United States or Armenia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"The Great Great One awaits you, Nyonyoba." Laurence started from his reverie, and, accompanied by two of the guards, proceeded across the great open space in silence.
No wonder his blood grew chill within him. Would he be the next? "And you would still become one of us, Nyonyoba?" "I would, Great Great One; and to this end have I sent much ivory, and many things the white people prize, including three new guns and much ammunition, to Nondwana." "Ha! Nondwana's hand is large, and opens wide," said the king, with a hearty chuckle.
And then for long did they sit together and talk in a low tone, the barbarian monarch and the white adventurer and the subject of their talk seemed fraught with some surprise to the latter, but with satisfaction to both. "See now, Nyonyoba," concluded the king. "They have brought you here, here whence no man ever returned; and you would become one of us. Well, be it so.
Up this they climbed some fifty feet without difficulty, emerging upon another terrace. Here another rope hung from the cliff above, about the same height. "Go first, Nyonyoba, while I hold the rope to steady it," said the girl. "Then, too, if your strength should give way, perhaps I may catch you and break your fall. I am as strong as any of the women of the Ba-gcatya and that is saying much."
"Yes, I. Hearken, Ndabezita. I it was who brought him hither. He is young, and his life is all before him. Mine is all behind me, and has been no great gain at that. I will proceed with these" with a glance in the direction of the blackly horrible group "to where atonement is offered. But let the two return together to their own land." "Pause, Nyonyoba!
Then he would offer lobola for Lindela, and "I accompany you farther, Nyonyoba, at the word of the Great Great One, by whose light we live." The voice of the inceku who had ushered him forth broke in upon his meditations.
For had your army possessed fire-weapons, never would it have eaten up our camp out yonder. It would have spent all its time and energy shooting, and that to little purpose. It would have had time to think, and then the warriors would have brought but half a heart to the last fierce charge." "There is much in what you say, Nyonyoba," replied the king; "yet, I would try the experiment."
Perhaps she too had learned something she wanted to know; indeed, it must have been so, for her whole face was lit up with a gladsome light, a wonderfully attractive light. "Perchance the king will return some of it," she said. "Yet you are a white man, and strong, Nyonyoba are all white men like you, I wonder? and can overcome all difficulties. Listen!
Surely my itongo will not weep mournfully on the voices of the night as others do; surely it will laugh for very joy, for very love, because of this my end, until time shall die will it not, Nyonyoba, my beloved? Say will it not?" But Laurence could not say anything, for, lo a marvel.
"And you have met and fought with that," she began, pointing downwards, "and are still alive? Why, Nyonyoba, you have done that which no man has ever done before. How did you do it? With the bones of dead men? Ha! you are indeed great, Nyonyoba, great indeed. Yet what a thought!" "A good thought truly. Still, had it occurred to those who went before me they might have done the same.