Then Kalulu, impulsive youth that he was, sprang up and cried, “Enough, Selim, thou hadst almost persuaded me; but Simba has conquered me. I shall go to Zanzibar, I shall learn how to be a great king, and I shall come back to Ututa a strong, big man like thou, Simba; then let Ferodia look to himself. Let him live upon the fatness of the land. Let him enjoy his gains until Kalulu comes back, then by Soltali’s ashes, by the grave of Mostana, by the black ruins of Katalambula’s village, I shall have fullest revenge. I have spoken.”
“Good—good—good,” cried all at once, and Selim sprang up and embraced him, while Simba and Moto took each a hand and shook it eagerly, while little Niani jumped and hopped about as though he were a real monkey, whereas he was only a monkey in name, and Abdullah, after Selim released him, insisted also upon the same right to embrace him, and promised upon the Küran to come back with him to Watuta and see him righted. There was such joy in the little camp, closed in by that impenetrable jungle hedge, such as we are certain was never seen before, and never will be seen there again.
“There is one other little thing I should like to see Kalulu do,” said Selim, smiling, but looking on the ground nevertheless.
“What? anything else for me to do? Well, I will do it. Speak,” replied Kalulu, lifting Selim’s head up with his hand so that he could see his face.
“Thou art so good, Kalulu, to promise me so many things before thou knowest what it is I am going to ask. Thou knowest that I am very timid and fearful, and I could not sleep to-night quietly with that ugly head so near me, and—”
Kalulu rose immediately, and taking hold of the head by the hair, he tossed it into the middle of the jungle hedge, where, rolling through a little, it remained fixed in the forks of a thorn-bush situated exactly in the middle of the hedge, where it was more effectively buried safer from all living creatures than were it buried ten feet deep in the earth.
“Good—good,” cried Abdullah and Selim, really more rejoiced and feeling safer from Tifum than they liked to confess.
“Now,” said Simba, when each person’s feelings were calmed, “let us talk of other matters. Kalulu, thou knowest this country. How can we get away to Zanzibar?”
“But where is Zanzibar?” asked Kalulu, surprised.
“It ought to be east directly from here, just where the sun rises every morning,” answered Simba.