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But the explorers were quite satisfied; they were in no particular hurry; the climate was delightful; M'Bongwele was wonderfully civil, sending large supplies of provisions, fruit, and milk to the ship daily, accompanied by the most solicitous inquiries through Lualamba as to whether all things were going well with his visitors.
And, but for the fact that I am a powerful chief, with many friends, 'tis certain that I, even I, Lobelalatutu, would also have been sent along the dark path ere now. And now, behold, my life is forfeit. For well I know that M'Bongwele too truly suspects my intention to come out and acquaint the Great Spirits with what has happened; for see ye those warriors searching hither and thither?
Let a detachment of the guard enter the palace and bring M'Bongwele forth to hear his sentence!"
Go, now, Lobelalatutu; descend the ladder to your people; take as many men as may be needful, and bring forth M'Bongwele, that we, the Four Spirits, may judge him, and punish him for his crimes.
"And then, behold, on a certain day, when the chiefs were all gathered together in the Great Place, as usual, to take the king's commands, it was M'Bongwele who came forth to them from the palace, instead of Seketulo.
"It is charged against you that you have cruelly and maliciously incited the man M'Bongwele who falsely calls himself `king' to condemn many people to suffer death by torture, under the pretence that they were conspiring against him, knowing all the while that your accusations were false. What explanation or excuse have you to offer for your wickedness?" demanded the professor, sternly.
Take them, therefore, fasten strong ropes about their necks, and hang them both from the great branch of yonder tree until they be dead." Dead! The word touched M'Bongwele and stirred him as could no other word in his own or any other language. He? Dead? And by the hands of others?
And when at length I stood face to face with the witch doctor I laid my magic upon him, so that he was perforce obliged to tell me all the truth of the matter; and he confessed that 'Nkuni's illness was part of a conspiracy to remove your friends from you, that you might be deposed and slain, and the iniquitous system of government practised by M'Bongwele restored."
Notwithstanding this most dismal failure, M'Bongwele still entertained hopes of being able to possess himself of the coveted ship; and early next morning every available man and woman was marched to the scene of the preceding day's discomfiture to attempt the task of carrying the Flying Fish to the village!
In a word, hang them, even as M'Bongwele and M'Pusa, his chief witch doctor, were hanged. That surely ought to suffice for all practical purposes, should it not?" "Possibly," assented the king unwillingly. "The death by hanging and the disgrace of it are greatly feared, and it may be that " "Yes," interrupted Dick soothingly, "of course it will. Then that is settled, eh?
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