ds, however, that he does not care one brass farthing--his actual
expression, Mr. Somers, is 'one grain of corn on a mealie-cob'--about
his or anybody else's life, which from all I have heard of his
proceedings I can well believe to be true. He says in his vulgar
language that there is no difference between the belly of a Mazitu-land
hyena and that of any other hyena, and that the earth of Mazitu-land
is as welcome to his bones as any other earth, since the earth is the
wickedest of all hyenas, in that he has observed that soon or late it
devours everlastingly everything which once it bore. You must forgive me
for reproducing his empty and childish talk, Mr. Somers, but you bade me
to render the words of this savage with exactitude. In fact, Mr. Somers,
this reckless person intimates, in short that some power with which he
is not acquainted--he calls it the 'Strength that makes the Sun to
shine and broiders the blanket of the night with stars' (forgive me for
repeating his silly words), caused him 'to be born into this world, and,
at an hour already appointed, will draw him from this world back into
its dark, eternal bosom, there to be rocked in sleep, or nursed to life
again, according to its unknown will'--I translate exactly, Mr. Somers,
although I do not know what it all means--and that he does not care a
curse when this happens. Still, he says that whereas he is growing old
and has known many sorrows--he alludes here, I gather, to some nigger
wives of his whom another savage knocked on the head; also to a child to
whom he appears to have been attached--you are young with all your days
and, he hopes, joys, before you. Therefore he would gladly do anything
in his power to save your life, because although you are white and he
is black he has conceived an affection for you and looks on you as his
child. Yes, Mr. Somers, although I blush to repeat it, this black
fellow says he looks upon you as his child. He adds, indeed, that if the
opportunity arises, he will gladly give his life to save your life,
and that it cuts his heart in two to refuse you anything. Still he must
refuse this request of yours, that he will ask the creature he calls his
Snake--what he means by that, I don't know, Mr. Somers--to declare
when the white man, named Dogeetah, will arrive in this place. For this
reason, that he told Mr. Quatermain when he laughed at him about his
divinations that he would make no more magic for him or any of you, and
that