But he was too late; Tabitha
had already taken the lily and was thanking Menzi in his own tongue,
which she knew well enough, having been brought up by Zulu nurses. He
smiled at her, saying:
"All Spirits, black or white, love flowers."
Then for a third time he saluted, not the others, but Tabitha, with more
heartiness than before, and turning, departed, followed by his spearmen,
who also saluted Tabitha as they filed in front of her.
It was a strange sight to see these great plumed men lifting their broad
spears to the beautiful bright-haired child who stood there holding the
tall white lily in her hand as though it were a sceptre.
IV
When Menzi and his company had departed, vanishing round the corner of
the koppie, Thomas again asked the Chief where they were to sleep, an
urgent matter as darkness was now approaching.
Kosa answered with his usual vagueness that he supposed in the hut where
the late Teacher had died after the mission-house was burnt down. So
they trekked on a little way, passing beneath the shelf of rock that has
been mentioned as projecting from that side of the koppie which overhung
the stream, where there was just room for a wagon to travel between the
cliff and the water.
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