Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 15, 2025
'You propose to travel a hundred miles, binding yourself not to strike a blow. It is simply putting yourself at the mercy of any police patrol. 'There will be no patrol, Laputa replied. 'Our march will be as secret and as swift as death. I have made my preparations. 'But suppose you met with opposition, the Portugoose persisted, 'would the rule hold?
Before you started this rising, you were a civilized man with a good education. Well, just remember that education for a minute, and look at the matter in a sensible light. I'm not like the Portugoose. I don't want to steal your rubies. I swear to God that what I have told you is true. Henriques killed the priest, and would have bagged the jewels if I had not laid him out.
I am willing to do it, too on my own terms. I did not wait to hear those terms, for I had a shrewd guess what they would be. My hatred of Henriques rose and choked me. I saw murder and trickery in his mean eyes and cruel mouth. I could not, to be saved from the uttermost horror, have made myself his ally. 'Now listen, Mr Portugoose, I cried. 'You tell me you are a spy.
I went straight for the Portugoose, determined that, pistol or no pistol, I would serve him as he had served my dog. For my years I was a well-set-up lad, long in the arms and deep in the chest. But I had not yet come to my full strength, and in any case I could not hope to fight the whole of Laputa's army. I was flung back and forwards like a shuttlecock.
I waited quietly on the edge of the shade till the Portugoose came out of the thicket. I saw him running forward with a rifle in his hand. A whinny from a horse told me that somewhere near his beast was tied up. It was all but dark, but it seemed to me that I could see the lust of greed in his eyes as he rushed to the litter. Very softly I stole behind him.
The Portugoose rose slowly with his hand to his head, and a thin stream of blood dripping from his shoulder. As I saw the faithful eyes glazing in death, and knew that I had lost the best of all comrades, I went clean berserk mad. The cluster of men round me, who had been staring open-eyed at the fight, were swept aside like reeds.
'For I have appointed Henriques your executioner. The name brought my senses back to me. 'Kill me, I said, 'but for God's sake kill Henriques too. If you did justice you would let me go and roast the Portugoose alive. But for me the Snake would be over the Lebombo by this time in Henriques' pocket. 'But it is not, my friend.
Close on its heels came the message from Henriques by a Shangaan in his pay. It must have been sent off before the Portugoose got to the Rooirand, from which it would appear that he had his own men in the bush near the store, and that I was lucky to get off as I did. Arcoll might have disregarded Henriques' news as a trap if it had come alone, but my corroboration impressed and perplexed him.
There was a strong contrast between the flippant tone of the Portugoose and the grave voice which answered him. 'The Keeper of the Snake will open the holy place, and bring forth the Isetembiso sami. As the leader of my people, I will assume the collar of Umkulunkulu in the name of our God and the spirits of the great dead.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking