The compliment seemed to please Hans, who hitherto had never been looked on either as a god or a captain.

But the rest of us were not flattered; indeed, Mavovo was indignant, and told Hans outright that if he heard any more such talk he would beat him before these people, to show them that he was neither a captain nor a god.
"Wait till I claim to be either, O butcher of a Zulu, before you threaten to treat me thus!" ejaculated Hans, indignantly.

Then he added, with his peculiar Hottentot snigger, "Still, it is true that before all the meat is eaten (i.e.before all is done) you may think me both," a dark saying which at the time we did not understand.
When we had landed and collected our belongings, Komba told us to follow him, and led us up a wide street that was very tidily kept and bordered on either side by the large huts whereof I have spoken.

Each of these huts stood in a fenced garden of its own, a thing I have rarely seen elsewhere in Africa.

The result of this arrangement was that although as a matter of fact it had but a comparatively small population, the area covered by Rica was very great.