He came and stood before me, saying: "Hail, Macumazahn.

Do you remember me ?" "Aye," I answered, "I remember you as Maputa, one of Panda's indunas." "Quite so, Macumazahn; I am Maputa, one of his indunas, a member of his Council, a captain of his impis [that is, armies], as I was to his brothers who are gone, whose names it is not lawful that I should name.
Well, Panda the King has sent me to you, at the request of Saduko there, with a message." "How do I know that you are a true messenger ?" I asked.

"Have you brought me any token ?" "Aye," he answered, and, fumbling under his cloak, he produced something wrapped in dried leaves, which he undid and handed to me, saying: "This is the token that Panda sends to you, Macumazahn, bidding me to tell you that you will certainly know it again; also that you are welcome to it, since the two little bullets which he swallowed as you directed made him very ill, and he needs no more of them." I took the token, and, examining it in the moonlight, recognised it at once.
It was a cardboard box of strong calomel pills, on the top of which was written: "Allan Quatermain, Esq.: One _only_ to be taken as directed." Without entering into explanations, I may state that I had taken "one as directed," and subsequently presented the rest of the box to King Panda, who was very anxious to "taste the white man's medicine." "Do you recognise the token, Macumazahn ?" asked the induna.
"Yes," I replied gravely; "and let the King return thanks to the spirits of his ancestors that he did not swallow three of the balls, for if he had done so, by now there would have been another Head in Zululand.
Well, speak on, Messenger." But to myself I reflected, not for the first time, how strangely these natives could mix up the sublime with the ridiculous.

Here was a matter that must involve the death of many men, and the token sent to me by the autocrat who stood at the back of it all, to prove the good faith of his messenger, was a box of calomel pills! However, it served the purpose as well as anything else.
Maputa and I drew aside, for I saw that he wished to speak with me alone.
"O Macumazana," he said, when we were out of hearing of the others, "these are the words of Panda to you: 'I understand that you, Macumazahn, have promised to accompany Saduko, son of Matiwane, on an expedition of his against Bangu, chief of the Amakoba.

Now, were anyone else concerned, I should forbid this expedition, and especially should I forbid you, a white man in my country, to share therein.