Now an idea struck me. Was there more in that gruesome discovery of
mine--and Falkner's--than met the eye? Was the fact that we had made
it, first one of us and then the other, at the bottom of the chief's
displeasure? It might have been so. At any rate the sooner we took the
road again the better, and so I announced to Falkner that we would
inspan at sunrise. His reply was, in his then mood, characteristic.
"But we haven't traded off the stuff yet," he objected. "I say. You're
not in a funk of anything, are you, Glanton? I ask because I rather
wanted to stay on here a little longer."
I turned away. His tone was abominably provoking, moreover I knew that
he would be glad enough to return, and had only said the foregoing out
of sheer cussedness.
"You have your horse," I said. "If you like to remain I'll leave Jan
Boom with you, and you can easily find your way back."
"Want to get rid of me, do you?" he rapped out. "Well you won't. Not
so easily as that. No--you won't."
To this I made no answer. At sunrise the waggons were inspanned. Then
another difficulty cropped up. The boys who were to have driven the
herd of trade cattle, at any rate as far as the border, did not turn up.
In disgust I was prepared to take them on myself with the help of
Mfutela. Falkner had learnt to drive a waggon by this time and now he
must do it. His reply however when I propounded this to him was again
characteristic. He was damned if he would.
The knot of the difficulty was cut and that unexpectedly, by the
appearance of the chief's son, and with him some boys.
"These will drive your cattle, Iqalaqala," he said.
"That is well, Muntisi," I answered. "And now son of Majendwa, what has
come between me and the chief that he holds my hand no more? Is there
now war?"
We were a little apart from the others, and talk in a low slurred tone
that natives use when they don't want to be understood.
"Not war," he answered; "at any rate not yet. But, Iqalaqala, those who
come into a chief's country should not come into it with too many eyes."
"Ha!" I said, taking in the quick glance which he shot in Falkner's
direction, and with it the situation. "Too many eyes there may be, but
a shut mouth more than makes up for that. A shut mouth, _impela_!"
"A shut mouth? _Au_! Is the mouth of Umsindo ever shut?"
This, it will be remembered, was Falkner's native name, meaning noise,
or bounce, and the chief's son was perpetrating a sort of pun in the
vernacular.
"But it will be this time, never fear," I answered. "Farewell now, son
of Majendwa. I, who have seen more than men think, know how not to
talk."
I felt really grateful to Muntisi, and made him a final present which he
appreciated.
"You need not mistrust those I have brought you," he said. "Only for
others you cannot have too many eyes now until you reach Inncome," he
added meaningly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account