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We¡¡were¡¡armed¡¡with¡¡pistols£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡first¡¡thing¡¡Arcoll¡¡did¡¡was¡¡to¡¡hand¡¡them¡¡to¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡chiefs¡£¡¡'We¡¡come¡¡in¡¡peace£»'¡¡he¡¡said¡£¡¡¡¡'We¡¡give¡¡you¡¡our¡¡lives¡£'


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Then¡¡I¡¡told¡¡them¡¡of¡¡my¡¡last¡¡ride£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡sight¡¡I¡¡saw¡¡at¡¡the¡¡foot¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Rooirand¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡drew¡¡a¡¡picture¡¡of¡¡Henriques¡¡lying¡¡dead¡¡with¡¡a¡¡broken¡¡neck£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡Inkulu£»¡¡wounded¡¡to¡¡death£»¡¡creeping¡¡into¡¡the¡¡cave¡£

In¡¡moments¡¡of¡¡extremity¡¡I¡¡suppose¡¡every¡¡man¡¡becomes¡¡an¡¡orator¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡that¡¡hour¡¡and¡¡place¡¡I¡¡discovered¡¡gifts¡¡I¡¡had¡¡never¡¡dreamed¡¡of¡£¡¡¡¡Arcoll¡¡told¡¡me¡¡afterwards¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had¡¡spoken¡¡like¡¡a¡¡man¡¡inspired£»¡¡and¡¡by¡¡a¡¡fortunate¡¡chance¡¡had¡¡hit¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡only¡¡way¡¡to¡¡move¡¡my¡¡hearers¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡told¡¡of¡¡that¡¡last¡¡scene¡¡in¡¡the¡¡cave£»¡¡when¡¡Laputa¡¡had¡¡broken¡¡down¡¡the¡¡bridge£»¡¡and¡¡had¡¡spoken¡¡his¡¡dying¡¡words¡¡¡­¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡the¡¡last¡¡king¡¡in¡¡Africa£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡without¡¡him¡¡the¡¡rising¡¡was¡¡at¡¡an¡¡end¡£¡¡¡¡Then¡¡I¡¡told¡¡of¡¡his¡¡leap¡¡into¡¡the¡¡river£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡great¡¡sigh¡¡went¡¡up¡¡from¡¡the¡¡ranks¡¡about¡¡Me¡£

'You¡¡see¡¡me¡¡here£»'¡¡I¡¡said£»¡¡'by¡¡the¡¡grace¡¡of¡¡God¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡found¡¡a¡¡way¡¡up¡¡the¡¡fall¡¡and¡¡the¡¡cliffs¡¡which¡¡no¡¡man¡¡has¡¡ever¡¡travelled¡¡before¡¡or¡¡will¡¡travel¡¡again¡£¡¡¡¡Your¡¡king¡¡is¡¡dead¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡was¡¡a¡¡great¡¡king£»¡¡as¡¡I¡¡who¡¡stand¡¡here¡¡bear¡¡witness£»¡¡and¡¡you¡¡will¡¡never¡¡more¡¡see¡¡his¡¡like¡£¡¡¡¡His¡¡last¡¡words¡¡were¡¡that¡¡the¡¡Rising¡¡was¡¡over¡£¡¡Respect¡¡that¡¡word£»¡¡my¡¡brothers¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡come¡¡to¡¡you¡¡not¡¡in¡¡war¡¡but¡¡in¡¡peace£»¡¡to¡¡offer¡¡a¡¡free¡¡pardon£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡redress¡¡of¡¡your¡¡wrongs¡£¡¡¡¡If¡¡you¡¡fight¡¡you¡¡fight¡¡with¡¡the¡¡certainty¡¡of¡¡failure£»¡¡and¡¡against¡¡the¡¡wish¡¡of¡¡the¡¡heir¡¡of¡¡John¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡have¡¡come¡¡here¡¡at¡¡the¡¡risk¡¡of¡¡my¡¡life¡¡to¡¡tell¡¡you¡¡his¡¡commands¡£¡¡¡¡His¡¡spirit¡¡approves¡¡my¡¡mission¡£¡¡¡¡Think¡¡well¡¡before¡¡you¡¡defy¡¡the¡¡mandate¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Snake£»¡¡and¡¡risk¡¡the¡¡vengeance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Terrible¡¡Ones¡£'

After¡¡that¡¡I¡¡knew¡¡that¡¡we¡¡had¡¡won¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡chiefs¡¡talked¡¡among¡¡themselves¡¡in¡¡low¡¡whispers£»¡¡casting¡¡strange¡¡looks¡¡at¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡Then¡¡the¡¡greatest¡¡of¡¡them¡¡advanced¡¡and¡¡laid¡¡his¡¡rifle¡¡at¡¡my¡¡feet¡£

'We¡¡believe¡¡the¡¡word¡¡of¡¡a¡¡brave¡¡man£»'¡¡he¡¡said¡£¡¡¡¡'We¡¡accept¡¡the¡¡mandate¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Snake¡£'

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Then¡¡Arcoll¡¡went¡¡south¡¡to¡¡the¡¡war¡¡which¡¡was¡¡to¡¡rage¡¡around¡¡the¡¡Swaziland¡¡and¡¡Zululand¡¡borders¡¡for¡¡many¡¡months£»¡¡while¡¡to¡¡Aitken¡¡and¡¡myself¡¡was¡¡entrusted¡¡the¡¡work¡¡of¡¡settlement¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡had¡¡inadequate¡¡troops¡¡at¡¡our¡¡command£»¡¡and¡¡but¡¡for¡¡our¡¡prestige¡¡and¡¡the¡¡weight¡¡of¡¡Laputa's¡¡dead¡¡hand¡¡there¡¡might¡¡any¡¡moment¡¡have¡¡been¡¡a¡¡tragedy¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡task¡¡took¡¡months£»¡¡for¡¡many¡¡of¡¡the¡¡levies¡¡came¡¡from¡¡the¡¡far¡¡north£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡job¡¡of¡¡feeding¡¡troops¡¡on¡¡a¡¡long¡¡journey¡¡was¡¡difficult¡¡enough¡¡in¡¡the¡¡winter¡¡season¡¡when¡¡the¡¡energies¡¡of¡¡the¡¡country¡¡were¡¡occupied¡¡with¡¡the¡¡fighting¡¡in¡¡the¡¡south¡£¡¡¡¡Yet¡¡it¡¡was¡¡an¡¡experience¡¡for¡¡which¡¡I¡¡shall¡¡ever¡¡be¡¡grateful£»¡¡for¡¡it¡¡turned¡¡me¡¡from¡¡a¡¡rash¡¡boy¡¡into¡¡a¡¡serious¡¡man¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡knew¡¡then¡¡the¡¡meaning¡¡of¡¡the¡¡white¡¡man's¡¡duty¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡has¡¡to¡¡take¡¡all¡¡risks£»¡¡recking¡¡nothing¡¡of¡¡his¡¡life¡¡or¡¡his¡¡fortunes£»¡¡and¡¡well¡¡content¡¡to¡¡find¡¡his¡¡reward¡¡in¡¡the¡¡fulfilment¡¡of¡¡his¡¡task¡£¡¡¡¡That¡¡is¡¡the¡¡difference¡¡between¡¡white¡¡and¡¡black£»¡¡the¡¡gift¡¡of¡¡responsibility£»¡¡the¡¡power¡¡of¡¡being¡¡in¡¡a¡¡little¡¡way¡¡a¡¡king£»¡¡and¡¡so¡¡long¡¡as¡¡we¡¡know¡¡this¡¡and¡¡practise¡¡it£»¡¡we¡¡will¡¡rule¡¡not¡¡in¡¡Africa¡¡alone¡¡but¡¡wherever¡¡there¡¡are¡¡dark¡¡men¡¡who¡¡live¡¡only¡¡for¡¡the¡¡day¡¡and¡¡their¡¡own¡¡bellies¡£¡¡¡¡Moreover£»¡¡the¡¡work¡¡made¡¡me¡¡pitiful¡¡and¡¡kindly¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡learned¡¡much¡¡of¡¡the¡¡untold¡¡grievances¡¡of¡¡the¡¡natives£»¡¡and¡¡saw¡¡something¡¡of¡¡their¡¡strange£»¡¡twisted¡¡reasoning¡£¡¡¡¡Before¡¡we¡¡had¡¡got¡¡Laputa's¡¡army¡¡back¡¡to¡¡their¡¡kraals£»¡¡with¡¡food¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡tide¡¡them¡¡over¡¡the¡¡spring¡¡sowing£»¡¡Aitken¡¡and¡¡I¡¡had¡¡got¡¡sounder¡¡policy¡¡in¡¡our¡¡heads¡¡than¡¡you¡¡will¡¡find¡¡in¡¡the¡¡towns£»¡¡where¡¡men¡¡sit¡¡in¡¡offices¡¡and¡¡see¡¡the¡¡world¡¡through¡¡a¡¡mist¡¡of¡¡papers¡£

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CHAPTER¡¡XXIII¡¡MY¡¡UNCLE'S¡¡GIFT¡¡IS¡¡MANY¡¡TIMES¡¡MULTIPLIED


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