Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: July 25, 2025
"Then," retorted Lomalindela, with a malicious grin, "if thou art so sure of the effectiveness of the weapon, let me see thee use it in a real fight. Mapela, give 'Mfuni thy spear. And, hark ye, 'Mfuni, if thou canst slay the white man, or even disable him, thou shalt choose twenty head of cattle from mine own herd, and they shall be thine.
"Therefore," said he, "in order to prevent the stirring up of strife and the incitement to bloodshed, Sekosini, Mapela, Amakosa, and N'Ampata must die. But as to the others I am not so sure.
Unfortunately, however, Mapela could not know what was passing in my mind, and I had missed the only opportunity that had presented itself for discussing the matter with him which was while the king was displaying his fine feathers to his ladies; and it might very well happen that the old induna, animated by the best intentions in the world toward me, might select a foeman whom he might deem well worthy of my steel, for the purpose of enabling me to display my skill before the king.
I did not understand the meaning of it at the moment; but, later on, when I questioned Mapela, he informed me that it was the method adopted by the Mashona warriors to express admiration, approval, and appreciation of any act of an exceptionally generous and noble character, and had been evoked by my treatment in general of the 'Mfuni incident, and especially by my successful intervention to save the man from the most horrible form of death known among them.
"And are the victims killed there and then, on the spot?" demanded I. "Have they no chance given them to appeal against Machenga's judgment, no opportunity to produce proof of their innocence?" "None," answered Mapela. "They are dragged forth; the executioners take them; and they die! You will see; for the king has bidden you to be present to-morrow."
Tell me, for instance, what you know about the Bandokolo, and whereabout their country is situated." "Their country lies yonder," answered Mapela, pointing a little to the west of north; "and it is a long way off.
"Mapela," said Lomalindela, when the induna had drawn near and saluted, "I am perplexed, and know not what to believe. I can believe thy words, because I have proved thee, and know thee to be faithful and true. Thou didst know Logwane intimately; tell me, therefore, was he loyal to me, or was he not?" "There was no man in all Mashonaland more faithful to thee than Logwane," answered Mapela.
"But before he died he told me many wonderful things about the Bandokolo. "That is a very extraordinary story, Mapela," said I. "Did you believe it; or do you think that the man who told you had a sick brain and imagined things that were not?" "Nay, who can say?" returned Mapela.
"But," I exclaimed hotly, "that would be monstrous nothing short of deliberate, cold-blooded murder! Do you really think that the king will permit it? And if he should, will none of you intervene?" "The king will permit it, because he has absolute faith in Machenga," answered Mapela. "And, as for us, who are we that we should intervene to prevent that which the Great, Great One permits?"
Mapela, the Wise One, and I glanced enquiringly at each other, and methought that even in the semi-obscurity of that darkened interior I could detect the ghost of a twinkle of amusement in the old induna's eyes; for my own part, I remember that I was grinning from ear to ear as my imagination conjured up a picture of the scene which was enacting behind that curtain.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking