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Updated: June 20, 2025
"You!" said he suddenly, pointing his forefinger at the man in irons. "You have disobeyed my orders. You are no longer an askari. You are a common porter, and from now on will carry a load. It is not my custom to use kiboko on askaris; but a common porter can eat kiboko, and Mali-ya- bwana, my headman of safari, will give you twenty-five lashes. Bassi!"
The wizened little headman with the umbrella and the kiboko, who answered to the name of Cazi Moto, stepped forward and took charge of the indicated delicacy. Soon all was ready for a resumption of the march. Nothing was left of the wildebeeste save the head and the veriest offal. The stomach and intestines, even, had been emptied of their contents and packed away in the hide.
One of us wandered over with a kiboko with which lightly he flicked the legs of such damsels as he could reach. They scattered like quail, laughing hilariously. Billy was escorted back to safety. Shortly after the Chief and his Prime Minister came in. He was a little old gray-haired gentleman, as spry as a cricket, quite nervous, and very chatty.
Cries, shrieks, shouts, yells, and the sound of running to and fro steadily increased in volume. It was a riot. In vain Kingozi called for Cazi Moto and Simba. Finally he grasped his kiboko and started in the direction of the disturbance. The Leopard Woman sprang to his side, and guided him. He laid about him blindly with the kiboko, and in time succeeded in getting some semblance of order.
Have him bring also his gun; and his cartridges." Ignoring the waiting eight, Kingozi resumed his conversation with the Leopard Woman. "They are out of hand," said he. "We must impress them." "Kiboko?" she inquired. "Perhaps but you have rather overdone that. We shall see." "I heard you talk with that old man a few moments ago," she said. "And I heard also much talk of our men about it.
"Memba Sasa says you are half gunbearer. He was wrong. You are all porter; and you know no more than they do. It is in our mind to put you back to carrying a load. If you do not wish to taste the kiboko, you can take a load to-morrow." "The kiboko, bwana," pleaded Fundi, very abashed and humble. "Furthermore," we added crushingly, "you did not even hit the rhinoceros!"
But Bwana Kingozi's low voice cut across the merriment. "Bandika!" he commanded. And immediately Cazi Moto and Simba took up the cry. "Bandika! bandika! bandika!" they vociferated over and over. Cazi Moto moved here and there, lively as a cricket, his eyes alert for any indication of slackness, his kiboko held threateningly. But there was no need for the latter.
Even his kiboko had difficulty in breaking up the groups, in setting the men at the commonplace occupations of breaking camp. Yet that must be done, in all decent dignity; and at length it was done. The first ranks were now fairly at the outskirts of camp; the last had but just left the woods. The plains were literally covered with spearmen. A magnificent sight!
And after twenty minutes, or even the full half hour allotted to the rest period, Cazi Moto came in driving before him seven men. The wizened little headman was as cheerful and lively and vigorous as ever. He, too, grinned, but his eyes held a faint anxiety, and he had shifted his closed umbrella to his left hand and held the kiboko in his right.
He carries a gun in the field, like a gunbearer; and he knows much of the duty of gunbearer. Also he does not run away nor climb trees. But he carries in the meat; and he is not a real gunbearer. He is half porter and half gunbearer." "What punishment shall he have?" "Kiboko," said they. "Thank you. Bass!" They went, leaving Fundi. We surveyed him, quietly. "You a gunbearer!" said we at last.
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