WE BID GOOD-BYE TO OUR BOYS 315 
attentive female slaves from the large pots standing near, and 
then we rolled, rather than walked, back to camp. 
Moremi’s intention was that those boys should give a good 
account of his reception of them to their chiefs at home, and 
of this he was assured by the expressions of gratitude they 
made before leaving. 
That night we killed a great fat ox to give our boys a parting 
feast, and to provide them with food for the journey, bidding 
them be careful and not distribute any of the meat, as they 
would want it all on the road. They, however, laughed to 
scorn the idea of hunger—look at their guns, and powder, 
and caps. They would surround troops of game on the road, 
and slaughter meat to their heart’s content. Had they not 
heard that on the way they were going the game was quite 
as plentiful as on the Chobe ? 
At daybreak they woke us to bid farewell. We came out 
of our shelter, and found them standing in a row with all their 
things packed in bundles ready for starting. They filed past 
us as we stood together, and shook hands in succession, then 
picked up their things as if to be off, but, setting them down 
again, begged the privilege of shaking hands once more. Chiki 
held my hand long in his, and a tear rolled down his cheek 
as he said: ‘ Kolwani, I am only a black man, but my heart 
has grown white towards you. When you come to Panda 
Matenga again, shout out my name, “Chiki,” and the trees 
and the birds will tell me you are there, and I, Chiki, will 
come to you, without stopping to eat on the road until I 
have seen your face.’ ‘And I also, and I also,’ came from 
all the boys in chorus. Then some seized hold of both 
Hammar’s hands, and others of mine, and they danced around 
us, singing the farewell song of their nation; then, as it came 
to an end, they seized their packs and hurried off at a run, 
never turning round, as if not trusting themselves to take 
a last look at us. 
Attracted by the large herds of cattle, lions were numerous 
in the neighbourhood of the lake. Hardly a day passed but 
