herefrom a good-sized mirror in a wooden
frame with a support at the back so that it could be stood anywhere.
Fortunately it was unbroken; indeed, our packing had been so careful
that none of the looking-glasses or other fragile things were injured.
To this mirror I gave a hasty polish, then set it upright upon the
table.

Old Babemba came along rather suspiciously, his one eye rolling over us
and everything that belonged to us. When he was quite close it fell
upon the mirror. He stopped, he stared, he retreated, then drawn by his
overmastering curiosity, came on again and again stood still.

"What is the matter?" called his second in command from the ranks.

"The matter is," he answered, "that here is great magic. Here I see
myself walking towards myself. There can be no mistake, for one eye is
gone in my other self."

"Advance, O Babemba," cried the doctor who had tried to drink all
the coffee, "and see what happens. Keep your spear ready, and if your
witch-self attempts to harm you, kill it."

Thus encouraged, Babemba lifted his spear and dropped it again in a
great hurry.

"That won't do, fool of a doctor," he shouted back. "My other self lifts
a spear also, and what is more all of you who should be behind are in
front of me. The holy drink has made me drunk; I am bewitched. Save me!"

Now I saw that the joke had gone too far, for the soldiers were
beginning to string their bows in confusion. Luckily at this moment, the
sun at length came out almost opposite to us.

"O Babemba," I said in a solemn voice, "it is true that this magic
shield, which we have brought as a gift to you, gives you another self.
Henceforth your labours will be halved, and your pleasures doubled, for
when you look into this shield you will be not one but two. Also it
has other properties--see," and lifting the mirror I used it as a
heliograph, flashing the reflected sunlight into the eyes of the long
half-circle of men in front of us. My word! didn't they run.

"Wonderful!" exclaimed old Babemba, "and can I learn to do that also,
white lord?"

"Certainly," I answered, "come and try. Now, hold it so while I say
the spell," and I muttered some hocus-pocus, then directed it towards
certain of the Mazitu who were gathering again. "There! Look! Look!
You have hit them in the eye. You are a master of magic. They run,
they run!" and run they did indeed. "Is there anyone yonder whom you
dislike?"

"Yes, plenty," answered Babemba with emp