Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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killed a multitude of them and dispersed those they didnot kill. They besiege Fumba in a boma on Boko Mountain. Fumba and hiswarriors have nothing to eat in the boma and will perish if the greatmaster does not kill Mamba and all the Samburus with Mamba."
Begging thus, he embraced Stas' knees, while the latter knitted hisbrow and meditated deeply as to what was to be done, for in everythinghe was particularly concerned about Nell.
"Where," he finally asked, "are Fumba's warriors whom the Samburusdispersed?"
"Kali found them and they will be here at once."
"How many are there?"
The young negro moved the fingers of both hands and the toes of bothhis feet about a score of times, but it was evident that he could notindicate the exact number for the simple reason that he could not countabove ten and every greater amount appeared to him as "wengi," that is,a multitude.
"Well, if they come here, place yourself at their head and go to yourfather's relief."
"They fear the Samburus and will not go with Kali, but with the greatmaster they will go and kill 'wengi, wengi' of Samburu."
Stas pondered again.
"No," he finally said, "I can neither take the 'bibi' to a battle norleave her alone, and I will not do it for anything in the world."
At this Kali rose and folding his hands began to repeat incessantly:
"Luela! Luela! Luela!"
"What is 'Luela'?" Stas asked.
"A great boma for Wahima and Samburu women," the young negro replied.
And he began to relate extraordinary things. Now Fumba and Mamba hadbeen engaged in continual warfare with each other for a great manyyears. They laid waste to the plantations of each other and carriedaway cattle. But there was a locality on the southern shore of thelake, called Luela, at which even during the fiercest war the women ofboth nations assembled in the market-place with perfect safety. It wasa sacred place. The war raged only between men; no defeats or victoriesaffected the fate of the women, who in Luela, behind a clay enclosuresurrounding a spacious market-place, found an absolutely safe asylum.Many of them sought shelter there during the time of hostilities, withtheir children and goods. Others came from even distant villages withsmoked meat, beans, millet, manioc, and various other supplies. Thewarriors were not allowed to fight a battle within a distance of Luelawhich could be reached by the crowing of a rooster. They were likewisenot permitted to cross the clay rampart with which the market-place wassurrounded. They could only stand before the rampart and then the womenwould give them supplies of food attached to long bamboo poles. Thiswas a very ancient custom and it never happened that either sideviolated it. The victors also were always concerned that the way of thedefeated to Luela should be cut off and they did not permit them toapproach the sacred place within a distance which could be reached by arooster's crow.
"Oh, great master!" Kali begged, again embracing Stas' knees, "greatmaster, lead 'the bibi' to Luela, and you yourself take the King, takeKali, take the rifle, take fiery snakes and rout the wicked Samburus."
Stas believed the young negro's narrative, for he had heard that inmany localities in Africa war does not include women. He remembered howat one time in Port Said a certain young German missionary related thatin the vicinity of the gigantic mountain, Kilima-Njaro, the immenselywarlike Massai tribe sacredly observed this custom, by virtue of whichthe women of the contending parties walked with perfect freedom incertain market-places and were never subject to attack. The existenceof this custom on the shores of Bassa-Narok greatly delighted Stas, forhe could be certain that no danger threatened Nell on account of thewar. He determined also to start with the little maid without delay forLuela, all the more because before the termination of the war theycould not think of a further journey for which not only the aid of theWahimas but that of the Samburus was necessary.
Accustomed to quick decisions, he already knew how he should act. Tofree Fumba, to rout the Samburus but not to permit a too bloodyrevenge, and afterwards to command peace and reconcile thebelligerents, appeared to him an imperative matter not only for himselfbut also most beneficial for the negroes. "Thus it should be and thusit shall be!" he said to himself in his soul, and in the meantime,desiring to comfort the young negro for whom he felt sorry, heannounced that he did not refuse aid.
"How far is Luela from here?" he asked.
"A half day's journey."
"Listen, then! we will convey the 'bibi' there at once, after which Ishall ride on the King and drive away the Samburus from your father'sboma. You shall ride with me and shall fight with them."
"Kali will kill them with the rifle!"
And passing at once from despair to joy, he began to leap, laugh, andthank Stas with as much ardor as though the victory was alreadyachieved. But further outbursts of gratitude and mirth were interruptedby the arrival of the warriors, whom he had gathered together duringhis scouting expedition and whom he commanded to appear before thewhite master. They numbered about three hundred; they were armed withshields of hippopotamus leather, with javelins and knives. Their headswere dressed with feathers, baboon manes, and ferns. At the sight of anelephant in the service of a man, at the sight of the white faces,Saba, and the horses, they were seized by the same fear and the sameamazement which had possessed the negroes in those villages throughwhich the children previously passed. But Kali warned them in advancethat they would behold the "Good Mzimu" and the mighty master "whokills lions, who killed a wobo, whom the elephant fears, who crushesrocks, lets loose fiery snakes," etc. So, instead of running away, theystood in a long row in silence, full of admiration, with the whites oftheir eyes glistening, uncertain whether they should kneel or fall ontheir faces. But at the same time they were full of faith that if theseextraordinary beings would help them then the victories of the Samburuswould soon end. Stas rode along the file on the elephant, just like acommander who is reviewing his army, after which he ordered Kali torepeat his promise that he would liberate Fumba, and issued an orderthat they should start for Luela.
Kali rode with a few warriors in advance to announce to the women ofboth tribes that they would have the inexpressible and unheard-ofpleasure of seeing the "Good Mzimu," who would arrive on an elephant.The matter was so extraordinary that even those women who, beingmembers of the Wahima tribe, recognized Kali as the lost heir to thethrone, thought that he was jesting with them and were surprised thathe wanted to jest at a time that was so heavy for the whole tribe andFumba. When, however, after the lapse of a few hours they saw agigantic elephant approaching the ramparts and on it a white palanquin,they fell into a frenzy of joy and received the "Good Mzimu," with suchshouts and such yells that Stas at first mistook their voices for anoutburst of hatred, and the more so as the unheard-of ugliness of thenegresses made them look like witches.
But these were manifestations of extraordinary honor. When Nell's tentwas set in a corner of the market-place under the shade of two thicktrees, the Wahima and Samburu women decorated it with garlands andwreaths of flowers, after which they brought supplies of food thatwould have sufficed a month, not only for the divinity herself but forher retinue. The enraptured women even prostrated themselves beforeMea, who, attired in rosy percale and a few strings of blue beads, as ahumble servant of the Mzimu, appeared to them as a being far superiorto the common negresses.
Nasibu, out of regard for his childish age, was admitted behind therampart and at once took advantage of the gifts brought for Nell soconscientiously that after an hour his little abdomen resembled anAfrican war drum.
XX
Stas, after a brief rest under the ramparts of Luela, started with Kalibefore sunset at the head of three hundred warriors for Fumba's boma,for he wanted to attack the Samburus during the night, relying upon thefact that in the darkness the fiery snakes would create a greatersensation. The march from Luela to Mount Boko, on which Fumba wasdefending himself, counting the rests, required nine hours, so thatthey appeared before the fortress at about three o'clock in themorning. Stas halted the warriors and, having ordered
them to preservethe deepest silence, began to survey the situation. The summit of themountain on which the defenders had sought refuge was dark; on theother hand the Samburus burnt a multitude of camp-fires. Their glareilluminated the steep walls of the rock and the gigantic trees growingat its foot. From a distance came the hollow sounds of drums and theshouts and songs of warriors who evidently were not sparing in theirindulgence of pombe,* [* A beer of millet with which the negroesintoxicate themselves.] desiring already to celebrate a near anddecisive victory. Stas advanced at the head of his division stillfarther, so that finally not more than a hundred paces separated himfrom the last camp-fires. There were no signs of camp sentinels and themoonless night did not permit the savages to catch sight of the