Buno was very agreeable and even joked with me about my poor shooting
of the day before. He little knew how proud I was that I had shot
badly. Tuys and he were on the best of terms and joked with one
another, each boasting of his strength. Finally Buno ended the
pleasantries with a challenge.
"Let us go to the rock, Oom Tuys," he said, "and we'll soon see who is
the strongest man in Swaziland. This time I know I can throw you, and
you will make small profit out of this trip."
"That remains to be seen, O King," Tuys warned him. "I feel stronger
than ever to-day, but it seems to me that you are quite shaky. Don't
you think you'd better wait a day or two before tackling me?"
"No, no! Now is the time!" declared Buno most emphatically. "If you
cannot wrestle any better than you shot yesterday, I shall have little
trouble in throwing you."
This was all very interesting to me. I felt that I would like to be
big enough to wrestle Buno and break his neck. However, he and Tuys
seemed to be very joyful over the coming match and there was no ill
feeling between them.
After Tuys and Buno had had several drinks, we all started out for the
rock. I had heard of this rock before. It was a great flat-topped slab
on which Buno was accustomed to sleep during the hottest hours of the
day. The Swazis call it "The King's Couch," and Buno would bask on it
while the sun blazed down on his naked body with all the fire of
mid-summer.
Tuys had several of his servants with him, each one carrying a small
but very heavy canvas sack. I asked him what these were, but he told
me to wait and I would see. The rock was about a quarter of a mile
from the royal kraal, and we soon reached it.
Then came the unexpected, which invariably happened where Tuys was
concerned. We climbed upon the rock and while Buno and the rest of us
looked on, Oom Tuys slit the canvas sacks and poured two thousand
sovereigns on the rock!
The gold made quite a large pile and shone brightly in the warm sun.
Tuys counted it, with Buno seeming to keep careful check on him.
Finally the count was finished and they agreed that it was all
there--two thousand glittering gold pieces!
"Now we shall wrestle for it," said Buno, pointing to the gold. "We'll
soon see who is the better man, who is the strongest man in Swaziland.
Come on, Oom Tuys!"
Tuys waved to me to get off the rock, and we jumped down to the
ground. It was, perhaps, the strangest sight I had yet seen. There
stood those two great men, waiting for an opportunity to get a
favorable grip. Presently they began to circle round and round, each
trying to catch hold of the other. The pile of gold lay between them.
Suddenly Buno rushed at Tuys. Tuys stepped to one side and jostled him
as he went by. Without changing position, Tuys reached down and
grabbed up two handfuls of gold. He was shoving it into the pockets of
his leather coat when Buno was upon him. Buno forced him back and
grabbed up some of the gold, which he shoved into his loin-cloth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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