Birnier, sotto voce, and he abandoned the effort to
explain combustion. "Thus is it then with these that ye call the magic
fire twigs."

"Even as we have said," asserted Mungongo triumphantly.

Birnier lapsed into silent defeat. Bakuma began to edge away. As Mungongo
rose came a stifled scream from Bakuma who sprang to her feet and dashed
towards the tent; then as if recollecting that her saviour had been
bewitched by Bakahenzie, fled into the gloom beyond. Mungongo had seized a
spear stuck in the earth near to him. As appeared the wizened figure of
Marufa, who saluted as he squatted in the native manner, Birnier
recollected that he had been with Bakahenzie and wondered what he wanted.
Mungongo replaced his spear and came to the tent.

"Greeting, O son of MTungo!"

Marufa mumbled the orthodox return.

"Thou hast need of Moonspirit?" demanded Mungongo, some of his officious
confidence in Birnier returning.

"Doth the leopard go to the goat pen to seek nuts?" grumbled the old man.
He tapped out snuff slowly and grunted.

Presently said Marufa:

"Moonspirit is the brother of Eyes-in-the-hands?"

"Nay," answered Birnier, wondering at the persistency of this idea.
"Eyes-in-the-hands is of another tribe ten moons distant from Moonspirit."

Marufa grunted. Another long pause. Then:

"The magic of Moonspirit hath blunted the spears of Bakahenzie?"

"Even so," said Birnier modestly.

"The son of Maliko maketh much magic that the bride of the Banana be taken
from the white stranger."

"The monkey makes many faces and much noise, but does he eat up the
leopard?"

"The bite of the spear is more deadly than the bleat of a goat," retorted
Marufa.

"Doth the wise man eat the heart of a goat to gain courage?"

"The louder the lion roars the less teeth has he!"

"But only the fool opens his mouth to see how many he has!"

"The wise father examines the grain of the tusks before he sells his
daughter."

"But the wise man sees the daughter before he offers the tusks!"

"Ugm!"

Marufa took more snuff and contemplated the interior of the tent where a
native was lighting a lamp. Birnier reflected. Evidently Marufa had come
with an object and had inferred that he had something to bargain about.
What was it? Also he wanted to be sure that he was setting his trap at the
right pool. Birnier decided that he was probably acting on his own
initiative and willing to conspire against Bakahenzie. An impulse to
experiment u