“If you become king of the country, you will wish to be friends with the English, as Panda is. Now it strikes me, the best way to show your friendly intentions is to treat well those who fall into your power. I hope therefore, after we have had some breakfast, that you will restore us our rifles and horses, and allow us to return to those who are waiting for us.”
“Go back to your hut, and wait until I send for you!” answered Umbulazi, making a grimace from which Denis drew no favourable augury. He thought it wise to obey.
“What news?” asked Percy, as he entered.
“One certain piece of news is that Lionel got off safe; but what the chief intends doing with us is more than I can say. I hope he will send us some breakfast; if not, we must forage for ourselves. The fellows down there will soon have their meat cooked and their mealy cakes baked. Before they have eaten them all up I will go down to one of the fires and claim a portion.”
They waited for some time.
“I can stand this no longer!” cried Denis at last, and he got up intending to proceed to the nearest fire, when just as he crawled through the opening a Kaffir woman appeared carrying a basket on her head.
“The chief has sent you this,” she said; “you are to eat it and be thankful; but he bids me tell you that if you attempt to run away you will be killed.”
“We are much obliged to the chief,” said Denis, as the girl placed the basket on the ground. “Tell him that we wish to remain friends, and that when he gives us permission we will bid him good-bye.”
Denis, however, was too hungry to say more, and taking up the basket entered the hut. It contained a gourd of whey, some mealy cakes and cooked buffalo flesh.
“This isn’t bad, after all,” observed Denis as they fell to. “We have got Lionel’s share as well as our own; however, we may stow that away in case we want it.”