130 THE PLAGUE IN ASHIEA-LAND. Chap. VIT. 



no one left to gather food ; and my men in searching • 

 for it in the neighbouring villages were driven back 

 and threatened with death by the terror-stricken in- 

 habitants, who believed that we were the carriers of 

 the plague and of the famine. 



All Olenda's wives were down with the disease ; 

 but, happily, the king himself remained my friend, 

 and as long as he had food he shared it with us. But 

 sorer trials than famine were in store for us. One 

 wretched night a sudden wailing burst forth, and soon 

 became general throughout the village. It was the 

 announcement of the death of Mpoto, the favourite 

 nejDhew and heir-apparent of Olenda. The tremulous 

 and feeble voice of poor old Olenda was heard in the 

 early morning singing the plaintive songs of grief. 

 The death of Mpoto was imputed by the people to 

 me, on account of the quarrel I had had with him ; 

 and a general complaint was made that, whilst all 

 the Ashira were falling ill, the white man's people 

 were untouched. We were in great danger of being 

 attacked by the enraged people of Mpoto, and had to 

 keep watch for some time with loaded revolvers ready 

 at hand. Soon after this came the final blow — Olenda 

 himself sickened and died ! He was the last of his 

 clan to be struck down with the disease, if, indeed, 

 it was the small-pox of which he died. In fact, he, 

 Macondai, and I, were the only people remaining 

 well at that time, for my three other faithful lads had, 

 to my infinite grief, fallen ill with the worst type 

 of the infection ; Ngoma, especially, was a great 

 sufferer, for the skin sloughed off his body in large 

 patches ; his face was swollen up, and the putrid 



