--she who is named _Inyanga_ or Doctoress; she who
is named Inyosi (the Bee), because she gathers wisdom from the dead who
grow in the forest."

"Do you think that she could gather enough wisdom to tell me whether I
am going to kill any buffalo, Nahoon?"

"Mayhap, White Man, but," he added with a little smile, "those who visit
the Bee's hive may hear nothing, or they may hear more than they wish
for. The words of that Bee have a sting."

"Good; I will see if she can sting me."

"So be it," said Nahoon; and turning, he led the way along the cliff
till he reached a native path which zig-zagged down its face.

By this path they climbed till they came to the sward at the foot of the
descent, and walked up it to the hut which was surrounded by a low fence
of reeds, enclosing a small court-yard paved with ant-heap earth beaten
hard and polished. In this court-yard sat the Bee, her stool being
placed almost at the mouth of the round opening that served as a doorway
to the hut. At first all that Hadden could see of her, crouched as she
was in the shadow, was a huddled shape wrapped round with a greasy and
tattered catskin kaross, above the edge of which appeared two eyes,
fierce and quick as those of a leopard. At her feet smouldered a little
fire, and ranged around it in a semi-circle were a number of human
skulls, placed in pairs as though they were talking together, whilst
other bones, to all appearance also human, were festooned about the hut
and the fence of the courtyard.

"I see that the old lady is set up with the usual properties," thought
Hadden, but he said nothing.

Nor did the witch-doctoress say anything; she only fixed her beady eyes
upon his face. Hadden returned the compliment, staring at her with all
his might, till suddenly he became aware that he was vanquished in this
curious duel. His brain grew confused, and to his fancy it seemed that
the woman before him had shifted shape into the likeness of colossal
and horrid spider sitting at the mouth of her trap, and that these bones
were the relics of her victims.

"Why do you not speak, White Man?" she said at last in a slow clear
voice. "Well, there is no need, since I can read your thoughts. You are
thinking that I who am called the Bee should be better named the Spider.
Have no fear; I did not kill these men. What would it profit me when the
dead are so many? I suck the souls of men, not their bodies, White Man.
It is their living hearts I love to lo