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although he looked as though he would much rather stay behind。
〃Ask him if there are any snakes there； sir；〃 he said； and foolishly
enough I put the question to give me time to think of other things。
〃Yes； O Bena。 Yes； O Cock of the Ashpit；〃 replied Babemba。 〃My uncle's
Kendar wife told me that one of the guardians of the shrine of the
White Kendah is such a snake as was never seen elsewhere in the
world。〃
〃Then say to him； sir；〃 said Savage； when I had translated almost
automatically； 〃that shrine ain't a church where /I/ shall go to say
my prayers。〃
Alas！ poor Savage little knew the future and its gifts。
Then we came to the question of bearers。 The end of it was that after
some hesitation Bausi II； because of his great affection for us；
promised to provide us with these upon our solemnly undertaking to
dismiss them at the borders of the desert； 〃so that they might escape
our doom；〃 as he remarked cheerfully。
Four days later we started； accompanied by about one hundred and
twenty picked men under the command of old Babemba himself； who； he
explained； wished to be the last to see us alive in the world。 This
was depressing； but other circumstances connected with our start were
calculated to weigh even more upon my spirit。 Thus the night before we
left Hans arrived and asked me to 〃write a paper〃 for him。 I inquired
what he wanted me to put in the paper。 He replied that as he was going
to his death and had property； namely the ￡650 that had been left in a
bank to his credit； he desired to make a 〃white man's will〃 to be left
in the charge of Babemba。 The only provision of the said will was that
I was to inherit his property； if I lived。 If I died； which； he added；
〃of course you must； Baas； like the rest of us；〃 it was to be devoted
to furnishing poor black people in hospital with something comforting
to drink instead of the 〃cow's water〃 that was given to them there。
Needless to say I turned him out at once； and that testamentary
deposition remained unrecorded。 Indeed it was unnecessary； since； as I
reminded him； on my advice he had already made a will before we left
Durban； a circumstance that he had quite forgotten。
The second event； which occurred about an hour before our departure；
was； that hearing a mighty wailing in the market…place where once Hans
and I had been tied to stakes to be shot to death with arrows； I went
out to see what was the matter。 At the gateway I was greeted by the
sight of about a hundred old women plastered all over with ashes；
engaged in howling their loudest in a melancholy unison。 Behind these
stood the entire population of Beza…Town； who chanted a kind of
chorus。
〃What the devil are they doing？〃 I asked of Hans。
〃Singing our death…song； Baas；〃 he replied stolidly； 〃as they say that
where we are going no one will take the trouble to do so； and it is
not right that great lords should die and the heavens above remain
uninformed that they are coming。〃
〃That's cheerful；〃 I remarked； and wheeling round； asked Ragnall
straight out if he wished to persevere in this business； for to tell
the truth my nerve was shaken。
〃I must；〃 he answered simply； 〃but there is no reason why you and Hans
should； or Savage either for the matter of that。〃
〃Oh！ I'm going where you go；〃 I said； 〃and where I go Hans will go。
Savage must speak for himself。〃
This he did and to the same effect； being a very honest and faithful
man。 It was the more to his credit since； as he informed me in
private； he did not enjoy African adventure and often dreamed at
nights of his comfortable room at Ragnall whence he superintended the
social activities of that great establishment。
So we departed and marched for the matter of a month or more through
every kind of country。 After we had passed the head of the great lake
wherein lay the island； if it really was an island； where the Pongo
used to dwell （one clear morning through my glasses I discerned the
mountain top that marked the former residence of the Mother of the
Flower； and by contrast it made me feel quite homesick）； we struck up
north； following a route known to Babemba and our guides。 After this
we steered by the stars through a land with very few inhabitants；
timid and nondescript folk who dwelt in scattered villages and
scarcely understood the art of cultivating the soil； even in its most
primitive form。
A hundred miles or so farther on these villages ceased and
thenceforward we only encountered some nomads； little bushmen who
lived on game which they shot with poisoned arrows。 Once they attacked
us and killed two of the Mazitu with those horrid arrows； against the
venom of which no remedy that we had in our medicine chest proved of
any avail。 On this occasion Savage exhibited his courage if not his
discretion； for rushing out of our thorn fence； after missing a
bushmen with both barrels at a distance of five yardshe was； I
think； the worst shot I ever sawhe seized the little viper with his
hands and dragged him back to camp。 How Savage escaped with his life I
do not know； for one poisoned arrow went through his hat and stuck in
his hair and another just grazed his leg without drawing blood。
This valorous deed was of great service to us； since we were able
through Hans； who knew something of the bushmen's language； to explain
to our prisoner that if we were shot at again he would be hung。 This
information he contrived to shout； or rather to squeak and grunt； to
his amiable tribe； of which it appeared he was a kind of chief； with
the result that we were no more molested。 Later； when we were clear of
the bushmen country； we let him depart； which he did with great
rapidity。
By degrees the land grew more and more barren and utterly devoid of
inhabitants； till at last it merged into desert。 At the edge of this
desert which rolled away without apparent limit we came； however； to a
kind of oasis where there was a strong and beautiful spring of water
that formed a stream which soon lost itself in the surrounding sand。
As we could go no farther； for even if we had wished to do so； and
were able to find water there； the Mazitu refused to accompany us into
the desert； not knowing what else to do； we camped in the oasis and
waited。
As it happened； the place was a kind of hunter's paradise； since every
kind of game； large and small； came to the water to drink at night；
and in the daytime browsed upon the saltish grass that at this season
of the year grew plentifully upon the edge of the wilderness。
Amongst other creatures there were elephants in plenty that travelled
hither out of the bushlands we had passed； or sometimes emerged from
the desert itself； suggesting that beyond this waste there lay fertile
country。 So numerous were these great beasts indeed that for my part I
hoped earnestly that it would prove impossible for us to continue our
journey； since I saw that in a few months I could collect an eno