nearly noon
Away with him at once ; and if he is allowed to escape , the guards who have him in charge shall be nailed , head downward , to the crucifixion tree ! '' Gouroo smiled a smile of triumphant malice as , in reply to her summons , two guards entered , and , seizing me roughly , hurried me away ; while Ama , bathed in tears , flung herself upon her knees beside her father 's couch and vainly besought him to have mercy upon me . As I passed out of the room I saw the king , writhing in agony , rise upon his couch and strike the poor girl a violent blow , while he bellowed a fierce command to her to withdraw from his sight . It was nearly noon when I was conducted back to my hut after my futile attempt to cure the king ; and it was not until close upon sunset that I got any further news , when one of the guards who had me in charge informed me , as he brought in my supper , that Mafuta had completely cured the king within an hour of the moment when he was first summoned to his Majesty 's bedside ; that Banda had already risen from his couch ; and that , in requital for his service , Mafuta had claimed -- and been granted -- the right to dispose of me as he pleased upon the occasion of the forthcoming festival of the Customs ! Which meant , of course , that I was to die by some exquisite refinement of torture , the nature of which would probably be too dreadful for description . For I very shrewdly suspected that Gouroo and Mafuta were equally interested in my downfall -- might , indeed , have conspired in some mysterious manner to bring it about -- and would probably take care that it should be as complete and disastrous as savage vindictiveness could make it . The days now dragged themselves away upon leaden feet , yet -- apparent paradox -- with frightful rapidity ; for I now no longer had a household to attend to my wants ; my meals were brought to me with unfailing regularity by my guards , but they had apparently been forbidden to communicate with me , for not a word could I get out of them , good , bad , or indifferent .