r goods and I determined to preserve them
even at the risk of personal comfort. Lastly, the angel who watches me
brought you here in time before I was quite cooked through. So all's
well that ends well, Mr. Quatermain, though it is true that for my
part I have had enough of bloody war, and if I live to regain civilized
regions I propose henceforth to follow the art of food-dressing in the
safe kitchen of an hotel; that is, if I cannot obtain a berth as an
instructor in the English tongue!"

"Yes," I answered, "all's well that ends well, Sammy my boy, and at any
rate you have saved the stores, for which we should be thankful to you.
So go along with Mr. Stephen and get doctored while we haul them out of
that grain-pit."

Three days later we bid farewell to old Bausi, who almost wept at
parting with us, and the Mazitu, who were already engaged in the
re-building of their town. Mavovo and the other Zulus who died in the
Battle of the Gate, we buried on the ridge opposite to it, raising
a mound of earth over them that thereby they might be remembered in
generations to come, and laying around them the Mazitu who had fallen
in the fight. As we passed that mound on our homeward journey, the
Zulus who remained alive, including two wounded men who were carried
in litters, stopped and saluted solemnly, praising the dead with loud
songs. We white people too saluted, but in silence, by raising our hats.

By the way, I should add that in this matter also Mavovo's "Snake" did
not lie. He had said that six of his company would be killed upon our
expedition, and six were killed, neither more nor less.

After much consulting we determined to take the overland route back
to Natal, first because it was always possible that the slave-trading
fraternity, hearing of their terrible losses, might try to attack us
again on the coast, and secondly for the reason that even if they did
not, months or perhaps years might pass before we found a ship at Kilwa,
then a port of ill repute, to carry us to any civilized place. Moreover,
Brother John, who had travelled it, knew the inland road well and had
established friendly relations with the tribes through whose country we
must pass, till we reached the brothers of Zululand, where I was always
welcome. So as the Mazitu furnished us with an escort and plenty
of bearers for the first part of the road and, thanks to Sammy's
stewardship in the corn-pit, we had ample trade goods left to hire
others late