CHAPTER VIII.
Life amongst the Makololo--Return journey--Native hospitality--A canoe voyage on the Zambesi.
While we were at Sesheke, an ox was killed by a crocodile; a man found the carcass floating in the river, and appropriated the meat.

When the owner heard of this, he requested him to come before the chief, as he meant to complain of him; rather than go, the delinquent settled the matter by giving one of his own oxen in lieu of the lost one.

A headman from near Linyanti came with a complaint that all his people had run off, owing to the "hunger." Sekeletu said, "You must not be left to grow lean alone, some of them must come back to you." He had thus an order to compel their return, if he chose to put it in force.

Families frequently leave their own headman and flee to another village, and sometimes a whole village decamps by night, leaving the headman by himself.

Sekeletu rarely interfered with the liberty of the subject to choose his own headman, and, as it is often the fault of the latter which causes the people to depart, it is punishment enough for him to be left alone.
Flagrant disobedience to the chief's orders is punished with death.