writhe
realistically as practice assured him. Then when the mouth was flecked
with foam, the spirit of Tarum spake through the rigid body which lay as
in catalepsy with eyes inverted:

"Aie! Aie! I am the spirit of Kintu!
Aie! Aie! I am he who first was!
Aie! Aie! I am the banana from whom I was made!
Aie! Aie! The time of the nuptial draweth nigh!
Aie! Aie! But where is the bride of my bed?
Aie! Aie! Let her be found and prepared!
Aie! Aie! For my lips are athirst for her blood!
Aie! Aie! Let the son of the Snake be anointed!
Aie! Aie! Let him be ready to assist at my feast!
Aie! Aie! I have spoken, I, the father of Men!
Aie! Aie! I, Tarum, the soul of your ancestors!"

From the assembly came the low belly grunt of acceptance, for they were,
by suggestion, infected with the induced hysteria almost as much as the
superb actor himself; they believed; even the members of the inner cult
were convinced for the moment that indeed the mighty spirit of their
ancestors was speaking.

Slowly, with many prodigious grunts and twists, did Bakahenzie's soul
return to his body. He sat up and after a long pause said impressively:

"What hath He said unto you?"

And Marufa, as solemnly, related all that He had said.

"Eh!" said Bakahenzie tonelessly, "it is even as I have prophesied. These
indeed are the words of wisdom. Is it not so, O my brethren?" Again came
the low grunt of assent. "Let us obey, that these foul spirits may pass
and the Unmentionable One return unto his children!"

Then, according to custom, all save those of the inner cult arose and went
forth silently. In the heart of Yabolo, as he squatted as expressionless
as the others, was satisfaction, for he saw, or thought he saw, that
Eyes-in-the-hands would be pleased with the destruction of a man who might
possibly become his rival; and on that principle imagined himself
introduced by his relative, Sakamata, to Eyes-in-the-hands as the slayer,
or initiator of the slaying, of his rival, Moonspirit. That Zalu Zako
should be anointed King-God suited him as well as the other wizards and
for the same reason. Therefore Yabolo for once raised no objection to the
behests of Bakahenzie.

Already from the encampment rose the excited voices of the warriors who
had been informed of the decision of the assembly of wizards. But the
shadows were long. The forest was even more thickly peopled with spirits
than their own park-like country. One of the inn