Somewhat comforted, though not satisfied, I went in to wake up the others, to whom I said nothing of this matter since it seemed foolish to alarm them for no good purpose.  A few minutes later the tall, silent women arrived with our hot water.  It seemed curious to have hot water brought to us in such a place by these very queer kind of housemaids, but so it was.  The Pongo, I may add, were, like the Zulus, very clean in their persons, though whether they all used hot water, I cannot say.  At any rate, it was provided for us.

Half an hour later they returned with breakfast, consisting chiefly of a roasted kid, of which, as it was whole, and therefore unmistakable, we partook thankfully.  A little later the Majestic Komba appeared.  After many compliments and inquiries as to our general health, he asked whether we were ready to start on our visit to the Motombo who, he added, was expecting us with much eagerness.  I inquired how he knew that, since we had only arranged to call on him late on the previous night, and I understood that he lived a day’s journey away.  But Komba put the matter by with a smile and a wave of his hand.

So in due course off we went, taking with us all our baggage, which now that it had been lightened by the delivery of the presents, was of no great weight.

Five minutes’ walk along the wide, main street led us to the northern gate of Rica Town.  Here we found the Kalubi himself with an escort of thirty men armed with spears; I noted that unlike the Mazitu they had no bows and arrows.  He announced in a loud voice that he proposed to do us the special honour of conducting us to the sanctuary of the Holy One, by which we understood him to mean the Motombo.  When we politely begged him not to trouble, being in an irritable mood, or assuming it, he told us rudely to mind our own business.  Indeed, I think this irritability was real enough, which, in the circumstances known to the reader, was not strange.  At any rate, an hour or so later it declared itself in an act of great cruelty which showed us how absolute was this man’s power in all temporal matters.

Passing through a little clump of bush we came to some gardens surrounded by a light fence through which a number of cattle of a small and delicate breed—­they were not unlike Jerseys in appearance—­ had broken to enjoy themselves by devouring the crops.  This garden, it appeared, belonged to the Kalubi for the time being, who was furious at the destruction of its produce by the cattle which also belonged to him.

“Where is the herd?” he shouted.

A hunt began—­and presently the poor fellow—­he was no more than a lad, was discovered asleep behind a bush.  When he was dragged before him the Kalubi pointed, first to the cattle, then to the broken fence and the devastated garden.  The lad began to mutter excuses and pray for mercy.

“Kill him!” said the Kalubi, whereon the herd flung himself to the ground, and clutching him by the ankles, began to kiss his feet, crying out that he was afraid to die.  The Kalubi tried to kick himself free, and failing in this, lifted his big spear and made an end of the poor boy’s prayers and life at a single stroke.