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Sir Henry went the whole length about the matter, and dressed himself like a native warrior. "When you are in Kukuanaland, do as the Kukuanas do," he remarked, as he drew the shining steel over his broad breast, which it fitted like a glove. Nor did he stop there. At his request Infadoos had provided him with a complete set of native war uniform.
Harmony being thus restored, we crossed the line, and on the following morning I began shooting in good earnest." "Moving some five or six miles round the base of the great peak of which I have spoken, we came the same day to one of the fairest bits of African country that I have seen outside of Kukuanaland.
After I had narrated all the story of our escape, as we had agreed between ourselves that I should, I took the opportunity to address Ignosi as to our departure from Kukuanaland. "And now, Ignosi," I said, "the time has come for us to bid thee farewell, and start to see our own land once more. Behold, Ignosi, thou camest with us a servant, and now we leave thee a mighty king.
It took two full days' travelling along Solomon's Great Road, which pursued its even course right into the heart of Kukuanaland. Suffice it to say that as we went the country seemed to grow richer and richer, and the kraals, with their wide surrounding belts of cultivation, more and more numerous.
An order was also promulgated throughout the length and breadth of Kukuanaland that, whilst we honoured the country by our presence, we three were to be greeted with the royal salute, and to be treated with the same ceremony and respect that was by custom accorded to the king. Also the power of life and death was publicly conferred upon us.
We ate some insipid and sodden cold fish that is, with the exception of Umslopogaas, who, like most Zulus, cannot bear fish and took a pull of brandy, of which we fortunately had a few bottles left, and then began what, with one exception when we same three white men nearly perished of cold on the snow of Sheba's Breast in the course of our journey to Kukuanaland was, I think, the most trying night I ever experienced.
"Do you know," said Sir Henry that night, as we sat by our fire and gazed up at the beetling cliffs above us, "I think that there are worse places than Kukuanaland in the world, and that I have known unhappier times than the last month or two, though I have never spent such queer ones. Eh! you fellows?" "I almost wish I were back," said Good, with a sigh.
It was a few days after this last occurrence that Ignosi held his great "indaba," or council, and was formally recognised as king by the "indunas," or head men, of Kukuanaland. The spectacle was a most imposing one, including as it did a grand review of troops.
'Old friends, I said, 'how long is it since we got back from Kukuanaland? 'Three years, said Good. 'Why do you ask? 'I ask because I think that I have had a long enough spell of civilization. I am going back to the veldt. Sir Henry laid his head back in his arm-chair and laughed one of his deep laughs. 'How very odd, he said, 'eh, Good?
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