Therefore I am sending down this, my own royal regiment, under the command of Maputa the skilled in war to spy out the battle, and I pray that you will go with it, that you may give to the General Maputa and to the captains the help of your wisdom.

Now these are my orders to you, Maputa, and to you, O captains--that you take no part in the fight unless you should see that the Elephant, my son Umbelazi, is fallen into a pit, and that then you shall drag him out if you can and save him alive.

Now repeat my words to me." So they repeated the words, speaking with one voice.
"Your answer, O Macumazana," he said when they had spoken.
"O King, I have told you that I will go--though I do not like war--and I will keep my promise," I replied.
"Then make ready, Macumazahn, and be back here within an hour, for the regiment marches ere noon." So I went up to my wagons and handed them over to the care of some men whom Panda had sent to take charge of them.

Also Scowl and I saddled our horses, for this faithful fellow insisted upon accompanying me, although I advised him to stay behind, and got out our rifles and as much ammunition as we could possibly need, and with them a few other necessaries.

These things done, we rode back to the gathering-place, taking farewell of the wagons with a sad heart, since I, for one, never expected to see them again.
As we went I saw that the regiment of the Amawombe, picked men every one of them, all fifty years of age or over, nearly four thousand strong, was marshalled on the dancing-ground, where they stood company by company.