thing, however, was very
distinct in his mind, and that was the proposed spire and the clock. As
a result, there was the spire standing at the end of the shadowy church
vivid and distinct. And there was the clock with its two copper hands
exactly on the stroke of noon!

"Tell me what you see, Little Flower," said Menzi in a hollow voice.

"I see what Father told me he would think of, a church and the spire of
the church, and the clock pointing to twelve."

"Do you all see that," asked Menzi, "and is it what the Teacher said he
would think about?"

"Yes, Doctor," they answered.

"Then look once more, for _I_ will think of something. I will think of
that church falling. Look once more."

They looked, and behold the shadowy fabric began to totter, then it
seemed to collapse, and last of all down went the spire and vanished in
the smoke.

"Have you seen anything, O people?" said Menzi, "for standing behind
this smoke I can see nothing. Mark that it is thick, since through it I
am invisible to you."

This was true, since they could only perceive the tips of his
outstretched fingers appearing upon each side of the smoke-fan.

"Yes," they answered, "we have seen a church fall down and vanish."

"That was my thought," said Menzi; "have I not told you that was the
thought my Spirit gave me?"

"This is black magic, and you are a fiend!" shouted Thomas, and was
silent.

"Not so, Tombool, though it is true that I have gifts which you clever
White people do not understand," answered Menzi.

By degrees the smoke melted away, and there on the ground were the ten
or twelve crooked pieces of ebony that they had seen consumed, now to
all appearance quite untouched by the flame. There too on their farther
side lay Menzi, shining with perspiration, and in a swoon or sleeping.

"Come away," said Thomas shortly, and they turned to go, but at this
moment something happened.

Menzi, it will be remembered, had given Tabitha a kid of a long-haired
variety of goat peculiar to these parts. This little creature had
already grown attached to its mistress and walked about after her, in
the way which pet goats have. It had followed her that morning, but not
being interested in tricks or magic, engaged itself in devouring herbs
that grew amongst the tumbled stones of the old kraal.

Suddenly Menzi recovered from his faint or seizure and, looking up,
directed his attendants to return the magical ebony rods which burned
without