At last I struck and said that we must move on as Stephen was now fit
to travel.
"Quite so," said Brother John, mildly. "What have you arranged,
Allan?"
With some irritation, for I hated that sentence of Brother John's, I
replied that I had arranged nothing, but that as none of them seemed
to have any suggestions to make, I would go out and talk the matter
over with Hans and Mavovo, which I did.
I need not chronicle the results of our conference since other
arrangements were being made for us at which I little guessed.
It all came very suddenly, as great things in the lives of men and
nations sometimes do. Although the Mazitu were of the Zulu family,
their military organization had none of the Zulu thoroughness. For
instance, when I remonstrated with Bausi and old Babemba as to their
not keeping up a proper system of outposts and intelligence, they
laughed at me and answered that they never had been attacked and now
that the Pongo had learnt a lesson, were never likely to be.
By the way, I see that I have not yet mentioned that at Brother John's
request those Pongos who had been taken prisoners at the Battle of the
Reeds were conducted to the shores of the lake, given one of the
captured canoes and told that they might return to their own happy
land.
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