ace, now of middle age. When she dies she will be succeeded by her
daughter, who also is a white woman and very beautiful. After she dies
another who is white will be found, perhaps one who is of black parents
but born white."

"How old is this daughter?" interrupted Brother John in a curiously
intent voice, "and who is her father?"

"The daughter was born over twenty years ago, Dogeetah, after the Mother
of the Flower was captured and brought here. She says that the father
was a white man to whom she was married, but who is dead."

Brother John's head dropped upon his chest, and his eyes shut as though
he had gone to sleep.

"As for where the Mother lives," went on the Kalubi, "it is on the
island in the lake at the top of the mountain that is surrounded by
water. She has nothing to do with the White God, but those women who
serve her go across the lake at times to tend the fields where grows the
seed that the Kalubi sows, of which the corn is the White God's food."

"Good," I said, "now we understand--not much, but a little. Tell us next
what is your plan? How are we to come into the place where this great
ape lives? And if we come there, how are we to kill the beast, seeing
that your successor, Komba, was careful to prevent us from bringing our
firearms to your land?"

"Aye, lord Macumazana, may the teeth of the god meet in his brain for
that trick; yes, may he die as I know how to make him die. That prophecy
of which he told you is no prophecy from of old. It arose in the land
within the last moon only, though whether it came from Komba or from
the Motombo I know not. None save myself, or at least very few here, had
heard of the iron tubes that throw out death, so how should there be a
prophecy concerning them?"

"I am sure I don't know, Kalubi, but answer the rest of the question."

"As to your coming into the forest--for the White God lives in a forest
on the slopes of the mountain, lords--that will be easy since the
Motombo and the people will believe that I am trapping you there to be a
sacrifice, such as they desire for sundry reasons," and he looked at the
plump Stephen in a very suggestive way. "As to how you are to kill the
god without your tubes of iron, that I do not know. But you are very
brave and great magicians. Surely you can find a way."

Here Brother John seemed to wake up again.

"Yes," he said, "we shall find a way. Have no fear of that, O Kalubi. We
are not afraid of the big ape whom y