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Updated: June 26, 2025
"Nay," interrupted Mafuta, "I saw nothing; nor do I know what you saw, excepting that I willed you to see the 'ntombi. Tell me everything that you beheld, and maybe I can help you to find the place."
Between Tom Brown and this man Mafuta there had sprung up a species of friendship, which grew stronger the more they became acquainted with each other. Mafuta was an unusually honest, affectionate and straightforward Caffre, who had been much in the settlements, and could speak a little English.
Or perhaps by describing it to others you may be able to find someone who has been there and who, recognising it from your description, will be able to tell you its name and where it is." "Very well, then," said I; "do what you can to help me, Mafuta, and I will be for ever obliged to you." "Sit where you are, and do exactly as I bid you."
He repeated the signal at brief intervals for about ten minutes, when answering shouts were heard, whereupon he drew three or four matches from the box, bunched them together, ignited them, and held the tiny torch aloft to guide Mafuta and Jantje, whose voices he recognised.
"At sunrise to-morrow shall the herd be driven hither, when my lords shall choose for themselves as many as they will," answered the headman. "Let it be so," answered Grosvenor; "for to-morrow at sunrise will we resume our journey to the king's village and the ruins. By the way, ask him, Mafuta, how far the ruins are from here."
At first Tom could scarcely walk a mile without sitting down several times to rest, on which occasions Mafuta endeavoured to cheer him up by threatening to leave him to his fate! This was a somewhat singular mode of stimulating, but he deemed it the wisest course, and acted on it.
It ought to have killed him, he thought, but it did not, for he made off as fast as possible, just as Wilkins and Mafuta arrived, panting, on the scene of action. "What a magnificent fellow!" exclaimed Wilkins going up to the dead lion. "Bravissimo, Tom, you've done it at last." "Done it!" cried Tom, as he loaded hastily, "why, I've all but done three. Follow up the trail, man, as fast as you can.
It was not till grey dawn appeared that the enemy beat a retreat, and allowed the shivering travellers to get once more between the blankets. They had not lain long, however, when a double shot aroused them all, and they rushed out to find that Mafuta had killed a lioness! She was a splendid creature, and had succumbed to a bullet sent through her ribs.
But it was a suggestion, the nature of which I was able to divine without difficulty, for, by way of reply, Banda ejaculated between his groans: "Yes, yes; let Mafuta be instantly summoned. And as for the white man, let the presumptuous pretender be closely confined in his own hut until I can decide upon the nature of his punishment.
"Three, baas," answered Mafuta; "that is to say, two lions and one lioness, all full-grown, but quite young, and in grand condition, their teeth and claws quite perfect." "Is that so?" queried Dick. "Then I suppose you have been out to have a look at them?" "Yes, baas," answered the black; "we went out and brought them in. They are now just outside the tent."
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