AN ANXIOUS PERIOD. 
199 
After considerable parleying, for my men naturally 
felt that it was like entering the lion’s den, Abdallah 
and another Zanzibari volunteered to go on this dan¬ 
gerous errand. Accordingly they set out, secretly 
armed with revolvers, and accompanied the soldier to 
Mandara’s town. Following their progress with my 
opera-glass, I saw them enter the native compound, and 
then ensued an anxious wait before they re-issued and 
made their way alone back to Kitimbiriu. When they 
entered the settlement I saw bad news painted on their 
lineaments, so I hurried them into my house before they 
could communicate it to my quaking men. When they 
were seated in the doorway of my dwelling, their dark 
bodies like silhouettes against the flaming evening 
sky, they unfolded their ominous tale. 
When they had reached Mandara’s place, it seemed, 
they found him seated among his councillors and cap¬ 
tains in a quivering rage. His one eye gleamed with 
anger, and his whole frame trembled with convulsive 
wrath. Speaking slowly and distinctly, evidently 
trying to keep control over himself, he told them that 
there was but one ruler in the country, and that one 
he. It sufficed for him to send an order to the white 
man and it must be instantly obeyed, or the throat of 
every man in the settlement should be cut. “ What,” 
he exclaimed, “ do I care for his Consul or his Queeny ? 
Have I not a thousand soldiers ? Go and tell him ! ” 
The men crept away from the precincts of the irate 
monarch thoroughly cowed, but they were not gone 
far before he sent to recall them. On again entering 
his presence, Mandara assailed them with imprecations 
and horrible threats, and dismissed them a second 
time, summoned them back again, hurled at them 
hoarsely more vituperation, and finally bade them 
