its effects
were wonderful, since presently all my great weariness fell from me
like a discarded cloak, and I found myself with a splendid appetite and
feeling better and stronger than I had done for years. In short that
drink was a "cocktail" of the best, one of which I only wish I possessed
the recipe, though Ayesha told me afterwards that it was distilled from
quite harmless herbs and not in any sense a spirit.

Having discovered this, I gave some of it to Hans, also to Umslopogaas,
who was with the wounded Zulus, who, we found, were progressing well
towards complete recovery, and lastly to Goroko who also was worn
out. On all of these the effect of that magical brew proved most
satisfactory.

Then, having washed, I ate a splendid dinner, though in this respect
Hans, who was seated on the ground nearby, far outpassed my finest
efforts.

"Baas," he said, "things have gone very well with us when they might
have gone very ill. The Baas Red-Beard is dead, which is a good thing,
since a madman would have been difficult to look after, and a brain full
of moonshine is a bad companion for any one. Oh! without doubt he is
better dead, though your reverend father the Predikant will have a hard
job looking after him there in the Place of Fires."

"Perhaps," I said with a sigh, "since it is better to be dead than
to live a lunatic. But what I fear is that the lady his daughter will
follow him."

"Oh, no! Baas," replied Hans cheerfully, "though I daresay that she
will always be a little mad also, because you see it is in her blood and
doubtless she has looked on dreadful things. But the Great Medicine will
see to it that she does not die after we have taken so much trouble
and gone into such big dangers to save her. That Great Medicine is very
wonderful, Baas. First of all it makes you General over those Amahagger
who without you would never have fought, as the Witch who ties up her
head in a cloth knew well enough. Then it brings us safe through the
battle and gives strength to Umslopogaas to kill the old man-eating
giant."

"Why did it not give _me_ strength to kill him, Hans? I let him have two
Express bullets on his chest, which hurt him no more than a tap upon the
horns with a dancing stick would hurt a bull-buffalo."

"Oh! Baas, perhaps you missed him, who because you hit things sometimes,
think that you do so always."

Having waited to see if I would rise to this piece of insolence, which
of course I did not, h