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Updated: June 12, 2025
"Now, Major," he said, "you get up and follow me, for I know every inch of ground, also by and by good short cut over mountains. You see Jeekie very clever boy, and when he herd sheep and goat he made note of everything and never forget nothing. He pull you out of this hole, never fear." "Glad to hear it, I am sure," answered Alan as he rose. "But what's to become of the Mungana?"
Once more we see her on the head of the Asika as our fathers did. Give her a sacrifice. Give her the white man." "Nay," she screamed back, "the white man is mine. I name him as the next Mungana." "Oho!" roared the audience, "Oho! she names him as the next Mungana. Good-bye, old Mungana! Greeting, new Mungana! When will be the marriage feast?"
The Mungana's eyes seemed to sink into his head, and his face to sicken with terror. That shaft had gone home. "Suppose I make a bargain with you," went on Alan slowly. "Supposing I say: 'Mungana, show me the way out of this place, as you can, now at once. Or if you prefer it, refuse and be given up to the Asika? Come, you are not too mad to understand. Answer and quickly."
A few paces further on stood the Mungana like a man transfixed, and even then Alan noticed that he regarded him with something akin to awe. "Stronger than the god," he muttered, "stronger than the god," and bounded forward. Following the path that ran beside the canal, they plunged into a tunnel, holding each other as before.
They ate of it ravenously, and while they ate, told Fahni something of the story of their escape. The old chief listened amazed, but like Jeekie asked Alan why he had not killed the Mungana, who would have killed him. Alan, who was in no mood for long explanations, answered that he had kept him with them because he might be useful.
So intent was the Mungana upon the deed which he had come to do that he never looked back, and thus it happened that the two of them reached the bed one immediately behind the other. Alan was lying on his back with his throat exposed, a very easy victim. For a moment the Mungana stared.
To this demonstration Jeekie replied with gestures of contempt such as are known to street Arabs. Then he looked at the Mungana, who lay upon the ground a melancholy and dilapidated spectacle, for the perspiration had washed lines of paint off his face and patches of dye from his hair, also his gorgeous robes were water-stained and his gem necklaces broken.
"Will you take me to your home and support me, or will that white lord marry me? They told me that the Asika had named him as the Mungana, and she is very jealous, the most jealous Asika that I have ever known." "No, mother, he would like to, but he dare not, and I cannot support you as I should wish, as here I have no house or property.
Say now, what else is wrong with me?" Now Alan thought that he saw opportunity for a word in season and made a great mistake. "I think that you treat your husband, that man whom you call Mungana, very badly. Why should you drive him to his death?"
"Quite so, Jeekie, I agree with you. But to come to the point, what is her game with me?" "Oh! Major," he answered with a grin, "that simple enough. She tired of black man, want change, mean to marry you according to law, that is when Mungana dies, and he die jolly quick now.
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