Even Hans, with all his experience and nearly superhuman cunning, could suggest none.
We were unarmed and surrounded by thousands of savages, all of whom save perhaps Babemba, believed us to be slave-traders, a race that very properly they held in abhorrence, who had visited the country with the object of stealing their women and children.

The king, Bausi, a very prejudiced fellow, was dead against us.

Also by a piece of foolishness which I now bitterly regretted, as indeed I regretted the whole expedition, or at any rate entering on it in the absence of Brother John, we had made an implacable enemy of the head medicine-man, who to these folk was a sort of Archbishop of Canterbury.

Short of a miracle, there was no hope for us.

All that we could do was to say our prayers and prepare for the end.
Mavovo, it is true, remained cheerful.