Next morning they met Ghamba again, and agreed to start on their
expedition that evening. He explained that they must do all their
traveling by night, and lie by during the day; because it would never
do for him, Ghamba, to run the risk of being recognised by persons whom
they might meet. For the sake of his Hlubi relations who were living
among the Pondomise at Qumbu, it was absolutely necessary that he should
not appear in the transaction at all. Were it ever to be even suspected
that he had betrayed the chief, not alone would he be certainly killed,
but all his relations would be shunned by the other natives. He was an
old man, so for him, personally, nothing mattered very much, but a man
is bound to consider the interests of his family. Travelling only
by night, and lying still and hidden during the day, were therefore
absolutely necessary stipulations, and Langley and Whitson agreed to
them as intelligible and reasonable. All being settled, the latter
started for the camp, Ghamba baring his teeth excessively as they walked
away.
At dusk on the evening of the same day, Langley and Whitson met Ghamba
once more at the large ant-heap, and the three at once proceeded on
their course.
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