Hunters three: Sport and adventure in South Africa

by Thomas Wallace Knox

"We are very glad you did so," I replied, "and I think the best thing we can do is to interview this African potentate at once. Please lead the way into the tent where he is."

Mrs. Roberts did as requested, and in a moment we stood in the presence of the chief, or king, as he was pleased to call himself. Miss Boland rose and shook us warmly by the hand, with more composure than Mrs. Roberts had shown when she greeted us. There was reason for this, however, as she had heard us talking outside the tent, and had known for several minutes of our arrival.

I had a little acquaintance with the native language, though not a great deal. It was possible for me to talk in a fragmentary sort of way, and with the aid of the fore-looper I got along very well with his majesty; at all events, I made sure that he understood what I said. My impulse was to begin the conversation very abruptly by ordering him out of the tent and away from the kraal; but the thought arose that diplomacy might be better, and so I greeted him as amiably as was possible for me under the circumstances. He seemed somewhat disconcerted at our appearance, and this gave me an advantage.

I praised his country and the game that we had found in it, and told him we were intending to call on him that very day to pay our hongo, or tribute, for hunting in his dominions. He seemed pleased at the suggestion, and said he would receive us in the afternoon.

I suggested that as his residence was some twelve or fifteen miles away we might defer our visit till the next day, or possibly the day after; to which he assented. Then I invited him to come outside the tent, where I would show him some foreign magic.

The natives all over Africa are great believers in magic, and nowhere more so than in the region where we were. Everything they do not understand is at once attributed to supernatural powers, and it is this belief which has enabled foreigners to penetrate their country to the extent they have. A watch is regarded as a living thing with magical powers, and so is every piece of machinery, whether elaborate or simple. Firearms of all kinds are supposed to be of magical production, and the more effective they are and the more rapidly loaded and fired the greater is the amount of magic they contain. Mrs. Roberts had asked us to bring our Winchesters, with a view to their rapid use in case of actual fighting; I immediately saw, or thought I saw, a use for these weapons that she had not counted upon.

After getting Macatese outside the tent, and also outside the kraal, I called his attention to my rifle, telling him it was the newest magic of the white man. He looked at it in wonderment, and then asked me to fire it. His people meanwhile had gathered around us, and were intently watching the proceedings. There was a large tree about a hundred yards away, and I indicated that as the mark at which I would fire; then I drew the weapon to my shoulder, and fired five shots at the tree as fast as I could pump them out.

The first and second shots did not seem to startle him, as he had seen double-barreled guns fired before; but the third, fourth, and fifth shots were what may be termed, in slang, "corkers." A look of astonishment overspread his face, and if his complexion had permitted I think he would have turned pale! He was one of the most surprised Africans I ever saw.

I paused at the fifth shot, intimating to him that I could go on indefinitely, and then pointed to the weapons of my companions to show that they were of the same sort and of the same magical powers as mine. I further told him that we had a hundred such guns in our wagons (may the Lord forgive me for lying!), and we had a hundred men who could use them. I also averred that we had other things of much greater powers than these, and when we visited his kraal we would exhibit them.