That was a puzzler, with a vengeance; and I looked about me in perplexity, searching earth and sky for an answer. As I did so, I saw, far away in the northern sky, a filmy something that, even as I looked, resolved itself into a flock of rock pigeons coming directly toward us. I knew, from long experience, the propensity of these birds to fly straight, and I felt sure that, unless something happened to divert their course, they would presently pass right over our heads; therefore, since a man’s life was hanging in the balance and only I could save it, I determined to take a chance, and called to Piet to hand me my rifle. Then, with it in my hand, I turned to the king and said:
“Behold, Lomalindela! yonder is a flight of rock pigeons about to pass over our heads. If one of them should fall dead in this square, would you believe that I have told you the truth, and that you may break your oath with impunity?”
“Yea, I will,” answered the king, looking in the direction toward which I was pointing, “for why should one of them fall dead, seeing that their flight is strong and full of life?”
“You shall see,” said I, and slowly raised my rifle. The birds were flying very high, and I foresaw that the shot would be a difficult one, but I had accomplished others quite as difficult in my time, and was determined that I would not fail now; therefore, holding my breath as the pigeons drew overhead, I sighted about six inches ahead of the leader and pulled the trigger. A low-murmured ejaculation of surprise followed the report of the piece, and simultaneously with it the leading pigeon was seen to spring convulsively upward about a foot, a feather or two detached themselves from its body, and then its wings collapsed and down it came, hurtling through the air, and falling, as luck would have it, within a few inches of the king’s feet!
And, as though the soft thud of its body upon the ground had been a signal, up went the hand of every man present to his mouth, and a low “Au!” of awe and amazement rolled round the square like the mutter of distant thunder.
“Is it enough, O King; and are you satisfied?” I demanded, as I stepped forward and, picking up the bird, handed it to the monarch for his inspection.
“It is enough, and I am satisfied,” answered the king. “I recall my oath, and the man’s life is yours, to do as you will with it.”
“I thank thee most heartily, O Great, Great One,” answered I. Then, turning to ’Mfuni, I said: “Return now to your place in the ranks, ’Mfuni, and to your friends. You fought well, and it was through no fault of yours that you were defeated. And when you are dismissed from duty, come to my wagon, and I will see what may be done toward mending the wound that the king’s sword inflicted upon you.”
“’Nkos’!” answered ’Mfuni, throwing up his hand in salute as he swung round upon his heel and marched back to his place in the ranks. And as he went there gradually arose from the assembled troops a sound like the pattering of rain upon a roof, caused by the drumming of spear-haft upon shield, beginning so gently that at first it was scarcely audible, but rapidly swelling in volume until it became almost deafening, when it as rapidly subsided into silence. I did not understand the meaning of it at the moment; but, later on, when I questioned Mapela, he informed me that it was the method adopted by the Mashona warriors to express admiration, approval, and appreciation of any act of an exceptionally generous and noble character, and had been evoked by my treatment in general of the ’Mfuni incident, and especially by my successful intervention to save the man from the most horrible form of death known among them.
From the fact that the scowl had vanished from the king’s brow I surmised that he, too, was well pleased at the final outcome of the matter; and when presently the sound of the peculiar salute to which I have referred had died away, he pointed to the rifle in my hand and said: