ike. His last
words were that the Rising was over. Respect that word, my brothers.
We come to you not in war but in peace, to offer a free pardon, and the
redress of your wrongs. If you fight you fight with the certainty of
failure, and against the wish of the heir of John. I have come here at
the risk of my life to tell you his commands. His spirit approves my
mission. Think well before you defy the mandate of the Snake, and risk
the vengeance of the Terrible Ones.'

After that I knew that we had won. The chiefs talked among themselves
in low whispers, casting strange looks at me. Then the greatest of
them advanced and laid his rifle at my feet.

'We believe the word of a brave man,' he said. 'We accept the mandate
of the Snake.'

Arcoll now took command. He arranged for the disarmament bit by bit,
companies of men being marched off from Inanda's Kraal to stations on
the plateau where their arms were collected by our troops, and food
provided for them. For the full history I refer the reader to Mr
Upton's work. It took many days, and taxed all our resources, but by
the end of a week we had the whole of Laputa's army in separate
stations, under guard, disarmed, and awaiting repatriation.

Then Arcoll went south to the war which was to rage around the
Swaziland and Zululand borders for many months, while to Aitken and
myself was entrusted the work of settlement. We had inadequate troops
at our command, and but for our prestige and the weight of Laputa's
dead hand there might any moment have been a tragedy. The task took
months, for many of the levies came from the far north, and the job of
feeding troops on a long journey was difficult enough in the winter
season when the energies of the country were occupied with the fighting
in the south. Yet it was an experience for which I shall ever be
grateful, for it turned me from a rash boy into a serious man. I knew
then the meaning of the white man's duty. He has to take all risks,
recking nothing of his life or his fortunes, and well content to find
his reward in the fulfilment of his task. That is the difference
between white and black, the gift of responsibility, the power of being
in a little way a king; and so long as we know this and practise it, we
will rule not in Africa alone but wherever there are dark men who live
only for the day and their own bellies. Moreover, the work made me
pitiful and kindly. I learned much of the untold grievances of t