“Selim, son of Amer, permit Simba, the Mrundi, to ask thee if thou hast already forgotten thy dead father, thy kinsmen, thine own miseries? Say, where is Isa? Where is little Mussoud? How was Abdullah treated? What became of Kalulu, thy friend? Where is Soltali? What has become of the village of Katalambula? I tell thee, young master, that if an Arab boy can so soon forget these, I, a Mrundi, cannot; and were Tifum the Wicked possessed of a thousand lives, I would take a life of his at every opportunity. What sayest thou, Moto, my friend? Have I not said well?”
“Quite right, my brother Simba, I should have done the same; and I am only sorry it fell to thy lot to take his life, because I should like to have taken it myself,” answered Moto promptly.
“What sayest thou, Kalulu?” asked Simba of the young chief.
“Here is my answer,” answered Kalulu, pointing to the head, which he picked up and tossed into the air, smiling as the head fell on its nose.
“What sayest thou, Abdullah? thou who art an Arab, and the son of an Arab?” asked Simba.
“The Küran says: ‘And if thy enemy depart not from thee, and offer thee peace, and restrain his hand from warring against thee, take him and hill him wheresoever thou dost find him, for over him God has granted the true believer a manifest power’ Since the prophet Mohammed (blessed be his name) speaks on thy side, Simba, far be it from Abdullah, son of Sheikh Mohammed, to say thou hast done wrong in this fearful thing. I think thou hast done right,” answered Abdullah gravely.
“Then, if the Küran says so, I, Selim, son of Amer, am convinced thou hast done right,” said Selim, as he hastened up, and, with an apologetic look, begged Simba’s pardon.
“I, Niani, the mtuma (slave) of Selim, the son of Amer, do pronounce that Simba did right,” cried the little negro, with an assurance which made all smile, and for a moment forget their previous mood.
“But what art thou going to do with the head, Keklu?” asked Selim.
“I am going to take medicine from it,” replied Kalulu, “to make my arm strong against Ferodia, when we get to the camp,” folding it up in the cloth again as he spoke.