第62章

FromwhatIhadheardIconsideredthatRiongamustbeaveryfinefellow，andmuchsuperiortoeitherKamrasiorhisson。

InmyformerjourneyIhadaccomplishedalonganddifficultexplorationwithoutfiringashotatahumanbeing；andIhadstudiouslyavoidedmeddlinginnativepolitics，whichiscertaintoinvolveatravellerindifficulty。IthadalwaysbeenasourceofgreatsatisfactionwhenI

lookedbacktomypastadventures，andreflectedthatIhadneverpulledatriggeratanative；thusthearrivalofawhitemaninthesecountrieswouldberegardedwithoutsuspicion。

InmypresentexpeditionIhadalwaysendeavouredtopreservepeace，but，asthisworkwillshow，Iwasineveryinstanceforcedtowarinabsoluteself-defence。IwasthereforedeterminednottoattackRionga，unlessheshouldpresumetodefythegovernment。

InreplytoKabbaRegaandhischiefs，whoallhadjoinedintheargument，IdeclaredthatIwouldfindmeanstoestablishpeace，andthatRiongawouldassuredlycometoterms。Nothingwouldinducemetouseforceagainsthimoranyotherperson，unlessabsolutelynecessary。

IsuggestedtoKabbaRegathatheshouldforamomentchangepositionswithRionga。WhatwouldhisfeelingsbeshouldIwantonlyattackhim，simplybecauseIhadbeenrequestedtodosobyhisenemy?

Noargumentwasofanyavail。KabbaRegareplied，”Youweremyfather’sfriendandbrother：yourwifewasthesame。Youdrovebacktheslave-huntersunderWat-el-Mekbyhoistingyourflag。Sinceyouleftus，theslave-huntershavereturnedandruinedthecountry。Myfatherisdead；butRiongaisstillalive。Nowyouaremyfather，andyourwifeismymother：willyouallowyourson’senemytolive?”

Itwasquiteuselesstoattemptreasonwiththishardenedyoungfellow，whohadnotanideaofmercyinhisdisposition。Ashehadmurderedhisownrelativesbythefoulesttreachery，sohewouldofcoursedestroyanypersonwhostoodinhisway。IthereforechangedtheconversationtoAbouSaood。

KabbaRegaandhissheiksallagreedthathehadarrivedheresometimeagoinaverymiserableplight，exceedinglydirty，andridinguponadonkey。Hewaswithoutbaggageofanykind，andheintroducedhimselfbygivingapresenttoKabbaRegaofanold，batteredmetalbasinandjug，inwhichhewashed，togetherwithaveryoldandworn-outsmallcarpet，uponwhichhewasaccustomedtosit。Withthesemagnificentpresentshedeclaredthathewas”thesonofasultan，whohadcometovisitthekingofUnyoro。”

KabbaRegahadrepliedthat”hedidnotbelieveit，ashehadheardthathewassimplyatrader。”

ReportshadreachedUnyorothatIhadarrivedatGondokoro，andthatI

wasonmywaytovisitKamrasi，andtoexploretheAlbertN’yanza；

thereforeKabbaRegahadquestionedAbouSaoodconcerningme。”Oh，”AbouSaoodreplied，”thatmanwhomwecall’thetraveller’?Ohyes，hewasaverygoodfellowindeed；butheisdead。Hediedlongago。

ThePachaisaverydifferentperson；andIhopehewillneverbeabletoreachthiscountry。Ifhedoes，itwillbeabadtimeforYOU。””Indeed！”repliedKabbaRega。”IheardthatthePachaandthetraveller，thefriendofmyfather，werethesameperson。””Youhavebeendeceived，”saidAbouSaood。”ThePachaisnotlikethetraveller，oranyotherman。Heisamonsterwiththreeseparateheads，ineachofwhicharesixeyes——threeuponeachside。Thuswitheighteeneyeshecanseeeverythingandeverycountryatonce。Hehasthreeenormousmouths，whicharefurnishedwithteethlikethoseofacrocodile，andhedevourshumanflesh。HehasalreadykilledandeatentheBaripeopleanddestroyedtheircountry。Shouldhearrivehere，hewillpullyoufromthethroneandseizeyourkingdom。Youmustfighthim，andbynomeansallowhimtocrosstheriveratFoweera。MysoldierswillfighthimontheroadfromGondokoro，aswillallthenativesofthecountry：butIdon’tthinkhewillbeabletoleaveGondokoro，ashehasalargeamountofbaggage，_andIhavetoldtheBarisnottotransportit：——thushewillhavenocarriers。”

ThiswastheactualreportthatAbouSaoodhadgiventoKabbaRega，asthedragomanUmbogohadbeentheinterpreter，inthepresenceofMohammed，myoldCairodragoman。

Ilaughedoutrightatthisabsurdity：atthesametimeitcorroboratedallthatIhadalreadyheardofAbouSaood’streachery。IimmediatelyaskedKabbaRegaifhewassatisfiednowthathehadseenme?Hereplied，”AbouSaoodis

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