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So he passed on to Stephen and began to chalk him. Stephen, however, in whom the natural man still prevailed, shouted: "Take your filthy hands off me," and lifting his leg, which was unfettered, gave the painted witch-doctor such an awful kick in the stomach, that he vanished backwards into the grave beneath him. "Ow! Well done, Wazela!" said the Zulus, "we hope that you have killed him."
Or if the tree prove barren, then to drink of its sap and sleep." Waving Brother John aside he beckoned to Stephen. "O Wazela!" he said, "you fought very well in that fight; if you go on as you have begun in time you will make a warrior of whom the Daughter of the Flower and her children will sing songs after you have come to join me, your friend. Meanwhile, farewell!
Babemba said that Dogeetah and Wazela were bewitched, and that I, Macumazana, alone retained my senses. "Then that's settled," exclaimed Stephen. "John and I are to go as envoys to the Pongo, and you, Quatermain, will stop here to look after the hunters and the stores." "Young man," I replied, "do you wish to insult me? After your father put you in my charge, too!
After all, dangers are everywhere; those who turn back because of dangers will never succeed in any life that we can imagine. "Mavovo," I said presently, pointing to Stephen with my pipe, "the inkoosi Wazela does not wish to try to escape. He wishes to go on to the country of the Pongo people if we can get there. And, Mavovo, remember that he has paid for everything; we are his hired servants.
After a suitable pause I replied in a cold voice: "We are the white lions, Macumazana and Wazela, and we roar! we roar! we roar!" "I can trample," said Bausi. "And we can bite," I said haughtily, though how we were to bite or do anything else effectual with nothing but a Union Jack, I did not in the least know. "What is that thing?" asked Bausi, pointing to the flag.
"Inkoosi," he said, "the white chief Wazela bade me say that he and the cook, Sam, have gone to sleep on board the ship to look after the goods. Sam came up just now and fetched him away; he says he will show you why to-morrow." I nodded and passed on, wondering to myself why Stephen had suddenly determined to stay the night on the Maria.
Also that he says that if we run back he will walk forward alone with these Mazitus. Still, if any of you hunters desire to slip off, he will not look your way, nor shall I. What say you?" "I say, Macumazana, that, though young, Wazela is a chief with a great heart, and that where you and he go, I shall go also, as I think will the rest of us.
This time, however, the name he called out was Mwamwazela, which in its shortened form of Wazela, was the Kaffir appellation that the natives had given to Stephen Somers. It means a Smile, and no doubt was selected for him because of his pleasant, smiling countenance. Having passed it through the right-hand fire of the three, he examined it and laid it down. So it went on.
"Take that to the captain there with my good wishes, Jerry, and ask him if he will drink with us," I said. Jerry, who was a plucky fellow, obeyed. Advancing with the steaming coffee, he held it under the Captain's nose. Evidently he knew the man's name, for I heard him say: "O Babemba, the white lords, Macumazana and Wazela, ask if you will share their holy drink with them?"
Moreover, yonder Mavovo takes the shillings and frightens everybody, but tells nobody anything. I call it cheating. But, Baas, do you and the Baas Wazela have no fear. You did not pay shillings, and therefore Mavovo, though without doubt he is a great Inyanga, cannot really prophesy concerning you, since his Snake will not work without a fee." The argument seems remarkably absurd.
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