United States or United Arab Emirates ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Have no fear," answered the cold Komba, "in our holy town of Rica we do not tie innocent guests to stakes to be shot to death with arrows." The repartee, which was undoubtedly neat, irritated Bausi, who was not fond of allusions to this subject. "If the white men are so safe, why do you not let them take their guns with them?" he asked, somewhat illogically.
If you and your councillors are willing, and these Pongos are willing, I and my friends do not fear to visit the Motombo and the Kalubi, to talk with them of peace on behalf of your people, since we love to see new lands and new races of mankind. Say, Komba, if the king allows, will you accept us as ambassadors?" "It is for the king to name his own ambassadors," answered Komba.
I inquired how he knew that, since we had only arranged to call on him late on the previous night, and I understood that he lived a day's journey away. But Komba put the matter by with a smile and a wave of his hand. So in due course off we went, taking with us all our baggage, which now that it had been lightened by the delivery of the presents, was of no great weight.
Standing in the prow of the first of these, and roaring curses and vengeance at us, was Komba, the new Kalubi, who shook a great spear above his head. An idea occurred to me, who knew that unless something were done we must be overtaken and killed by these skilled boatmen.
From a high mound which looked exactly like a tumulus and, for aught I know, may have been one, however, the blue waters beyond were visible, and in the far distance what, looked at through glasses, appeared to be a tree-clad mountain top. I asked Komba what it might be, and he answered that it was the Home of the gods in Pongo-land. "What gods?"
If we could not get a boat we must remain in that foodless forest until we starved. Or if we returned to the island of the Flower, there ere long we should certainly be attacked and destroyed by Komba and the Pongos when they came to look for our bodies. "I'll try it, Hans," I said. "Yes, Baas, I thought you would.
"I don't know," grunted Bausi, "but there is one here who can tell a different story," and he looked at Babemba, who wriggled uncomfortably. Komba also looked at him with his fierce eyes. "It is not conceivable," he said, "that anybody should wish to eat one so old and bony, but let that pass. I thank you, King, for your promise of safety.
"Land, white lords, land," said Komba with the utmost politeness, "and go, visit the god who doubtless is waiting for you. And now, as we shall meet no more farewell. You are wise and I am foolish, yet hearken to my counsel. If ever you should return to the Earth again, be advised by me. Cling to your own god if you have one, and do not meddle with those of other peoples. Again farewell."
Here the shallows and the banks projecting from different points made the channel dangerous. Entering the Mbokwe branch we were compelled to use sweeps, or the schooner would have been dashed against the sides; as we learned by the trees, the tides raise the surface two to three feet high. After the third hour we passed the "Fan Komba Vina," or village of King Vina.
I observed from the smaller size of the trees adjacent to these clearings, that much more land had once been under cultivation here, probably within the last century, and asked Komba why this was so. He answered in an enigmatic sentence which impressed me so much that I find I entered it verbatim in my notebook. "When man dies, corn dies. Man is corn, and corn is man."
Word Of The Day