"The Great Elephant says he cannot send you to a settlement. They are
far distance with much bush, much danger between--you must remain his
prisoner. If you are peaceful, in his great mercy, he gives you your
life; if not, you must die."
Upon this I knelt and bowed low in token of gratitude, then awaited what
was to come next, which was that the following day the chief and his
councillors would hear me give an account of the land I had come from,
meanwhile, my place must be with the "boys," who should be ordered not
to ill-treat me, but who also should receive positive commands to pierce
me with their assagais the instant I showed the least intention of
escaping. Again I made my obeisance, and rising, prepared to take my
leave with my guards. I once had it on my lips to mention the close
proximity of my companions, yet, on second thoughts I remained silent,
for despite my present good luck, I felt certain that the least thing
might prove my death-warrant with the great chief, such as a raid of the
Dutch Boers, of whom by their desire to know if I were a spy of theirs,
and the frequent repetition of the name, I fancied they stood in no
small dread.
Therefore I held my tongue, as I certainly did not feel very easy in my
mind in regard to my ultimate fate.
The "boys" I found to be, not boys in years, but the unmarried men of
the tribe, who had separate huts to themselves. Conducted by my guards
into one of these, I was instantly surrounded by the "boys" who never
seemed as if they could look at me enough. The inspection was anything
but pleasant; and seeing that the interpreter had accompanied us, I
ventured to say I was suffering both from hunger and thirst, whereupon I
had handed me some sour clotted milk, termed amasi, some maize, and a
liquid which passes there for beer. Eagerly I drank the latter, then
having eaten the rest, hunger alone making it palatable, I took
possession of the mat allotted me, and feeling from the chief's words,
and curiosity to know more about me, that I should at any rate be safe
till the morning, soon fell into a sound sleep--as sound rather as the
pest of Kaffirland, the fleas which swarm there, would permit--in which
the staring "boys" about me, and my strange and perilous position were
forgotten in dreams of my pleasant Cornish home among the rocks, and of
Katie and my children.