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Updated: June 19, 2025
About an hour later Lobelalatutu, having summoned his chiefs, sat upon his throne in the centre of the Great Place before his palace, with Dick beside him, and his bodyguard of some five hundred warriors, fully armed, arranged in a wide circle round him.
The coast line was distant some twenty miles from the village, and about as far from the ruins of Ophir; it was therefore easily reached within an hour from the moment of starting, and King Lobelalatutu then had the mystifying experience of beholding the ladies of the party, accompanied by Ida, Sir Reginald, Lethbridge, and Colonel Sziszkinski suddenly and unaccountably appear on the beach below him having left the ship in some mysterious and unknown manner while the professor and Mildmay remained on board with him, to have the position of the wreck pointed out to them, and afterwards convey him back to his village and people.
I have given instructions as to the place where your wagon shall outspan; it is near at hand, between the village and the ruins; and if ye need anything, send word by your servant to me, and I will see to it." "We thank you, O Lobelalatutu!" answered Dick. "We go now; but to- morrow we will come again, bearing with us the gifts that we have brought for thee from England. Until then, farewell!"
And you may be sure that I shall use my very best efforts to succeed, and also to discover the details of the conspiracy which Lobelalatutu suspects; for, should it succeed, we shall find ourselves in an exceedingly awkward predicament." "Why how do you mean?" demanded Grosvenor. "How do I mean?" repeated Dick.
"Now, Lobelalatutu," said the professor, "show us, if you can, whereabouts the wreck lay, when you last saw it." The king looked out to seaward, and pointed toward a spot about half a mile from the shore, where the sea was breaking heavily. "It was there," he said, "quite close to that end of the white line on the water." "Ah!" exclaimed Mildmay.
"Who is it, Mafuta a man, or a woman?" demanded Dick. "It is a man, 'mlungu" answered Mafuta. Then, drawing still nearer, and lowering his voice almost to a whisper, he added: "He says he is named Lobelalatutu!" "The king!" exclaimed Dick, starting to his feet in amazement. "What the dickens is up now, I wonder? Is he armed, Mafuta?" "Nay, lord, he is weaponless," answered Mafuta.
It was about a week after the trial of the conspirators, and the execution of the sentences passed upon them, that King Lobelalatutu sent for them both, and tendered his hearty thanks for the important service which Dick had rendered him in unravelling the details of the plot and bringing the plotters to trial, as well as for saving the life of the chief, 'Nkuni, who, under the Healer's sedulous ministrations, was already up and about again.
"And, thereupon, the majority declared for M'Bongwele; while we who were opposed to him agreed to bide our time and await the return of the Spirits, recognising the futility of resistance at the moment, which, indeed, could but have ended in M'Bongwele's triumph and our destruction to no purpose." "You did well, O Lobelalatutu," answered von Schalckenberg, approvingly.
But I tell you, Lobelalatutu, that if yonder white man had not interfered and saved you by his magic, I would have fought against you, even to the last man; for I was to have been king in your stead; and I know that under my rule the Makolo nation would have recovered all its lost greatness."
Then, turning to Lobelalatutu, he asked: "How long is it since the chiefs who support you began to sicken and die; and how many have already passed along the Dark Path?" "It is now nearly three moons since 'Mtatu, my most trustworthy chief, died; and since then five others have travelled along the same Dark Road," answered the king.
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