absolute as the change from life to death. The sun sank and the world
was wreathed in shadows. But not for long, for see in the west there is
a glow, then come rays of silver light, and at last the full and
glorious moon lights up the plain and shoots its gleaming arrows far
and wide, filling the earth with a faint refulgence.
We stood and watched the lovely sight, whilst the stars grew pale
before this chastened majesty, and felt our hearts lifted up in the
presence of a beauty that I cannot describe. Mine has been a rough
life, but there are a few things I am thankful to have lived for, and
one of them is to have seen that moon shine over Kukuanaland.
Presently our meditations were broken in upon by our polite friend
Infadoos.
"If my lords are rested we will journey on to Loo, where a hut is made
ready for my lords to-night. The moon is now bright, so that we shall
not fall by the way."
We assented, and in an hour's time were at the outskirts of the town,
of which the extent, mapped out as it was by thousands of camp fires,
appeared absolutely endless. Indeed, Good, who is always fond of a bad
joke, christened it "Unlimited Loo." Soon we came to a moat with a
drawbridge, where we were met by the rattling of arms and the hoarse
challenge of a sentry. Infadoos gave some password that I could not
catch, which was met with a salute, and we passed on through the
central street of the great grass city. After nearly half an hour's
tramp, past endless lines of huts, Infadoos halted at last by the gate
of a little group of huts which surrounded a small courtyard of
powdered limestone, and informed us that these were to be our "poor"
quarters.
We entered, and found that a hut had been assigned to each of us. These
huts were superior to any that we had yet seen, and in each was a most
comfortable bed made of tanned skins, spread upon mattresses of
aromatic grass. Food too was ready for us, and so soon as we had washed
ourselves with water, which stood ready in earthenware jars, some young
women of handsome appearance brought us roasted meats, and mealie cobs
daintily served on wooden platters, and presented them to us with deep
obeisances.
We ate and drank, and then, the beds having been all moved into one hut
by our request, a precaution at which the amiable young ladies smiled,
we flung ourselves down to sleep, thoroughly wearied with our long
journey.
When we woke it was to find the sun high in the heavens, an
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