“I see you, white men,” answered the king, slightly raising his right hand in acknowledgement of the salute. “You are welcome to the country of the Makolo. When I was informed of your approach I gave certain orders to my people concerning your comfort and welfare. I trust that those orders have been obeyed to your satisfaction.”
“Your words, O King! have been most implicitly obeyed, and we thank you for them, as also for the welcome that you have extended to us,” returned Dick. “The four Spirits of the Winds will be pleased to learn, when we return, that you have not forgotten the injunctions that they laid upon you.”
“The four Spirits of the Winds!” ejaculated the king, in great surprise, not wholly untinged with trepidation—which emotions were even more strongly displayed by the chiefs who stood about him. “Know ye then those terrible beings?” (Note 1.)
“Even so,” answered Dick composedly. “We know that they twice visited the Makolo country; and we also know,”—he added with emphasis—“what happened upon each of those occasions. We know what happened to M’Bongwele, the former king of the Makolo; and we know why Lobelalatutu was chosen king in his place.”
“Wau!” murmured the assembled chiefs behind their hands, in awestricken tones; “it is wonderful!” while Lobelalatutu shifted uneasily in his seat as he gazed apprehensively in the faces of his two visitors. For nearly a minute he remained silent, apparently debating within himself some very puzzling question. Then he said:
“I would that I knew, O white men, all the reasons that have led you to visit the Makolo country. They must be many and great to have induced you to cross the Great Water, and to take so long, so wearisome, and so dangerous a journey afterwards.”
“Listen then, O King Lobelalatutu, and you shall be told,” answered Dick. “My friend here is a great hunter; he loves the excitement of the chase, even as do your own young men. But in our own country the people are so many that there is little room for game, which is consequently very scarce. Therefore my friend said: ‘Lo, I will go to Africa, where the people are few and game is abundant, and there will I hunt the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, and all those other animals that afford good sport, and are not to be found in England; also I am desirous of seeing the wonderful ruins of that great and ancient city whereof the four Spirits of the Winds have spoken; therefore will I go to the Makolo country, wherein those ruins are to be found, and become the friend, if I may, of the king, and his people.’ And, as for me, I am a healer of all kinds of sickness; I am also a seeker of gold, and the stones that glitter. Therefore said my friend to me: ‘Come, let us go together, for the journey shall be to our mutual advantage; we will hunt together, and if sickness overtake me you shall be my healer, while such gold, or stones, or ivory as we may obtain shall be yours.’ Those, O Lobelalatutu! are our sole reasons for coming hither. Are they not good and sufficient?”
“They may be sufficient in your own eyes; but as for me, I know not,” answered the king. “The thing that I would know is this: Come ye as friends, or as secret enemies, of me and my people?”
“Have I not said?” returned Dick. “My friend would be the friend of you and your people; and his friends will also be my friends; his enemies my enemies. If ye should need such help as it is in our power to give, it shall be yours, freely; and all we ask in return is that we may be allowed to examine the ruins at our leisure, and to take away with us such gold or stones as we may find.”
“It is well,” answered the king. “If that be all ye ask, it is granted. Ye may examine the ruins at your pleasure; ye may remain in my country as long as ye will, and no man shall molest you; and whatsoever ye may find that is valuable in your eyes, that shall ye take with you when ye leave my country. That is my word, the word of the king. Say now, is it good?”