put on trousers again. Henceforth you must exist in a
flannel shirt, a pair of boots, and an eye-glass."
"Yes," I said, "and with whiskers on one side of your face and not on
the other. If you change any of these things the people will think that
we are impostors. I am very sorry for you, but, seriously, you must. If
once they begin to suspect us our lives will not be worth a brass
farthing."
"Do you really think so?" said Good gloomily.
"I do, indeed. Your 'beautiful white legs' and your eye-glass are now
_the_ features of our party, and as Sir Henry says, you must live up to
them. Be thankful that you have got your boots on, and that the air is
warm."
Good sighed, and said no more, but it took him a fortnight to become
accustomed to his new and scant attire.
CHAPTER VIII
WE ENTER KUKUANALAND
All that afternoon we travelled along the magnificent roadway, which
trended steadily in a north-westerly direction. Infadoos and Scragga
walked with us, but their followers marched about one hundred paces
ahead.
"Infadoos," I said at length, "who made this road?"
"It was made, my lord, of old time, none know how or when, not even the
wise woman Gagool, who has lived for generations. We are not old enough
to remember its making. None can fashion such roads now, but the king
suffers no grass to grow upon it."
"And whose are the writings on the wall of the caves through which we
have passed on the road?" I asked, referring to the Egyptian-like
sculptures that we had seen.
"My lord, the hands that made the road wrote the wonderful writings. We
know not who wrote them."
"When did the Kukuana people come into this country?"
"My lord, the race came down here like the breath of a storm ten
thousand thousand moons ago, from the great lands which lie there
beyond," and he pointed to the north. "They could travel no further
because of the high mountains which ring in the land, so say the old
voices of our fathers that have descended to us the children, and so
says Gagool, the wise woman, the smeller out of witches," and again he
pointed to the snow-clad peaks. "The country, too, was good, so they
settled here and grew strong and powerful, and now our numbers are like
the sea sand, and when Twala the king calls up his regiments their
plumes cover the plain so far as the eye of man can reach."
"And if the land is walled in with mountains, who is there for the
regiments to fight with?"
"Nay, my lord, th
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