But I did not
know her crime, if crime she had committed, and therefore had to
hold my tongue, whilst the Kamraviona, and other Wakungu present,
looked on with utter unconcern, not daring to make the slightest
remark.
It happened that Irungu was present in the ante-chamber
at this time; and as Maula came with my party, they had a fight
in respect to their merits for having brought welcome guests to
their king. Mtesa, it was argued, had given N'yamgundu more
women and men than he did to Maula, because he was the first to
bring intelligence of our coming, as well as that of K'yengo, and
Suworora's hongo to his king; whilst, finally, he superseded
Maula by taking me out of his charge, and had done a further good
service by sending men on to Karague to fetch both Grant and
K'yengo.
Maula, although he had received the second reward, had literally
done nothing, whilst Irungu had been years absent at Usui, and
finally had brought a valuable hongo, yet he got less than Maula.
This, Irungu said, was an injustice he would not stand;
N'yamgundu fairly earned his reward, but Maula must have been
tricking to get more than himself. He would get a suitable
offering of wire, and lay his complaint in court the first
opportunity. "Pooh, pooh! nonsense!" says Maula, laughing; "I
will give him more wires than you, and then let us see who will
win the king's ear." Upon this the two great children began
collecting wire and quarrelling until the sun went down, and I
went home.
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