vomited out smoke and death, as the Motombo had commanded. At this
information the expressive countenance of the Kalubi once more betrayed
mental disturbance that I think Komba noted as much as we did. However,
he said nothing, and after a pause, Komba went on to explain that no
such weapons had been brought, since, not satisfied with our word that
this was so, he and his companions had searched our baggage before we
left Mazitu-land.

Therefore, he added, there was no cause to fear that we should bring
about the fulfilment of the old prophecy that when a gun was fired among
the Pongo the gods would desert the land and the people cease to be a
people.

Having finished his speech, he sat down in a humble place behind us.
Then the Kalubi, after formally accepting us as ambassadors from Bausi,
King of the Mazitu, discoursed at length upon the advantages which would
result to both peoples from a lasting peace between them. Finally he
propounded the articles of such a peace. These, it was clear, had been
carefully prepared, but to set them out would be useless, since they
never came to anything, and I doubt whether it was intended that they
should. Suffice it to say that they provided for intermarriage, free
trade between the countries, blood-brotherhood, and other things that
I have forgotten, all of which was to be ratified by Bausi taking a
daughter of the Kalubi to wife, and the Kalubi taking a daughter of
Bausi.

We listened in silence, and when he had finished, after a pretended
consultation between us, I spoke as the Mouth of Brother John, who,
I explained, was too grand a person to talk himself, saying that the
proposals seemed fair and reasonable, and that we should be happy to
submit them to Bausi and his council on our return.

The Kalubi expressed great satisfaction at this statement, but remarked
incidentally that first of all the whole matter must be laid before the
Motombo for his opinion, without which no State transaction had legal
weight among the Pongo. He added that with our approval he proposed that
we should visit his Holiness on the morrow, starting when the sun was
three hours old, as he lived at a distance of a day's journey from Rica.
After further consultation we replied that although we had little time
to spare, as we understood that the Motombo was old and could not
visit us, we, the white lords, would stretch a point and call on him.
Meanwhile we were tired and wished to go to bed. Then we p