make them
slaves, as were their dogs the Wamungo; and so in the depth of their
tribulation he, Bakahenzie, whose magic had been rendered impotent by the
betrayal of the Bride of the Banana, had invoked the spirits of the three,
as they all had witnessed.

"Ough! Ough!" grunted the warriors in assent, although many of them were
sorely puzzled to know why the doctors themselves had fled. Yabolo began
to grow restless in his mind. To allow Bakahenzie to steal all the thunder
and condemn the possible source of political power to the level of an evil
demon was contrary to his policy, but he gave no physical sign save to
become engrossed in his snuff box.

Then Bakahenzie continued with a long harangue maintaining the necessity
of the consummation of the Marriage of the Banana and announced that Zalu
Zako had been taken by the spirit of his forefathers in order to prepare
magic for the eating up of the terrible Eyes-in-the-hands; that as the
voice of Tarum had said, Zalu Zako would return with "That which was slain
on the hill--that which ye seek, that which is yours." Although Bakahenzie
was not sure to what these words had referred, yet he was sagacious enough
to know that if Marufa had engineered that scene, then there must be some
plan at the back of it, and in any case knew, as any white medicine man,
that words in mystic phrasing are always soul-satisfying to the credulous
who interpret them in terms of their subconscious desires. Then with
political prudence he avoided any reference to uncomfortable topics, by
dismissing the assembly before any pertinent questions could be asked.

But when Bakahenzie had retired to his hut, presumably for the night, as
Marufa had done before him, he girded himself with an amulet containing
the gall of an enemy killed in battle and a short stabbing spear and
sallied forth through a hole in the fence to brave the spirits of the
forests in his need.

In the village generally sleep was not entertained with enthusiasm by any
save those women and slaves who knew not of the great happenings. In the
hut of Yabolo were MYalu and Sakamata. From the old men MYalu received
much consolation and advice, but no information as to why the wizards had
bolted as fast as the laymen from ghosts invoked by their own magic.
Sakamata confirmed authoritatively Yabolo's suspicion that the phenomena
had been produced through the magic of Eyes-in-the-hands, urging that they
lose no time in going to him to make