colours to the unaccustomed native eyes grew slowly
the form and face of a white man as strangely clothed as
Eyes-in-the-hands, covered with amulets and charms upon his breast. For
four minutes by his wrist-watch, zu Pfeiffer sat silent and as frozen as
his sergeants; then secretly he pulled a string.

"Ehh!" grunted Yabolo and MYalu involuntarily, for before them appeared
even, as Sakamata had related, the two souls of every person present.
Stunned at such a manifestation of magic, they slowly turned from one to
the other. As silently as they had appeared did the visions vanish.

"O son of MYana, tell the tale of the possession of these thy friends and
allies," commanded zu Pfeiffer.

Sakamata obeyed. But as he recited the approximate number of MYalu's
followers, the number of his oxen and goats, the number of fine tusks and
small, the number of wives, concubines, and children, and slaves, the eyes
of MYalu grew unquiet. Had he known that he would be required to render an
account he would have computed at half the actual amount, whereas, in
order to impress Sakamata with his importance, he had exaggerated to
almost double what he had ever possessed. Then as Sakamata proceeded to
perform the same service for Yabolo, relating, by arrangement with his
relative, about one-third of his possession, MYalu observed in a corner a
man making magic upon a table, a native clerk keeping tally; for zu
Pfeiffer kept an exact record of every chief's alleged possessions, as
given by Sakamata and corroborated--by silent consent--by the said chief, so
that when afterwards any discrepancy with the said list was discovered,
the chief was proven a liar and subject to the punishment of further
confiscation as such, and served as well to enhance the reputation for
omniscience of Eyes-in-the-hands.

At the end of the recitals of property, MYalu was told, not asked, to bow
his head to the ground in token of allegiance. He obeyed in bewilderment
which changed to rage when he was informed that the third of his property
must be rendered to the august being before one sun's delay; that he was
to be ready at a summons to produce a given number of warriors; and that
his small and only son was immediately to be placed in the "village of
sons of chiefs" as guaranty of obedience and good behaviour.

In a mist of fright, anger and awe, he sat motionless. Sakamata proceeded
to relate the doings of Zalu Zako and those who had remained faithful to
him.