“I know the road to the Lake,” said Kalulu, “for I was on the lake some moons ago. It ought to lie just where you saw the sun set to-night about twenty days’ march from here. But between us and this lake is Ferodia’s country. We should go a week further this way (pointing to the south), then turn round and go up, slowly towards the lake.”
“Ngema—Ngema” (good, good), all cried delighted.
“To-morrow we will continue the journey south, and after a week we will pick our way toward this lake, and Inshallah! we shall see Zanzibar within five moons from now,” said Simba.
“And to-morrow we shall get food—Inshallah!” said Moto.
“Inshallah, Inshallah!” all the Moslems cried.
They now proceeded to divide their ammunition, the powder and the bullets for Simba and Moto and Abdullah; while Selim, on inspecting his cartridge-bag, found a box with a thousand caps and one hundred bullets for his “Joe Manton.” Kalulu employed himself in examining the string of his bow; while Niani, seeing everybody else examine his weapon, thought he might as well follow their example, and began to look at the blade of his spear in a wise manner, and delighted everybody with the news that it was sharp.