htiest magician the world had ever seen, a demi-god;
for had he, Bakahenzie, not seen these wondrous miracles with his own
eyes? Had not he, Bakahenzie, captured and tamed this marvellous power to
his own ends?

So absolute was this confidence in the powers of the white that Bakahenzie
was perfectly sincere, as Mungongo and Bakuma had been, in asserting that
the "son of the Lord-of-many-Lands" was pleased to pretend that "an
elephant was a mouse," that he "tickled their feet." The only doubt raised
in his mind at that interview was whether he could persuade this powerful
being to destroy the usurper "out of hand," as it were, or even whether
Moonspirit could do so; for it was quite reasonable to him to suppose that
even a god, in fighting another god, might have to do battle for the
victory.

Not in spite of, but because of, this firm faith Bakahenzie took more
precautions than ever before to surround the captured god with the
toughest fibres of the tabu to keep him in isolation. Obviously such a
valuable prize demanded special precautions. He promulgated an ordinance,
in the amplitude of his regained power, that no lay man nor any wizard
save the inner cult, whom he dared not forbid, were to approach within
sight of the sacred enclosure. In the jungle of his mind lurked the fear
that the new god might be seen to leave the sacred ground and thus render
the penalty of death imperative according to the laws of the tabu upon a
god who jeopardised the tribal welfare as MFunya MPopo had done by his
failure to bring rain. The belief that he could control a force which he
admitted was infinitely greater than he, and of punishing it if it did not
behave, was not at all inconsistent to the native mind, nor more illogical
than many theological ideas of whites.

At the last interview Bakahenzie had tried to persuade Birnier to permit
him to speak into the mighty ear of the magic box; in effect an attempt to
gain complete control. But Birnier, when he at length had realised that
Bakahenzie's mental development was little greater than Mungongo's, and
keenly aware of the isolation to which he was to be subjected, as well as
the purpose in the witch-doctor's mind, had resolutely refused. Bakahenzie
had accepted the intimation that the god would not work miracles through
any other mouth than that of his incarnation, and after a long cogitative
silence had departed without further comment.

But of course he came back again next day,