I am sure that I could not have done so well with any other rifle, however modern and accurate it might be.  But to this little Purdey weapon I had been accustomed from my youth, and that, as any marksman will know, means a great deal.  I seemed to know it and it seemed to know me.  It hangs on my wall to this day, although of course I never use it now in our breech-loading era.  Unfortunately, however, a local gunsmith to whom I sent it to have the lock cleaned, re-browned it and scraped and varnished the stock, etc., without authority, making it look almost new again.  I preferred it in its worn and scratched condition.

To return:  the sound of the shot, like that of John Peel’s horn, aroused Hans from his sleep.  He thrust his head between my legs and saw Komba fall.

“Oh! beautiful, Baas, beautiful!” he said faintly.  “I am sure that the ghost of your reverend father cannot kill his enemies more nicely down there among the Fires.  Beautiful!” and the silly old fellow fell to kissing my boots, or what remained of them, after which I gave him the last of the brandy.

This quite brought him to himself again, especially when he was free from that filthy skin and had washed his head and hands.

The effect of the death of Komba upon the Pongos was very strange.  All the other canoes clustered round that in which he lay.  Then, after a hurried consultation, they hauled down their sails and paddled back to the wharf.  Why they did this I cannot tell.  Perhaps they thought that he was bewitched, or only wounded and required the attentions of a medicine-man.  Perhaps it was not lawful for them to proceed except under the guidance of some reserve Kalubi who had “passed the god” and who was on shore.  Perhaps it was necessary, according to their rites, that the body of their chief should be landed with certain ceremonies.  I do not know.  It is impossible to be sure as to the mysterious motives that actuate many of these remote African tribes.

At any rate the result was that it gave us a great start and a chance of life, who must otherwise have died upon the spot.  Outside the bay the breeze blew merrily, taking us across the lake at a spanking pace, until about midday when it began to fall.  Fortunately, however, it did not altogether drop till three o’clock by which time the coast of Mazitu-land was comparatively near; we could even distinguish a speck against the skyline which we knew was the Union Jack that Stephen had set upon the crest of a little hill.

During those hours of peace we ate the food that remained to us, washed ourselves as thoroughly as we could and rested.  Well was it, in view of what followed, that we had this time of repose.  For just as the breeze was failing I looked aft and there, coming up behind us, still holding the wind, was the whole fleet of Pongo canoes, thirty or forty of them perhaps, each carrying an average of about twenty men.  We sailed on for as long as we could, for though our progress was but slow, it was quicker than what we could have made by paddling.  Also it was necessary that we should save our strength for the last trial.