Seeing His Fate, The
Cunning Vagabond Said, "Now I Do See It Was By Your Orders The
Chief Was Appointed,
And not by a whim of Sheikh Said's; I will
obey him for the future;" and these words were hardly
Pronounced
than the three missing goats rushed like magic into camp, nobody
of course knowing where they came from.
Skirting along the margin of the rising ground overlooking the
river, through thick woods, cleared in places for cultivation, we
arrived at Thumba Lhere. The chief here took a hongo of three
yards merikani and two yards kiniki without much fuss, for he had
no power. The pagazis struck, and said they would not move from
this unless I gave them one fundo or ten necklaces of beads each
daily, in lieu of rations, as they were promised by Ladha on the
coast that I would do so as soon as they had made four marches.
This was an obvious invention, concocted to try my generosity,
for I had given the kirangozi a goat, which is customary, to
"make the journey prosperous" - had suspended a dollar to his neck
in recognition of his office, and given him four yards merikani,
that he might have a grand feast with his brothers; while neither
the Sheikh, myself, nor any one else in the camp, had heard of
such a compact. With high words the matter dropped, African
fashion.
The pagazis would not start at the appointed time, hoping to
enforce their demands of last night; so we took the lead and
started, followed by the Wanguana.
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