d from
the vegetable bondage by stewing that they might be distributed among the
warriors for the night assault. These warriors, some fifty chosen from the
followers of Bakahenzie and Marufa, sat on their hams within the circle of
fires, uneasily casting glances behind them at the deepening sepia, from
whence arose the nocturnal chant of the spirits of the forest. In order to
insure no interference from malign animals, Bakahenzie caused to be
brought a pure white goat whose throat was cut and bled into the cauldron;
for as any one knows, that soul which is white must necessarily fight well
against anything that be black. Yet in spite of this potent magic the
warriors grew unquiet; they felt, rather than thought, that if the magic
of their witch-doctors had failed against one white why should it succeed
against another like unto him? And their faith thus weakened, doubts
regarding the efficacy of the same magic against spirits of the forest
bred as mosquitoes after rain.

Bakahenzie remarked the uneasiness, but the stronger grew his need to
restore the waning confidence in his powers by removing the white; the
blood desire had now been transferred from Bakuma to Moonspirit as the
most effective demonstration possible to him.

The fires smouldered and flickered yellow tongues upon the greens of the
warriors' bodies and the blues of the wizards' head-dresses. Faint blue
vapour swirled around the scarlet feather above Bakahenzie's graven face
as he muttered incantations and stirred the cauldron. Then as the drums
throbbed and the warriors grunted rhythmically to Bakahenzie's song of
enchantment came a squawk as of a parrot. The chant ceased. Branches
rustled. Every head quirked automatically towards the sound. Came a low
belly grunt of terror as if an invisible hand had punched them in their
solar plexus.

Just in the shadow line where the glow of the fires faintly tinted and
greened the curves of his bronze body against the sepia of his feathers,
appeared the figure of Marufa, his spear lifted on high as he cried out in
a loud voice:

"Greetings, O people of the Banana, I bring you tidings of him who is and
is not, of him who was lost and yet is come. 'Behold, I show you a sign!'"

Against the gloom his left arm and hand glowed with a strange light. An
unanimous "Ehh!" rose from the assembled warriors and wizards alike.

"Raise your ears!" continued Marufa, "that the Voice may speak unto you!"

In the silence came a