Part 18 (1/2)
These were already half-dead with fear, and could scarcely walk, but the blows of the slayers urged theht upon the spot whence they should leap into the jaws of the hungry alligators We could see at a glance that they were slaves, and sadly, indeed, they looked Froe of a flock of the King's goats, had suffered wild dogs to break into the fold at night, whereby upwards of a score were slain So Uoats were only fit to feed wild dogs with, assuredly to base Bakoni were only fit two feed alligators with; and they had been led forth
Now, this scene did not move us in any way, _Nkose_, for the death of a slave ered to see these leap in
Yet they would not When driven to the edge they hung back, then cast the for mercy Already the surface of the pool beloas alive with sli lines upon the water told that the alligators well understood the cause of the tu the plunge which should bring them the prey they had learned to love best-- the flesh ofwretches, and were about to fling theure suddenly sprang forth, arising, as it were, by ave a shout of wonder, and the executioners paused in their work The black robe, the long, flowing beard, the countenance stareat horror and pain, were known to all It was the white _isanusi_
”Hold!of you!”
The slayers hesitated, and growled to each other With arms outstretched, there the white ry reptiles and their weeping, shi+vering victi hirowled the chief of the slayers
”Know you not that did we hesitate we should be even as these? Stand aside”
”Not yet, not yet,” he pleaded; and there eeping in his voice
”Not yet Wait--only until I hasten to the King! He will hear iven me the lives of such as these!”
”It may not be, father,” was the answer, made noith wenya_ will feed, if not on these Stand now aside”
”Ah! have pity! Untusill take ht of my face ”Stay their hands, Untuswa, if only for a while, till I bring back the King's pardon”
”It 's sentence has been given It is even as the men say Their lives are as the lives of these if they hesitate Would you doom to death many men where till suffice? Let them do their work”
Now, I know not, _Nkose_, how this thing would have ended; for the white _isanusi_ still continued to stand and plead, and none dare reh honour he was held by the Great Great ONE But just then loud shouting made itself heard upon the outskirts of the crohich bent low suddenly, like a forest struck by a gale
And there advancing, with his head thrown back and a light in his eyes such as none of us cared to behold, caht up to where stood the white _isanusi_, to where lay the doo hesitated to perform their work, counted themselves already dead He was attended by the old _induna_ Mcumbete, to whom he now turned
”See,” he said, in a voice whichI a is obeyed; yetsince uttered, is not obeyed _Hau_! What sort of a King aer upon his face took in the white man, even as it did ourselves
”Mercy! Great Great One! Mercy for these!” cried the stranger, pointing to the doomed slaves
We atched trembled for the life of the speaker; those of us who did not tremble for our own--and of these there could be but few--for this was a terrible thing which had happened, such a thing as had never before been known, that any 's decrees and their execution But still the white priest stood upon the brink of that grisly pool of death pleading forgiveness, not for himself, but for those two ht indeed
”You do not know us yet, O stranger!” went on U tones; ”else had you not thought to save the lives of these two by any such means For now have you doomed many to death, even all those whose errand it was to carry outso For they, too, are dead asp of horror, which was ala_ bellowed aloud in praise of the King's justice; but even their voices were not without a quaver But the white priest stood facing the angry countenance of the King; and upon his oas stareat and deep sadness, but never a trace of fear
”Be reat nation!” he pleadedreat We have been friends Oh, slay not these men, when the fault is entirely mine”
”Not entirely The fault of the man who hesitates to obey my word is entirely his own, and the penalty thereof he knows,” said Uer; but of what sort is the friendshi+p which teaches those who are h at me?