o the last degree. But he answered gravely that that was so indeed.
Then he announced that they must resume their way, but first he had a
gift for the chief--producing a half-sovereign.

"_Nkose! Baba_!" cried Zwabeka with alacrity, receiving it in both
hands, as the way is with natives. "And the white _isanusi_--is he not
my father too?"

"I am a poor man, chief," answered the priest, mustering his best
Sindabele. "Yet--here is something."

Zwabeka looked at the silver without great enthusiasm, while the
bystanders muttered--

"A poor man? _Yau_! An _isanusi_ a poor man! _Mamoi_ was ever such a
thing heard of?"

"It is true _amadoda_," said Lamont. "The white _isanusi_ give away all
the gifts _they_ receive--and more."

A ripple of undisguised laughter ran through the group. An _isanusi_
give away all he received, and more! No, that was too much. Lamonti
was trying to amuse them.

They bade farewell to the chief, and those present. Outside the
enclosure Lamont picked up his gun, which in accordance with native
etiquette he had left there, taking care, however, that there were no
cartridges in it, in case of accidents. As they mounted their horses at
the farther gate, the witch-doctor came running up.

They had forgotten something, he declared. These great ones had
forgotten him.

"That is true," said Lamont, with a laugh, "yet not altogether. I did
not want the chief of this kraal to know that I thought the chief of
_izanusi_ equal to him by giving him an equal gift. Here it is."

"_Baba, Nkose_!" sung out Qubani, turning inquiringly to the other. But
Lamont laughed.

"Now nay, Qubani--now nay. Two brethren of the same craft do not take
gifts from one another. They take them from those outside."

The old man chuckled at this, and with sonorous farewells he dropped
back.

"I'm afraid that has been rather an expensive visit--for you, Mr
Lamont," said Father Mathias, as they rode along.

"Yes. But I had a reason for it, which may or may not hereinafter
appear," was the somewhat enigmatical reply. And soon they came to the
point where their roads separated, Lamont no longer pressing his
companion to come on and visit him. In fact he would have been
seriously embarrassed had his former invitation been accepted--now in
the light of subsequent events. He wanted to act unhampered, and to do
that he must be alone. But as they parted he said--

"I don't want to set up a general scare,