“What has that to do with it?”
“Everything. I am not going to leave you in your misfortune to go and enjoy myself in the army. I could not do it; I should be wretched if I did. No, old fellow, we have gone through a good many things side by side, and, please God, we will stick to each other to the end of the chapter.”
Ernest was always easily touched by kindness, especially now that his nerves were shaken, and his heart softened by misfortune, and his eyes filled with tears at Jeremy’s words. Putting out his hand, he felt about for Jeremy’s, and, when he had found it, grasped it warmly.
“If I have troubles, Jeremy, at least I have a blessing that few can boast—a true friend. If you had gone with the rest at Isandhlwana yonder, I think that my heart would have broken. I think we do bear one another a love ‘passing the love of women.’ It would not be worth much if it didn’t, that is one thing. I wonder if Absalom was a finer fellow than you are, Jeremy? ‘from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.’ Your hair would not weigh ‘two hundred shekels after the king’s weight,’ though” (Jeremy wore his hair cropped like a convict’s); “but I would back you to throw Absalom over your shoulder, hair and all.”
It was his fashion to talk nonsense when affected by anything, and Jeremy, knowing it, said nothing.
Just then there came a knock at the door, and who should enter but Mazooku, and Mazooku transformed. His massive frame, instead of being clothed in the loose white garments he generally wore, was arrayed in a flannel shirt with an enormous stick-up collar, a suit of pepper-and-salt reach-me-downs several sizes too small for him, and a pair of boots considerably too large for his small and shapely feet; for, like those of most Zulus of good blood, his hands and feet were extremely delicately made.
To add to the incongruity of his appearance, on the top of his hair, which was still done in ridges, Zulu fashion, and decorated with long bone snuff-spoons, was perched an extremely small and rakish-looking billycock hat, and in his hand he carried his favourite and most gigantic knobstick.
On opening the cabin-door he saluted in the ordinary fashion, and coming in, squatted down on his haunches to await orders, forgetting that he was not in all the freedom of his native dress. The results were most disastrous. With a crack and a bang the reach-me-down trousers, already strained to their utmost capacity, split right up the back. The astonished Zulu flew up into the air, but presently discovering what had happened, sat down again, remarking that there was “much more room now.”
Jeremy burst out laughing, and having sketched his retainer’s appearance for the benefit of Ernest, told him what had happened.
“Where did you get those things from, Mazooku?” asked Ernest.