it as I have told thee, O son of MTungo," asserted Sakamata.

Sakamata discovered the use of snuff again to be necessary. He watched
covertly the repressed excitement in the eyes of Zalu Zako.

"And what said the great magician unto thee?" Marufa demanded to cover his
discomfort.

"He spoke white words as a warrior should," said Sakamata. "He gave words
which told me that he was but a small wizard. He made my eyes to see the
soul of a greater god than he, who was there and yet was not there; for at
the touch of his magic hand with many eyes, behold! there were two more
souls of the god which returned even as I looked."

"Ehh! A greater god than he?" demanded Zalu Zako, with a flicker of the
white of his eyes.

"Even as I have said, a greater god who is king of all the white man's
countries in the sea, who eats up those whom he pleases. Yet, even though
he may bewitch with one of his eyes, did he speak softly to Yagombi, the
son of Bagazaan, and Zalayan, the son of Kilmanyana, who were with me,
bidding us to tell our brethren that if they would not acknowledge the
true king that then he would eat us up, even as he ate up the
Unmentionable One. But to those who would submit and make due tribute,
would he protect in peace from the white men who, fleeing from the wrath
of the great god, would soon come to eat up our country like the locusts."

"Eh! ehh! white men as the locusts!"

"Thus he spoke and bade us to go forth and tell our brethren."

This was a wholly new notion and proportionally serious if true. But
Marufa, recovering from the first shock, wrapped himself in his
professional cloak of omniscient indifference as he recollected that
Sakamata was an unfrocked priest of the craft. The group took snuff
sternly until Sakamata, having accomplished his mission, deemed it wise to
retire to allow the suggestive ideas to germinate. So gravely he arose and
departed from the hut of Zalu Zako and went under the patronage of Yabolo
to another compound where, to a group of the most disaffected chiefs,
including MYalu, he repeated nearly word for word the same harangue.

In the minds of Zalu Zako and Marufa the report of Sakamata had been
exceedingly disquieting. Marufa began to wonder whether he had not better
make terms with the new god before worse came to the worst in the form of
white men like locusts, a menace fraught with dire possibilities which
were based upon the rumours which every native had heard of the ways