mistake for the corn. Presently they fell on their backs, kicked a
little and died. Some of the Mazitu, who were great thieves, stole those
dead fowls, Baas. After this, Baas, I thought it best not to use that
sugar in the coffee, and later on Bena told me that it was deadly
poison. Well, Baas, it came into my mind that if I could make that great
snake swallow enough of this poison, he, too, might die.

"So I stole your keys, as I often do, Baas, when I want anything,
because you leave them lying about everywhere, and to deceive you first
opened one of the boxes that are full of square-face and brandy and left
it open, for I wished you to think that I had just gone to get drunk
like anybody else. Then I opened another box and got out two one-pound
tins of the sugar which kills dogs and fowls. Half a pound of it I
melted in boiling water with some real sugar to make the stuff sweet,
and put it into a bottle. The rest I tied with string in twelve little
packets in the soft paper which is in one of the boxes, and put them in
my pocket. Then I went up the hill, Baas, to the place where I saw those
goats are kraaled at night behind a reed fence. As I had hoped, no one
was watching them because there are no tigers so near this town, and
man does not steal the goats that are sacred. I went into the kraal and
found a fat young ewe which had a kid. I dragged it out and, taking it
behind some stones, I made its leg fast with a bit of cord and poured
this stuff out of the bottle all over its skin, rubbing it in well.
Then I tied the twelve packets of hard poison-sugar everywhere about its
body, making them very fast deep in the long hair so that they could not
tumble or rub off.

"After this I untied the goat, led it near to the mouth of the cave and
held it there for a time while it kept on bleating for its kid. Next I
took it almost up to the cave, wondering how I should drive it in, for I
did not wish to enter there myself, Baas. As it happened I need not have
troubled about that. When the goat was within five yards of the cave, it
stopped bleating, stood still and shivered. Then it began to go forward
with little jumps, as though it did not want to go, yet must do so.
Also, Baas, I felt as though _I_ wished to go with it. So I lay down and
put my heels against a rock, leaving go of the goat.

"For now, Baas, I did not care where that goat went so long as I could
keep out of the hole where dwelt the Father of Serpents that ha