"Never Mind," Says Maribu, "I Shall Walk To The
Mouth Of The Katonga, Boat It To Sese Island, Where Mtesa Keeps
All His Large Vessels, And I Shall Be At Kitangule In A Very
Short Time."
4th. - I sent Bombay off to administer quinine to the queen; but
the king's pages, who watched him making for her gateway, hurried
up to him, and turned him back by force.
He pleaded earnestly
that I would flog him if he disobeyed my orders, but they would
take all the responsibility - the king had ordered it; and then
they, forging a lie, bade him run back as fast as he could,
saying I wanted to see the king, but could not till his return.
In this way poor Bombay returned to me half-drowned in
perspiration. Just then another page hurried in with orders to
bring me to the palace at once, for I had not been there these
four days; and while I was preparing to express the proper amount
of indignation at this unceremonious message, the last impudent
page began rolling like a pig upon my mbugued or carpeted floor,
till I stormed and swore I would turn him out unless he chose to
behave more respectfully before my majesty, for I was no peddling
merchant, as he had been accustomed to see, and would not stand
it; moreover, I would not leave my hut at the summons of the king
or anybody else, until I chose to do so.
This expression of becoming wrath brought every one to a sense of
his duty; and I then told them all I was excessively angry with
Mtesa for turning back my messenger; nobody had ever dared do
such a thing before, and I would never forgive the king until my
medicines had been given to the queen.
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