|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 61
"I hope that eclipse will come off," said Sir Henry presently.
"If it does not it will soon be all up with us," I answered
mournfully; "for so sure as we are living men some of those chiefs
will tell the whole story to the king, and then there will be another
sort of eclipse, and one that we shall certainly not like."
Returning to the hut we ate some dinner, and passed the rest of the
day in receiving visits of ceremony and curiosity. At length the sun
set, and we enjoyed a couple of hours of such quiet as our melancholy
forebodings would allow to us. Finally, about half-past eight, a
messenger came from Twala to bid us to the great annual "dance of
girls" which was about to be celebrated.
Hastily we put on the chain shirts that the king had sent us, and
taking our rifles and ammunition with us, so as to have them handy in
case we had to fly, as suggested by Infadoos, we started boldly
enough, though with inward fear and trembling. The great space in
front of the king's kraal bore a very different appearance from that
which it had presented on the previous evening. In place of the grim
ranks of serried warriors were company after company of Kukuana girls,
not over-dressed, so far as clothing went, but each crowned with a
wreath of flowers, and holding a palm leaf in one hand and a white
arum lily in the other. In the centre of the open moonlit space sat
Twala the king, with old Gagool at his feet, attended by Infadoos, the
boy Scragga, and twelve guards. There were also present about a score
of chiefs, amongst whom I recognised most of our friends of the night
before.
Twala greeted us with much apparent cordiality, though I saw him fix
his one eye viciously on Umbopa.
"Welcome, white men from the Stars," he said; "this is another sight
from that which your eyes gazed on by the light of last night's moon,
but it is not so good a sight. Girls are pleasant, and were it not for
such as these," and he pointed round him, "we should none of us be
here this day; but men are better. Kisses and the tender words of
women are sweet, but the sound of the clashing of the spears of
warriors, and the smell of men's blood, are sweeter far! Would ye have
wives from among our people, white men? If so, choose the fairest
here, and ye shall have them, as many as ye will," and he paused for
an answer.
As the prospect did not seem to be without attractions for Good, who,
like most sailors, is of a susceptible nature,--being elderly and
wise, foreseeing the endless complications that anything of the sort
would involve, for women bring trouble so surely as the night follows
the day, I put in a hasty answer--
"Thanks to thee, O king, but we white men wed only with white women
like ourselves. Your maidens are fair, but they are not for us!"
The king laughed. "It is well. In our land there is a proverb which
runs, 'Women's eyes are always bright, whatever the colour,' and
another that says, 'Love her who is present, for be sure she who is
absent is false to thee;' but perhaps these things are not so in the
Stars. In a land where men are white all things are possible. So be
it, white men; the girls will not go begging! Welcome again; and
welcome, too, thou black one; if Gagool here had won her way, thou
wouldst have been stiff and cold by now. It is lucky for thee that
thou too camest from the Stars; ha! ha!"
"I can kill thee before thou killest me, O king," was Ignosi's calm
answer, "and thou shalt be stiff before my limbs cease to bend."
Twala started. "Thou speakest boldly, boy," he replied angrily;
"presume not too far."
"He may well be bold in whose lips are truth. The truth is a sharp
spear which flies home and misses not. It is a message from 'the
Stars,' O king."
Twala scowled, and his one eye gleamed fiercely, but he said nothing
more.
"Let the dance begin," he cried, and then the flower-crowned girls
sprang forward in companies, singing a sweet song and waving the
delicate palms and white lilies. On they danced, looking faint and
spiritual in the soft, sad light of the risen moon; now whirling round
and round, now meeting in mimic warfare, swaying, eddying here and
there, coming forward, falling back in an ordered confusion delightful
to witness. At last they paused, and a beautiful young woman sprang
out of the ranks and began to pirouette in front of us with a grace
and vigour which would have put most ballet girls to shame. At length
she retired exhausted, and another took her place, then another and
another, but none of them, either in grace, skill, or personal
attractions, came up to the first.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|