All This Exciting
News, With The Prospect Of Soon Seeing Grant, Did Me A World Of
Good, - So Much So,
That I began shooting small birds for
specimens - watching the blacksmiths as they made tools, spears,
ad bracelets - and doctoring
Some of the Wahuma women who came to
be treated for ophthalmia, in return for which they gave me milk.
The milk, however, I could not boil excepting in secrecy, else
they would have stopped their donations on the plea that this
process would be an incantation or bewitchment, from which their
cattle would fall sick and dry up. I now succeeded in getting
Lumeresi to send his Wanyapara to go and threaten M'yonga, that
if he did not release Grant at once, we would combine to force
him to do so. They, however, left too late, for the hongo had
been settled, as I was informed by a letter from Grant next day,
brought to my by Bombay, who had just returned from Kaze after
six weeks' absence. He brought with him old Nasib and another
man, and told me both Bui and Nasib had hidden themselves in a
Boma close to Lumeresi's the day when my hongo was settled; but
they bolted the instant the drums beat, and my men fired guns to
celebrate the event, supposing that the noise was occasioned by
our fighting with Lumeresi. These cowards then made straight for
Kaze, when Fundi Sangoro gave Nasib a flogging for deserting me,
and made him so ashamed of his conduct that he said he would
never do it again. Bui also was flogged, but, admitting himself
to be a coward, was set to the "right-about." With him Bombay
also brought three new deoles, for which I had to pay 160
dollars, and news that the war with Manua Sera was not then over.
He had effected his escape in the usual manner, and was leading
the Arabs another long march after him.
Expecting to meet Grant this morning (25th), I strolled as far as
my strength and wind would allow me towards Ruhe's; but I was
sold, for Ruhe had detained him for a hongo. Lumeresi also
having heard of it, tried to interpose, according to a plan
arranged between us in case of such a thing happening, by sending
his officers to Ruhe, with an order not to check my "brother's"
march, as I had settled accounts for all. Later in the day,
however, I heard from Grant that Ruhe would not let him go until
he had paid sixteen pretty cloths, six wires, one gun, one box of
ammunition, and one load of mzizima beads, coolly saying that I
had only given him a trifle, under the condition that, when the
big caravan arrived, Grant would make good the rest. I
immediately read this letter to Lumeresi, and asked him how I
should answer it, as Grant refused to pay anything until I gave
the order.
To which Lumeresi replied, Ruhe, "my child," could not dare to
interfere with Grant after his officers arrived, and advised me
to wait until the evening.
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