I trusted implicitly in her fertility of resource and her extraordinary intelligence.
In a few days she returned, and told me that everything had been arranged, and a body of armed warriors would presently arrive in the vicinity of the camp, ready to place themselves absolutely at my service.
And sure enough, a few days later twenty stalwart warriors made their appearance at the spot indicated by Yamba; but as I did not consider the force quite large enough for my purpose, I sent some of them back with another message asking for reinforcements, and saying that the great white chief was in danger.

Finally, when I felt pretty confident of my position, I marched boldly forward into the camp with my warriors, to the unbounded amazement of the whole tribe with whose chief I was sojourning.
He taxed me with having deceived him when I said I was alone, and he also accused me of outraging the laws of hospitality by bringing a party of warriors, obviously hostile, into his presence.
I wilfully ignored all these points, and calmly told him I had been thinking over the way in which he had acquired the two white girls, and had come to the conclusion that he had no right to them at all.
Therefore, I continued airily, it was my intention to take them away forthwith.

I pointed out to the repulsive giant that he had not obtained the girls by fair means, and if he objected to my taking them away, it was open to him, according to custom, to sustain his claim to ownership by fighting me for the "property." Now, these blacks are neither demonstrative nor intelligent, but I think I never saw any human being so astonished in the whole of my life.

It dawned upon him presently, however, that I was not joking, and then his amazement gave place to the most furious anger.

He promptly accepted my challenge, greatly to the delight of all the warriors in his own tribe, with whom he was by no means popular.