em down. This
was no sooner said than done, by the attendants in a body shoving on and
trampling them under, as an elephant would crush small trees to keep his
course. So pushing, floundering through plaintain and shrub, pell-mell
one upon the other, that the king's pace might not be checked, or any
one come in for a royal kick or blow, they came upon the prostrate bird.
"Woh, woh, woh!" cried the king again, "there he is, sure enough; come
here, women--come and look what wonders!" And all the women, in the
highest excitement, "woh-wohed" as loud as any of the men. But that was
not enough. "Come along, Bana," said the king, "we must have some more
sport;" and, saying this he directed the way towards the queen's palace,
the attendants leading, followed by the pages, then the king, next
myself--for I never would walk before him--and finally the women, some
forty or fifty, who constantly attended him.

To make the most of the king's good-humour, while I wanted to screen
myself from the blazing sun, I asked him if he would like to enjoy the
pleasures of an umbrella; and before he had time to answer, held mine
over him as we walked side by side. The Wakungu were astonished, and the
women prattled in great delight; whilst the king, hardly able to control
himself, sidled and spoke to his flatterers as if he were doubly created
monarch of all he surveyed. He then, growing more familiar, said, "Now,
Bana, do tell me--did you not shoot that bird with something more than
common ammunition? I am sure you did, now; there was magic in it." And
all I said to the contrary would not convince him. "But we will see
again." "At buffaloes?" I said. "No, the buffaloes are too far off now;
we will wait to go after then until I have given you a hut close by."
Presently, as some herons were flying overhead, he said, "Now, shoot,
shoot!" and I brought a couple down right and left. He stared, and
everybody stared, believing me to be a magician, when the king said
he would like to have pictures of the birds drawn and hung up in the
palace; "but let us go and shoot some more, for it is truly wonderful."
Similar results followed, for the herons were continually whirling
round, as they had their nests upon a neighbouring tree; and then the
king ordered his pages to carry all the birds, save the vulture--which,
for some reason, they did not touch--and show them to the queen.

He then gave the order to move on, and we all repaired to the palace.
Arriv