The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-11-13


80 shall you overcome Wambe,
Nala."
At this moment an interruption oc-
cured.
A man entered, and said that mes
sengers had arrived from Wambe.
"What is their messenger asked
Nala.
"They come to ask that thy daugh-
ter Maiwa be sent back. aud with her
the white hunter
How shall make answer to this,
MacumazahnY said Nala, when the
man had withdrawn.
THUS shalt thou answer" said.
after reflection.
"Say that the woman shall be sent,
and with her, and then bid the mes
| sengers begone.
"stay; win hide myself here in the
hut, that the men may not see me-"
And did.
Shortly afterward, through a crack
in the hut. l saw the messengers ar
rive, and great truculent-looking fell
lows they were.
had evidently Travelled hard.
'They entered with swagger, and
squatted down before Nala.
Your business" said Nala, frown-
ing.
I'VE come from Wambe, bearing the
orders of Wambe to Nala, his servant, :"
answered the spokesman of the party
Speak" said Nala, with curious
witch of his demonstrating mouth.
'eThese are the words of Wambe:
"'Send back the woman, my wife,
who has run away from my kraal, and
send with her the white man who has
dared to hunt in my country without
my leave, and to slay my soldiers
These are the words Of Wambe."'
"And if say will not send them?"
asked Nala.
"Then on behalf of Wambe we de-
clare war upon you.
''Wambe will eat you up.
"He will wipe you out.
"Your kraals shall be stamped fiat
so''; and with an expressive gesture he
drew his hand across his mouth to
show how complete would be the an
Inhalation of the chief who dared to
defy Wambe.
These are heavy words" said Nala.
let me think before give an an
swer.v
Then followed little piece of act
ing that was really very creditable to
the untutored savage mind.
The heralds withdrew, but not out of
sight, and Nala went through the show
of earnestly consulting his Indunas.
The girl Miawa, too, flung herself at
his feet and appeared to weep and inn
plore his protection, while he wrung
his hands as though in doubt and trib-
ulation of mind.
At length he summoned the messen-
gers to draw near and addressed them,
while Miawa sobbee very realistically
at his side.
'Wambe is a great chief" said Nala,
''and this woman is his wife, whom
he has a right to claim.
"She must return to him, but her
feet are sore with walking; she can
not come now.
I'm eight days from this day she
shall be delivered at the kraal of
Wambe; | viii send her with party Of
my men.
Gas for the white hunter and his
men, l have naught to do with them.
and cannot answer for their misdeeds.
'sThey have wandered hither unasked
by me, and / will deliver them back
whence they came, that Wambe may
judge them according to his law.
They shall be sent with the girl.
''For you, so your ways.
Food shall be given you without the
kraal, and present for Wambe in
atonement for the ill-doing Of my
daughter. 4 have spoken"
At first the heralds seemed inclined
to insist upon Maiwa's accompanying
them then and there, but ultimately on
being shown the swollen condition OF
her feet, they gave up the point and
departed.
When they were well out of The way
/ emerged from the hut, and we went
on to discuss the situation and make
our plans.
First of all. as was careful to ex-
plain to Nala, I was not going to give
him my experience and services for
nothing.
heard that Wambe had stockade
round his kraaI made of elephant tusks.
These tusks, in the event of our sue
ceeding in our enterprise, / should
claim as my perquisite, with the pro-
viso that Nala should furnish me with
men to carry them down 10 the coast.
To this modest request he and the
headmen gave an unqualified and
hearty assent. the more hearty, per
haps, because they never expected to
finger them.
The next thing | stipulated was that
| il we conquered the white man, John
Every, should be handed over to me.
together with any goods that he might
claim.
! His cruel captivity was, need hard
~ say, the only reason that induced me
TO join in SO harebrained an expedi-
ton, but was careful. from motives
Of policy. to keep this fact in the back
ground.
| Nala accepted this condition.
Ny third stipulation was that no
women or chpdren should be killed.
1 This being agreed to we went on to
consider ways and means.