He selected nothing more formidable than an ordinary medicine measure, a ball of cotton wool, and a strand of magnesium wire. Then he advanced to the entrance and for the first time showed himself.
“Fear nothing, Ujojo. You and your men are safe,” he murmured. Then, aloud: “Now! Will ye all go? You weary us.”
The uncanny looking glass, inverted, caught the light. Upon the upturned bottom of the glass he had placed the ball of wool. Now, as in full view of them all he ignited the magnesium wire, flashing it within the inverted glass, the whole crowd, with the fear of the former explosion before its eyes, could stand it no longer. It backed, stumbled—then half turned.
“We withdraw, Lamonti, we withdraw,” cried a voice.
“Withdraw then. This fire is nearly burnt out. Then follows the rending of the earth.”
Swiftly, almost at a run, the badly frightened crowd, which a moment since had been bellowing for his blood, moved away, not halting to look back until it had reached a very respectable distance indeed. With difficulty Lamont restrained a hysterical roar of laughter.
“A near thing, Father,” he said to his companion. “But for that idea of mine they would have rushed the place. We are not out of the wood yet though. Hallo—what new excitement can be in the wind now?”
For among those who had just been giving trouble a new hubbub had arisen, but this time their retreat was not its object, for glances were turned in the opposite direction, and now among the varying vociferations could be descried the word ‘Amakiwa.’ And then, away beyond the stony ridge, rose the muffled, dropping roar of firearms. One of these two white men the sound thrilled like the thrill of harp-strings.
Beneath, in the hollow, excitement became intense on every hand. Groups of warriors springing from nowhere, armed, were moving off in the direction of the sound; the large body by which they had just been threatened had already gone. Again and again that dropping volley—somewhat nearer—and now from a new direction—and this time quite near, a renewed roar.
“D’you hear that?” cried Lamont, eager with repressed excitement. “We could almost join these, only we don’t know how many Matabele there may be between us and them.”