She certainly expected something
from Grant, if it was ever so little, for she was entitled to it,
and would not listen to our being one house.
Turning the
subject, to put in a word for my great object, I asked her to use
her influence in opening the road to Gani, as, after all, that
was the best way to get new things into Uganda. Cunning as a
fox, the queen agreed to this project, provided Grant remained
behind, for she had not seen enough of him yet, and she would
speak to her son about the matter in the morning.
This was really the first gleam of hope, and I set to putting our
future operations into a shape that might lead to practical
results without alarming our capricious host. I thought that
whilst I could be employed in inspecting the river, and in
feeling the route by water to Gani, Grant could return to Karague
by water, bringing up our rear traps, and, in navigating the
lake, obtain the information he had been frustrated in getting by
the machinations of his attendant Maribu. It was agreed to, and
all seemed well; for there was much left to be done in Uganda and
Usoga, if we could only make sure of communicating once with
Petherick. Before going home we had some more polite
conversation, during which the queen played with a toy in the
shape of a cocoa du mer, studded all over with cowries:
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