welcome, my brother
Dogeetah, who cured me of sickness with a knife? I know who you are. You
are dealers in men. You come here to steal my people and sell them into
slavery. You had many slaves with you on the borders of my country,
but you sent them away. You shall die, you shall die, you who call
yourselves lions, and the painted rag which you say shadows the world,
shall rot with your bones. As for that box which sings a war-song, I
will smash it; it shall not bewitch me as your magic shield bewitched my
great doctor, Imbozwi, burning off his hair."

Then springing up with wonderful agility for one so fat, he knocked the
musical box from Hans' head, so that it fell to the ground and after a
little whirring grew silent.

"That is right," squeaked Imbozwi. "Trample on their magic, O Elephant.
Kill them, O Black One; burn them as they burned my hair."

Now things were, I felt, very serious, for already Bausi was looking
about him as though to order his soldiers to make an end of us. So I
said in desperation:

"O King, you mentioned a certain white man, Dogeetah, a doctor of
doctors, who cured you of sickness with a knife, and called him your
brother. Well, he is our brother also, and it was by his invitation that
we have come to visit you here, where he will meet us presently."

"If Dogeetah is your friend, then you are my friends," answered Bausi,
"for in this land he rules as I rule, he whose blood flows in my veins,
as my blood flows in his veins. But you lie. Dogeetah is no brother of
slave-dealers, his heart is good and yours are evil. You say that he
will meet you here. When will he meet you? Tell me, and if it is soon, I
will hold my hand and wait to hear his report of you before I put you to
death, for if he speaks well of you, you shall not die."

Now I hesitated, as well I might, for I felt that looking at our case
from his point of view, Bausi, believing us to be slave-traders, was
not angry without cause. While I was racking my brains for a reply that
might be acceptable to him and would not commit us too deeply, to my
astonishment Mavovo stepped forward and confronted the king.

"Who are you, fellow?" shouted Bausi.

"I am a warrior, O King, as my scars show," and he pointed to the
assegai wounds upon his breast and to his cut nostril. "I am a chief of
a people from whom your people sprang and my name is Mavovo, Mavovo who
is ready to fight you or any man whom you may name, and to kill him or
you