“ No, John, I have made up my mind to get to the lakes.
I would like to go back and hunt; but I want to see the
Zambesi River and the great lake beyond. Besides I think
I will shoot more elephants there.”
The mention of the coveted animals evidently touched
the heart of John, but he said sadly:
“ A h ! master, I like to see dat contree var, dey say dar
es lots of olifant. But I must go back to my leetle wife.
Master, I tink I am fighting wid dose dam Mashona
when I get to de waggon! ”
Trouble was not confined to the “ faithfuls.” The Inyota
men now said that they were tired; that the rains would
soon be upon u s ; that they must get back to their gardens
to sow; and above all, that they wished to get back to
their women folk. In short, they desired immediately
to retrace their steps.
My answer was, that I had sent a messenger to Sakanii, and
if they could show a little patience, I would hunt for their
meat, and otherwise take care of them until Sakanii should
arrive. All I had promised them would assuredly be
paid, and they would go back to their wives with cloth.
Numerous reports regarding the return of the king, who
was sure to have plenty of cloth, were current; so that the
belief that I would be able to pay the men was natural.
Fifteen days, however, had elapsed since the messenger
had left for the king, and as no reply had come, the spirits
of the household were at zero.
John was a pitiful sight. His face reminded me of the
seaside-bather’s expression when he emerged from the water
and found his clothes gone, while some watchful imps of
humanity were witnessing his distress with ecstasies of
joy. Sagwam, dissolved in tears, drearily prophesied that
he would starve, and surely be killed on the way back
by the Inyota men, who had threatened many times
to carry our hut by assault, as they declared they well
knew that the white man haxl plenty of cloth, although he
would not pay. The white man, they said, wanted to keep
them until the chief came, and force them to go on to the
Zambesi.
Their manner of protesting was curious; one would walk
up and down the street in front of the hut, looking very
much excited, with his eyes protruding, and all the time
haranguing his brothers to the effect that he was going
home, that they all must go in fact. For the white man
would yet make them go to Kunyungwi. If they refused
they would get nothing, and if they went they would get
nothing—in fact, they would get nothing anyhow!
They also said that the endunas had lied to me; the
king would never come.
Simple as they are, these people never give credit for
any good; all are judged as being bad and unworthy of
trust, or, like themselves, only actuated by fear or hunger.
Had I shown them the inside of my sacks, I should
have been considered weak, so I declared that if they would
not take my word, I would not satisfy their demands;
especially as I had given them no cause for doubt by any
previous dealings.
“ Satan ” had proclaimed that if disturbances took place
the inhabitants would drive the whole party outside the
town. These emergencies were met by my reading a
special Biot Act, adapted exclusively for the purpose.
One evening, on my return from a hunting excursion—a
tolerably successful one, for I was laden witn koodoo-meat—
Karemba came to meet me, with a face radiant with smiles.
Of course I at once thought that Sakanii had arrived.
Hurrah! now our troubles would soon be at rest. I would