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Later on the same evening, they decided to attempt to win back the King and the Prime Minister and Mujasi by gifts, so that their imprisoned boys would be freed from danger. Mackay spoke to his other boys, telling them to go and fly for their lives or they would be killed.
In the morning Mackay heard that three of the boys who had been captured on the previous day were not only bound as prisoners, but that Mujasi was threatening to burn them to death. The boys were named Seruwanga, Kakumba, and Lugalama. The eldest was fifteen, the youngest twelve. The boys were led out with a mob of howling men and boys around them. You believe you will rise from the dead.
For a little time M'wanga ceased to persecute the Christians. But the wily Arabs whispered in his ear that the white men were still trying to "eat up" his country. M'wanga was filled with mingled anger and fear. Then his fury burst all bounds when Mujasi said to him: "There is a great white man coming from the rising sun. Behind him will come thousands of white soldiers."
I will burn you too and your household. "Yes, I am," replied Musali, "and I am not ashamed of it." It was a marvel of courage to say in the face of the executioner's fire and knife what Peter dared not say when the servant-maid in Jerusalem laughed at him. Perhaps the heroism of Musali awed even the cruel-hearted Mujasi. In any case he left Musali alone.
"We are the King's friends," replied Mackay, "and we have his leave to travel. How dare you insult us?" And they pushed forward. But the soldiers rushed at them; snatched their walking-sticks from them and began to jostle them. Mackay and Ashe sat down by the side of the path. Mujasi came up to them. "Where are you walking?" he asked.
I will not struggle, I will not fight only throw me into the fire." But they did their ghastly work, and threw the mutilated boy on a wooden framework above the slow fire where his cries went up, till at last there was silence. One other Christian stood by named Musali. Mujasi, with eyes bloodshot and inflamed with cruelty, came towards him and cried: "Ah, you are here.
"We are travelling to the port with the permission of King M'wanga and the Katikiro." "You are a liar!" replied Mujasi. Mujasi stood back and the soldiers rushed at the missionaries, dragged them to their feet and held the muzzles of their guns within a few inches of their chests. Mackay turned with his boys and marched back to the capital.
Mackay became more and more suspicious that some foul plot was being brewed. He and his company had walked ten miles, and the lake was but two miles away, divided from them by a wood. Suddenly there leapt out from behind the trees of the wood hundreds of men headed by Mujasi himself. They levelled their guns and spears at Mackay and his friends and yelled, "Go back! Go back!"
But Mujasi had no mercy. We are told that the men who were watching held their breath with awed amazement as they heard a boy's voice out of the flame and smoke singing, "Daily, daily sing to Jesus, Sing, my soul, His praises due." As the executioners came towards the youngest and feeblest, Lugalama, he cried, "Oh, do not cut off my arms.
So M'wanga's soldiers went and caught the lad and led him down to a place where they lit a fire, and placing the boy over it, burned him slowly to death. All through this time Mackay alone had not been really seriously threatened, for his work and what he was made the King and the Katikiro and even Mujasi afraid to do him to death. Then there came a tremendous thunderstorm.
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