tivated land made beautiful by the crops
of maize and other cereals which were then ripe to harvest. It was
fortified in a way. That is, a tall, unclimbable palisade of timber
surrounded the entire town, which fence was strengthened by prickly
pears and cacti planted on its either side.

Within this palisade the town was divided into quarters more or
less devoted to various trades. Thus one part of it was called the
Ironsmiths' Quarter; another the Soldiers' Quarter; another the Quarter
of the Land-tillers; another that of the Skin-dressers, and so on. The
king's dwelling and those of his women and dependents were near the
North gate, and in front of these, surrounded by semi-circles of huts,
was a wide space into which cattle could be driven if necessary. This,
however, at the time of our visit, was used as a market and a drilling
ground.

We entered the town, that must in all have contained a great number of
inhabitants, by the South gate, a strong log structure facing a wooded
slope through which ran a road. Just as the sun was setting we marched
to the guest-huts up a central street lined with the population of the
place who had gathered to stare at us. These huts were situated in the
Soldiers' Quarter, not far from the king's house and surrounded by an
inner fence to keep them private.

None of the people spoke as we passed them, for the Mazitu are polite by
nature; also it seemed to me that they regarded us with awe tempered
by curiosity. They only stared, and occasionally those of them who were
soldiers saluted us by lifting their spears. The huts into which we were
introduced by Babemba, with whom we had grown very friendly, were good
and clean.

Here all our belongings, including the guns which we had collected just
before the slaves ran away, were placed in one of the huts over which
a Mazitu mounted guard, the donkeys being tied to the fence at a little
distance. Outside this fence stood another armed Mazitu, also on guard.

"Are we prisoners here?" I asked of Babemba.

"The king watches over his guests," he answered enigmatically. "Have
the white lords any message for the king whom I am summoned to see this
night?"

"Yes," I answered. "Tell the king that we are the brethren of him who
more than a year ago cut a swelling from his body, whom we have arranged
to meet here. I mean the white lord with a long beard who among you
black people is called Dogeetah."

Babemba started. "You are the brethren of