page of which was written to my dearest Elizabeth on her birthday from her husband I took the liberty to put it in my pocket on the wall moreover still hung a small watercolor picture of a very pretty young woman with fair hair and blue eyes in the corner of which picture was written in the same handwriting as that in the book Elizabeth aged twenty this also I annexed thinking that it might come in useful as a piece of evidence looks as if the owners of this place left it very courtomane said Stephen that's it my boy perhaps they didn't leave perhaps they stopped here murdered I nodded and said I dare say friend Hassan could tell us something about the matter meanwhile as supper isn't ready yet let us have a look at that church while it is light we walked through the palm and orange grove to where the building stood finally placed upon a mound it was well constructed of a kind of coral rock and a glance showed us that it had been gutted by fire the discolored walls told their own tale the interior was now full of shrubs and creepers and an ugly yellowish snake glided from what had been the stone altar without the graveyard was enclosed by a broken wall only we could see no trace of graves near the gateway however was a rough mound if we could dig into that I said I expect we should find the bones of the people who inhabited this place does that suggest anything to you Stephen nothing except that they were probably killed you should learn to draw inferences it is a useful art especially in Africa it suggests to me that if you are right the deed was not done by natives who would never take the trouble to bury the dead Arabs on the contrary might do so especially if they were any bastard Portuguese among them who called themselves Christians but whatever happened must have been a long while ago and I pointed to a self-sown hardwood tree growing from the mound which could scarcely have been less than twenty years old we returned to the house to find that our meal was ready a san had asked us to dine with him but for obvious reasons I preferred that Sammy should cook our food and that he should dine with us he appeared full of compliments though I could see hate and suspicion in his eye and we fell too on the kid that we had bought from him for I did not wish to accept any gifts from this fellow our drink was square-faced gin mixed with water that I sent Hans to fetch with his own hands from the stream that ran by the house lest otherwise it should be drugged at first to san like a good Mohammedan refused to touch any spirits but as the meal went on he politely relented upon this point and I poured him out a liberal tot the appetite comes in eating as the Frenchman said and the same thing applies to drinking so at least it was in Hassan's case we probably thought that the quantity swallowed made no difference to his sin after the third dose of square-face he grew quite amiable and talkative thinking the opportunity a good one I sent for Sammy and through him told our host that we were anxious to hire twenty porters to carry our packages he declared there was not such a thing as a porter within a hundred miles whereon I gave him some more gin the end of it was that we struck a bargain I forget for how much he promising to find us twenty good men who were to stay with us for as long as we wanted them then I asked him about the destruction of the mission station but though he was half drunk on this point he remained very close all he would say was that he had heard that twenty years ago the people called the mozito who were very fierce had raided right down to the coast and killed those who dwelt there except a white man and his wife who had fled inland and never been seen again how many of them were buried in that mound by the church I asked quickly who told you they were buried there he replied with a start but seeing his mistake went on I do not know what you mean I never heard of anyone being buried sleep well honored lords I must go and see to the loading of my goods upon the Maria then rising he slammed and walked or rather rolled away so the Maria hasn't sailed after all I said and whistled in a certain fashion instantly Hans crept into the room out of the darkness for this was my signal to him Hans I said I hear sounds upon that island slipped down to the shore and to spy out what is happening no one will see you if you are careful no bus he answered with a grin I do not think that anyone will see Hans if he is careful especially at night and he slid away as quietly as he had come now I went out and spoke to Movovo telling him to keep a good watch and to be sure that every man had his gun ready as I thought that these people were slave traders and to might attack us in the night in that event I said we were to fall back upon the step but not to fire until I gave the word oh good my father he answered this is a lucky journey I never thought that they would be hope of war so soon I talked to mention it the other night sleep safe Makumazahan nothing that walk shall reach you while we live don't be so sure I answered and we lay down in the bedroom with our clothes on and our rifles by our side the next thing I remember was someone shaking me by the shoulder I thought it was Stephen who had agreed to keep awake for the first part of the night and to call me at one in the morning indeed he was awake for I could see the glow from the pipe he smoked the voice of Hans I have found out everything they are loading the barrio with sleeves taking them in big boats from the island so I answered but how did you get here are the hunters asleep without he chuckled nor they are not asleep they look with all their eyes and listen with all their ears yet all runs past through them even the bath summers did not hear him that I didn't said Stephen thought a rat was moving no more I stepped through the place where the door had been on the step by the light of the fire which the hunters had lit without I could see Movovo sitting wide awake his gun upon his knees and beyond him two centuries I called him and pointed to Hans see I said what good watchman you are when one can step over your heads and enter my room without your knowing it Movovo looked at the hot-and-tot and felt his clothes and boots to see whether they were wet with a night dew oh he exclaimed in the surly voice they see that nothing which walks could reach him but this yellow snake has crawled between us on his belly look at the new mud that stains his waistcoat yet snakes can bite and gill answered Hans with a snigger oh you zoolos think that you are very brave and shout and flourish beers and battle axes one poor hot-and-tot dog is worth a whole impie of you after all no don't try to strike me Movovo the warrior since we both served the same master separate ways when it comes to fighting I will leave the matter to you and when it is a case of watching or spying do you leave it to Hans look here Movovo and he opened his hand in which was a horned snuff-box such as zoolos sometimes carry in their ears to whom does this belong it is mine said Movovo and you have stolen it yes jeered Hans it is yours also I stole it from your ears I cast you in the dark don't you remember that you thought that a nat had tickled you and hit up at your face and it is draw growled Movovo and your snake of a hot-and-tot are great in your own law way yet next time anything tickles me I shall strike not with my hand but with a spear then I turned them both out remarking to Stephen that this was a good example of the eternal fight between sage and cunning after this as I was sure that Hassan and his friends were too busy to interfere with us that night we went to bed and slept the sleep of the just when I got up the next morning I found that Stephen's summers had already risen and gone out nor did he appear until I was half through my breakfast where on earth have you been I asked noting that his clothes were torn and covered with wet moss up the tallest of those palm trees caught a man saw an Arab for the rope and got another Arab to teach me the trick it isn't really difficult though it looks alarming what in the name of goodness I began oh he interrupted my ruling passion looking through the glasses I thought I caught sight of an orchid growing near the crown so went up it wasn't an orchid after all only a massive yellow pollen but I learned something from my pains sitting in the top of that palm I saw the Maria working out from under the Lee of the island also far away I noted a streak of smoke and watching it through the glasses made out what looked to me uncommonly like a man of war steaming slowly along the coast in fact I am sure it was and English too then the mist came up and I lost sight of them my word I said that will be the crocodile what I told our host to Sam was not altogether bunkum Mr. Cato the port officer at Durban mentioned to me that the crocodile was expected to call there within the next fortnight to take in stores after a slave hunting cruise down the coast now it would be odd if she chanced to meet the Maria and asked to have a look at her cargo wouldn't it not at all quarter main for unless one or the other of them changes her course that is just what she must do within the next hour or so and I jolly well hope she will I haven't forgiven that beast Elgardo the tricky try to play on us by slipping away with our goods to say nothing of those poor devils of slaves pass the coffee will you for the next ten minutes we ate in silence for Stephen had an excellent appetite and was hungry after his morning climb just as we finished our meal has San appeared looking even more villainous than he had done the previous day I saw also that he was in a truckulent mood induced perhaps by the headache from which he was evidently suffering as a result of his potations or perhaps the fact that the Maria had got safe away with the slaves as he imagined unobserved by us was the cause of the change in his demeanor a third alternative may have been that he intended to murder us during the previous night he found no safe opportunity to carry out his amiable scheme we saluted him courteously but without slamming and reply he asked me bluntly through Sammy when we intended to be gone as such Christian dogs defiled his house which he wanted for himself I answered as soon as the twenty bearers whom he had promised disappeared but not before you lie he said I never promised you bearers I have none here do you mean that you slipped them all away with the Maria the slaves last night I asked sweetly my reader have you ever taken note of the appearance and proceedings of a tomcat of established age and morose disposition when a little dog suddenly disturbs it on the prowl have you observed how it contorts itself into arched but unnatural shapes how it swells visibly to almost twice its normal size how its hair stands up and its eyes flash and the stream dimensionable language that proceeds from its open mouth if so you will have a very good idea of the effect produced upon his sand by this remark of mine the fellow looked as though he were going to burst with rage he rolled about his bloodshot eyes seemed to protrude he cursed us horribly he put his hand upon the hilt of the great knife he wore and finally he did what the tomcat does he spat standing with me looking as cool as a cucumber and very much amused and being as it chanced a little nearer to his sand than I was received the full benefit of this rude proceeding my word, didn't it wake him up he said something strong and the next second flew at the half-breed like a tiger landing him a beauty straight upon the nose back staggered his sand drawing his knife as he did so but Stevens left in the eye caused him to drop it as he dropped himself he chanced upon the knife and since it was too late to interfere for the mischief had been done let things take their course and held back the zulus who had rushed up at the noise a sand rose and to do him credit came on like a man head down his great skull caught Steven who was the lighter of the two in the chest and knocked him over but before the Arab could follow up the advantage he was on his feet again then ensued a really glorious mill and fists and feet Steven with fists alone dodging his opponent's rushes he gave it to him as he passed and soon his coolness and silence began to tell once he was knocked over by a hooked one under the jaw but in the next round he sent the arrow literally flying head over heels oh how those Zulus cheered and I too danced with delight our Pesan came again spitting out several teeth the new tactics grabbed Steven around the middle two and fro they swung the Arab trying to kick the Englishman with his knees and to bite him also till the pain reminded him of the absence of his front teeth once he nearly got him down nearly but not quite for the collar by which he had gripped him his object was to strangle burst and at that juncture Hassan's turban fell over his face blinding him for a moment then Steven gripped him round the middle left arm and with his right pummeled him unmercifully till he sank in a sitting position to the ground and held up his hand in token of surrender the noble English lord has beaten me he gasped apologize yelled Steven picking up a handful of mud or I shoved this down your dirty throat he seemed to understand at any rate he bowed till his forehead touched the ground and apologized very thoroughly now that is over I said cheerfully to him so how about those bearers they have no bearers he answered you dirty liar I slamed one of my people has been down to your village there and says it is full of men then go and tick them for yourself he replied viciously for he knew that the place was stockaded now I was in a fix it was all very well to give a slave dealer the thrashing he deserved it was to attack us with his Arabs we should be in a poor way watching me with the eye that was not bunged up Hasan guessed my perplexity they have been beaten like a dog he said his rage returning to him with his breath but God is compassionate and just he will avenge in due time the words had not left his lips for one second when from somewhere out at sea there floated the sullen boom of a great gun at this moment too an Arab rushed up from the shore crying where is the Bihasan here I said pointing at him the Arabs stared until I thought his eyes would drop out for the Bihasan was indeed a sight to see then he gabbled in a frightened voice Kapatan an English man of war is chasing the Maria boom went the great gun for the second time Hasan said nothing but his jaw dropped and I saw that he had lost exactly three teeth that is the crocodile I remarked slowly causing Sammy to translate and as I spoke produced from my inner pocket a Union Jack which I had placed there after I heard that the ship was sighted Steven I went on as I shook it out if you have got your wind would you mind climbing up that palm tree again and signaling with this to the crocodile out at sea why George had a good idea the one whose jovial face although swollen was now again wreathed in smiles hands bring me a long stick and a bit of string but Hasan did not think it at all a good idea English Lord he gasped you shall have the bearers I will go to fetch them no you won't I said you will stop here as a hostage send at that man Hasan uttered some rapid orders and the messenger sped away this time towards the stockaded village right as he went another messenger arrived who also stared amazedly at the condition of his chief be if you are the be he said in a doubtful voice for by now the amiable face of Hasan had begun to swell and color with a telescope we have seen that the English man of war has sent a boat and boarded the Maria God is great muttered the discomforted Hasan and Delgado who is a thief the mother's breast will tell the truth the English sons of Satan will land here all is finished nothing is left but of light bid the people of Lyon to the bush and take the slaves I mean their servants I will join them no you won't I interrupted through Samay at any rate not at present you will come with us the miserable Hasan reflected then he said Lord quarter main remember the title because it is the nearest I ever got or unlikely to get to the peerage if I furnish you with the twenty bearers and accompany you for some days on your journey inland will you promise not to signal to your countrymen on the ship and bring them ashore what do you think I asked of Stephen oh he answered I think I'd agree this scoundrel has had a pretty good dusting and if once the crocodile people land at the end of our expedition as sure as eggs are eggs they will carry us off to Zanzibar or somewhere to give evidence before a slave court also nothing will be gained but by the time the sailors get there all these rascals will have built it except our friend Hasan you see it isn't as though we were sure he'd be hung and probably escape after all international law subject of a foreign power no direct proof that kind of thing you know give me a minute or two I said and began to reflect very deeply while I was thus engaged several things happened I saw twenty natives being escorted towards us doubtless the bearers who had been promised also I saw many others accompanied by other natives flying from the village into the bush lastly a third messenger arrived who announced that the Maria was sailing away apparently in charge of a prize crew and that the man of war was putting about as though to accompany her evidently she had no intention of affecting a landing upon what was normally at any rate Portuguese territory therefore if anything was to be done we must act at once well the end of it was that like a fool I accepted Stephen's advice and did nothing always the easiest course and generally that which leads to most trouble ten minutes afterwards I changed my mind but then it was too late the crocodile was out of signaling distance this was subsequent to a conversation with Hans boss said that were they in his leery fashion I think you have made a mistake you forget that these yellow devils in white robes who have run away will come back again and that when you return from upcountry they may be waiting for you now if the English man of war had destroyed their town and their slave sheds they might have gone somewhere else however he added as an afterthought glancing at the disfigured Hassan we have their captain and of course you mean to hang in bus or if you don't like to leave it to me I can hang men very well once when I was young I helped the executioner at it down get out I said but nevertheless I knew that Hans was right end of chapter five chapter six of Alan and the holy flower this LibriVox recording is in the public domain Alan and the holy flower by H. Ryder Haggard chapter six the slave road the twenty bearers having arrived in charge of five or six Arabs armed with guns we went to inspect them taking Hassan with us also the hunters they were a likely lot of men though rather thin and scared looking and evidently as I could see from their physical appearance and varying methods of dressing the hair members of different tribes having delivered them the Arabs or rather one of them entered into excited conversation with Hassan as Sammi was not at hand I do not know what was said although I gathered that they were contemplating his rescue if so they gave up the idea and began to run away as their companions had done one of them however a bolder fellow than the rest turned and fired at me he missed by some yards as I could tell from the sing of the bullet was our excrual shots still his attempted murder irritated me so much that I determined he should not go scot-free I was carrying a little rifle called Intumbi that with which as Hans had reminded me I shot the vulture at Dingan's Carl many years before of course I could have killed the man but this I did not wish to do or I could have shot him through the leg but then we should have had to nurse him or leave him to die so I selected his right arm which was outstretched and at about fifty paces put a bullet through it just above the elbow there I said to the Zulus as I saw it to double up that low fellow will never shoot at anyone again pretty Mokumo Zahan very pretty said Mavobo but as you can aim so well why not have chosen his head that the bullet is half wasted next I set to work to get into communication with the bearers who thought poor devils that they had been but sold to a new master here I may explain that they were slaves not meant for exploitation but men kept to cultivate Hassan's gardens fortunately I found that two of them belonged to the Mizitu people who it may be remembered are the same blood as the Zulus although they separated from the parent stock generations ago these men talked to dialect that I could understand though at first not very easily the foundation of it was Zulu it had become much mixed with the languages of other tribes whose women the Mizitu had taken to life also there was a man who could speak some bastard Arabic sufficiently well for Sami to converse with him I asked the Mizitu's if they knew of the way back to their country they answered yes but it was far off a full months journey I told them that if they would guide us they should receive their freedom and good pay adding that if the other men served us well they also should be set free when we had done with them on receiving this information the poor wretches smiled in a sickly fashion and looked at Hassan Ben Mohabad who glowered at them and us from the box on which he was seated in charge of Movovo how can we be free while that man lives their look seemed to say as though to confirm their doubts Hassan who understood or guessed what was passing asked by what right we were promising freedom to his slaves by right all that I answered pointing to the Union Jack which Steven still had in his hand also we will pay you for them when we return according as they have served us yes he muttered you will pay me for them when you return or perhaps before that English man it was three o'clock in the afternoon before we were able to make a start there was so much to be arranged that it might have been wiser to wait till the morrow had we not determined that if we could help it nothing would induce us to spend another night in that place blankets were served out to each of the bearers who poor naked creatures seemed quite touched at the gift of them the loads were portioned having already been packed at Durban in cases such as one man could carry the pack saddles were put upon the four donkeys which proved to be none the worse for their journey and burdens to await in about a hundred pounds each fixed on them in waterproof hide bags besides cooking calabashes and sleeping mats which hands produced from somewhere probably he stole them out of the deserted village but as they were necessary to us I confess I asked no questions lastly six or eight goats which were wandering about were captured to take with us for food till we could find game for these I offered to pay Hassan but when I handed him the money he threw it down in a rage so I picked it up and put it in my pocket again with a clear conscience at length everything was more or less ready and the question arose as to what was to be done with Hassan the Zulus like Hans wished to kill him as Sammy explained to him in his best Arabic then this murderous fellow showed what coward he was at heart he flung himself upon his knees he wept he invoked us in the name of the compassionate Allah who he explained was after all the same God that we worshiped till Movovo growing impatient of the noise threatened him with his carry on he became silent the easy natured Stephen was for letting him go a plan that seemed to have advantages for then at least we should be rid of his abominable company after reflection however I decided that we had better take him along with us at any rate for a day or so to hold us hostage in case the Arabs should follow and attack us at first he refused to stir but the asagai of one of the Zulu hunters pressed gently against what remained of his robe the argument that he could not resist at length we were off I with the two guides went ahead then came the bearers then half of the hunters then the four donkeys in charge of Hans and Sammy then Hassan and the rest of the hunters except Movovo who brought up the rear with Stephen needless to say all our rifles were loaded and generally we were prepared for any emergency the only path that which the guide said we must follow ran by the road for a few hundred yards and then turned inland through Hassan's village where he lived for it seemed that the old mission house was not used by him as we marched along a little rocky cliff it was not more than ten feet high where a deep water channel perhaps fifty yards in breadth separated the mainland from the island when the slaves had been loaded onto the Maria some difficulty arose about the donkeys one of these slipped its load and another began to leap into the sea with its precious burden the rearguard of hunters ran to get hold of it when suddenly there was a splash the brutes in I thought to myself till a shout told me that not the ass but Hassan had departed over the cliff's edge watching his opportunity and being it was clear a first rate swimmer he had flung himself backwards in the midst of the confusion and falling into deep water promptly dived about twenty yards from the shore he came up for a moment then dived again heading for the island I dare say I could have potted him through the head with a snapshot but somehow I did not like to kill a man swimming for his life as though he were a hippopotamus or a crocodile moreover the boldness of the maneuver appealed to me so I refrained from firing and called to the others to do likewise as our late host approached the shore of the island I saw Arabs running down the rocks to help him out of the water either they had not left the place reoccupied it as soon as HMS crocodile had vanished with her prize as it was clear that to recapture Hassan would involve an attack upon the garrison of the island which we were in no position to carry out I gave orders for March to be resumed these the difficulty with a donkey having been overcome were obeyed at once it was fortunate that we did not delay for scarcely had the caravan got into motion when the Arabs on the island began to fire at us luckily no one was hit and we were soon round a point and under cover also their shooting was as bad as usual one missile however it was a pot leg struck a donkey load and smashed a bottle of good brandy and a tin of preserved butter this made me angry so motioning to the others to proceed I took shelter behind a tree and waited till a torn and dirty turban which I recognised as that of Hassan poked up above a rock well I put a bullet through that turban for I saw the thing fly but unfortunately not through the head beneath it having left this PPC card on our host I bolted from the rock and caught up the others presently we passed around the village through it I would not go for fear of an ambuscade it was quite a big place enclosed with a strong fence but hidden from the sea by a rise in the intervening land in the centre was a large eastern looking house where doubtless as sand dwelt with his harem after we had gone a little way further to my astonishment I saw flames breaking out from the palm leaf roof of this house at the time I could not imagine how this happened but when a day or two later I observed harnes wearing a pair of large and very handsome gold pendants in his ears and a gold bracelet on his wrist and found that he and one of the hunters were extremely well set up in the matter of British sovereigns well I had my doubts in due course the truth came out he and the hunter an adventurous spirit slipped through a gate in the fence without being observed ran across the deserted village to the house stole the ornaments and money from the women's apartments and as they departed fired the place in exchange for the bottle of good brandy as Harnes explained I was inclined to be angry but after all as we had been fired on Harnes's exploit became an act of war rather than a theft so I made him and his companion divide the gold equally with the rest of the hunters who no doubt had kept their eyes conveniently shut not forgetting Sammy and said no more they netted eight pounds a piece which pleased them very much in addition to this I gave one pound each or rather goods to that value to the bearers as their share of the loot Hassan I remarked was evidently a great agriculturalist for the gardens which he worked by slave labour were beautiful and must have brought him in a large revenue passing through these gardens we came to sloping land covered with bush here the track was not too good for the creepers hampered our progress indeed I was very glad when toward sunset we reached the crest of a hill and emerged upon a table land which was almost clear of trees and rose gradually till it met the horizon in that bush we might easily have been attacked but in this open country I was not so much afraid since the loss of the Arabs would have been great before we were overpowered as a matter of fact although spies dogged us for days no assault was ever attempted finding a convenient place by a stream we camped for the night but as it was so fine did not pitch the tents afterwards I was sorry we had not gone further from the water since the mosquitoes bred by millions in the marshes bordering the stream gave us a dreadful time on poor Stephen fresh from England they fell with peculiar ferocity with the result that in the morning what between the bruises left by Hassan and their bites he was a spectacle for men and angels another thing that broke our rest was the necessity of keeping a strict watch in case the slave traders should elect to attack us in the hours of darkness also to guard against the possibility of our bearers running away and perhaps stealing the goods it is true that before they went to sleep I explained to them very clearly that any of them who attempted to give us the slip would certainly be seen and shot whereas if they remained with us they would be treated with every kindness they answered through the tomb of Zito that they had nowhere to go and did not wish to fall again into the power of Hassan of whom they spoke literally with shudders pointing the wild to their scarred backs and the marks of the slave yokes upon their necks their protestations seemed and indeed proved to be sincere but of this of course we could not then be sure as I was engaged at sunrise I had been certain that the donkeys had not strayed and generally that all was well I noted through the thin mist a little white object which at first I thought was a small bird sitting on an upright stick about fifty yards from the camp I went towards it and discovered that it was not a bird but a folded piece of paper stuck in a cleft wand such as natives often use for the carrying of letters I opened the letter and with great difficulty for the writing within was bad Portuguese read as follows English devils do not think that you have escaped me I know where you are going and if you live through that journey it will be but to die at my hands after all I tell you that I have at my command three hundred brave men armed with guns who worship Allah and thirst for the blood of Christian dogs I will follow and if you fall into my hands alive you shall learn what it is to die by fire or bend over antiques in the sun let us see if your English man of war will help you then or your false god either misfortune go with you white-skinned robbers of honest men this pleasing epistle was unsigned but its anonymous author was not hard to identify I showed it to Stephen who was so infuriated at its contents that he managed to dab some ammonia with which he was treating his mosquito bites into his eye when at length the pain was soothed by bathing we concocted this answer murderer known among men as Hasan ben Muhammad truly we sinned in not hanging you when you were in our power wolf who grows fat upon the blood of the innocent this is a fault we shall not commit again your death is near to you and we believe at our hands come with all your villains whenever you will the more there are of them the better we should be pleased who would rather rid the world of many fiends than of a few till we meet again Alan Cortemaine Stephen Summers neat if not Christian I said when I had read the letter over replied Stephen but perhaps just a little bombastic in turn if that gentleman did arrive with 300 armed men eh? then my boy I answered in this way or in that we shall thrash him I don't often have an inspiration but I've got one now and it is to the effect that Mr. Hasan has not very long to live and that we shall be intimately connected with his end wait till you have seen a slave caravan and you will understand my feelings also I know these gentry that little prophecy of ours will get on his nerves and give him a foretaste of things hands go and set this letter in that cleft stick the postman will call for it before long as it happened within a few days we did see a slave caravan some of the merchandise of the Estimal or Hasan we had been making good progress through a beautiful and healthy country steering almost due west or rather a little to the north of the west the land was undulating and rich well watered and only bush-clad in the neighbourhood of the streams the higher ground being open of a park-like character and dotted here and there with trees it was evident that once and not very long ago the population had been dense for we came to the remains of many villages or rather towns with large marketplaces now however these were burned with fire or deserted or occupied only by a few old bodies who got a living from the overgrown gardens these poor people who sat desolate and crooning in the sun or perhaps worked feebly at the once fertile fields would fly screaming at our approach for to them men armed with guns must of necessity be slave traders still from time to time we can try to catch some of them and through one member of our party or the other to get at their stories really it was all one story the slaving Arabs on this pretext or on that had set tribe against tribe then they sided with the stronger and conquered the weaker by aid of their terrible guns killing out the old folk and taking the young men women and children except the infants whom they butchered to be sold as slaves it seemed that the business had begun about twenty years before when Hassan ben Muhammad and his companions arrived at Kila and drove away the missionary who had built a station there at first this trade was extremely easy and profitable since the raw material lay near at hand in plenty by degrees however the neighbouring communities had been worked out countless numbers of them were killed while the pick of a population passed under the slave yoke and those of them who survived vanished in ships to unknown lands thus it came about that the slavers were obliged to go further afield and even to conduct their raids upon the borders of the territory of the great Mizzitu people the inland race of Zulu origin of whom I have spoken according to our informants it was even rumoured that they proposed shortly to attack these Mizzitus in force relying on their guns to give them the victory and open to them a new and almost inexhaustible store of splendid human merchandise meanwhile they were clearing out certain small tribes which hitherto had escaped them owing to the fact that they had their residence in bush or among difficult hills the track we followed was the recognised slave road of this we soon became aware by the numbers of skeletons which we found lying in the tall grass at its side some of them with heavy slave sticks still upon their wrists these I suppose had died from exhaustion but others as their split skulls showed had been disposed of by their captors on the eighth day of our march we struck the track of a slave caravan it had been travelling towards the coast but for some reason or other had turned back this may have been because its leaders had been warned of the approach of our party or perhaps they had heard that another caravan which was at work in a different district was drawing near bringing its slaves with it and wished to wait for its arrival in order that they might join forces the spores people was easy to follow first we found the body of a boy of about ten then vultures revealed to us the remains of two young men one of whom had been shot and the other killed by a blow from an axe their corpses were roughly hidden beneath some grass I know not why a mile or two further on we heard a child wailing and found it by following its cries a little girl of about four who had been pretty though now she was but a living skeleton when she saw us she scrambled away on all fours like a monkey Steven followed her while I sick at heart went to get a tin of preserved milk from our stores presently I heard him call to me in a horrified voice rather reluctantly for I knew that he must have found something dreadful I pushed my way through the bush to where he was bound to the trunk of a tree sat a young woman evidently the mother of the child for it clung to her leg thank god she was still living though she must have died before another day dawned we cut her loose and the zulu hunters who are kind folk enough when they are not at war carried her to camp in the end with much trouble we saved the lives of that mother and child I sent for the two mozitos with whom I could by now talk fairly well and ask them why the slavers did these things they shrugged to their shoulders and one of them answered with a rather dreadful laugh because chief these Arabs being black hearted kill those who can walk no more or tie them up to die if they let them go they might recover and escape and it makes the Arabs sad that those who have been their slaves should live to be free and happy does it does it indeed exclaimed steven with a snort of rage that reminded me of his father well if I ever get the chance I'll make them sad with a vengeance steven was a tender hearted young man and for all his soft and indolent ways an awkward customer one roused within 48 hours he got his chance thus that day we camped early for two reasons the first was that the woman and child we had rescued were so weak that they could not walk without rest and we had no men to spare to carry them the second that we came to an ideal spot to pass the night it was as usual a deserted village through which ran a beautiful stream of water here we took possession of some outlying huts with a fence round them and as Movovo had managed to shoot a fat eland cow and her half grown calf we prepared to have a regular feast whilst Sammy was making some broth for the rescued woman and steven and I smoked our pipes and watched him Han slipped through the broken gate of the thorn fence or boomer and announced that Arabs were coming to lots of them with many slaves we ran out to look and saw that as he had said two caravans were approaching or rather had reached the village that had some distance from us and were now camping on what had been the marketplace one of these was that whose track we had although during the last few hours of our march we had struck away from it chiefly because we could not bear such sites as I have described it seemed to comprise about two hundred and fifty slaves and over forty guards all black men carrying guns and most of them by their dress Arabs or bastard Arabs in the second caravan which approached from another direction were not more than one hundred slaves and about twenty or thirty captors I said let us eat our dinner and then if you like we will go to call upon those gentlemen just to show that we are not afraid of them hans get the flag and tie it to the top of the tree it will show them to what country we belong up went the union jack duly and presently through our glasses we saw the slavers running about in a state of excitement also we saw the poor slaves turn and stare at the bit of flapping bunting and then begin to talk to each other it struck as possible that someone among their number had seen a union jack in the hands of an English traveler or had heard of it as flying upon ships or at points on the coast and what it meant to slaves or they may have understood some of the remarks of the Arabs which no doubt were pointed and explanatory at any rate they turned and stared to the Arabs ran among them with jambox that is whips of hippopotamus hide and suppressed the animated conversation with many blows at first I thought that they would break camp and march away indeed they began to make preparations to do this then abandon the idea probably because the slaves were exhausted and there was no other water they could reach before nightfall in the end they settled down and lit cooking fires also as I observed they took precautions against attack by stationing sentries and forcing the slaves to construct a boomer of thorns about their camp well said Stephen when we had finished our dinner are you ready for that call no I answered I do not think that I am I have been considering things and concluded that we had better leave well alone by this time those Arabs will know all the story of our dealings with their worthy master Hassan for no doubt he has sent messengers to them therefore if we go to their camp they may shoot us at sight or if they receive us well they may offer hospitality and poisonous or cut our throat suddenly our position might be better still it is one that I believe they would find difficult to take so in my opinion we had better stop still and await developments Stephen grumbled something about my being overcautious but I took no heed of him one thing I did do however sending for Hans I told him to take one of them is it to I dared not risk them both for they were our guides and another of the natives whom we had borrowed from Hassan a bold fellow who knew all the local languages and creeped down to the slavers camp as soon as it was quite dark there I ordered him to find out what he could and if possible to mix with the slaves and explain that we were their friends Hans nodded for this was exactly the kind of task that appealed to him and went off to make his preparations Stephen and I also made some preparations on the way of strengthening our defences building large watch fires and setting centuries the night fell and Hans with his companions departed stealthily as snakes the silence was intense save for the occasional wailings of the slaves which now and again broke out in bursts of melancholy sound la lula lula and then died away to be followed by horrid screams as the Arabs laid their lashes upon some poor wretch once too a shot was fired they have seen Hans said Stephen I think not I answered for if so there would have been more than one shot either it was an accident or they were murdering a slave after this nothing more happened for a long while till at length Hans seemed to rise out of the ground in front of me and behind him I saw the figures of the Mizzito and the other man tell your story I said boss it is this everything the Arabs know all about you and what men you have Hassan has sent them orders to kill you it is well that you did not go to visit them for certainly you would have been murdered we crept near and overheard their talk they purpose to attack us at dawn tomorrow morning unless we leave this place before which they will know of as we are being watched and if so what then I asked then boss they will attack as we are making up caravan or immediately afterwards as we begin to march indeed anything more Hans yes boss these two men crept among the slaves and spoke with them they are very sad those slaves and many of them have died of heart pain because they have been taken from their homes and do not know where they are going I saw one die just now a young woman she was talking to another woman and seemed quite well only tired to suddenly she said in a loud voice I am going to die that I may come back as a spirit and be which these devils till they are spirits too then she called upon the fetish of her tribe put her hands to her breast and fell down dead at least added Hans spitting reflectively she did not fall quite down because of the slave stick held her head off the ground the Arabs were very angry both because she had cursed them and was dead one of them came and kicked her body and afterwards shot her little boy who was sick because the mother had cursed them but fortunately he did not see us because we were in the dark far from the fire anything more Hans one thing boss these two men lent the knives you gave them to two of the boldest among the slaves that they might cut the cords of the slave sticks and the other cords with which they were tied and then pass them down the lines that their brothers might do the same but perhaps the Arabs will find out and then the Mezito and the other must lose their knives that is all has the boss got a little tobacco now Stephen I said when Hans had gone and I had explained everything there are two courses open to us either we can try to give these gentlemen the slip at once in which case we must leave the woman and child to their fate or we can stop where we are and wait to be attacked I won't run said Stephen suddenly it would be cowardly to desert that poor creature also we should have a worse chance marching remember Hans said that they are watching us then you would wait to be attacked isn't there a third alternative to attack them that's the idea I said let us send from above oh presently he came and sat down in front of us while I set out the case to him it is the fashion of my people to attack rather than to be attacked and yet my father in this case my heart is against it Hans he called him in bluttu a Zulu word which means spotted snake that was the hot and hot's kafir name says that there are quite 60 of the yellow dogs all armed with guns whereas we have not more than 15 for we cannot trust the slave men also he says that they are within a strong fence and weak with spies out so that it would be difficult to surprise them but here father we are in a strong fence and cannot be surprised also men who torture and kill women and children except in war must I think be cowards and will come on faintly against good shooting if indeed they come at all therefore I say wait till the buffalo shall either charge or run but the word is with you Makumazahan wise torture by night not with me your hunter speak you who are old in war and I will obey you argue well I answered also another reason comes to my mind those Arab roots may get behind the slaves of whom we should butcher a lot without hurting them Stephen I think we had better see the thing through here or a quarter main only I hope that Movovo is wrong in thinking that those blackers may change their minds and run away really young man you are becoming very blood thirsty for an orchid grower I remarked looking at him now for my part I devoutly hope that Movovo is right for let me tell you if he isn't it may be a nasty job I've always been peaceful enough up to the present replied Stephen but the sight of those unhappy riches of slaves with their heads cut open and of the woman tied to a tree to starve make you wish to usurp the functions of God almighty I said well it is a natural impulse and perhaps in the circumstances one that will not just please him and now as we have made up our minds what we are going to do let's get to business so that these Arab gentlemen may find their breakfast ready when they come to call end of chapter 6