ic medicine. See, I will show you. Except the
_immamba_, the ring-snake that puffs out its head, this one is the most
deadly in our country. Yet I do not fear it. Look!"

Leaning forward, he seized the puff-adder, and drawing it from beneath
the fork, suffered it to strike him upon the breast, after which he
deliberately killed it with a stone. Then he took some of the grey
powder and rubbed it into the punctures; also put more of it into his
mouth, which he swallowed.

"Oh!" exclaimed Dorcas, "he will die," and some of the Christian Kaffirs
echoed her remark.

But Menzi did not die at all. On the contrary, after shivering a few
times he was quite himself, and, indeed, seemed rather brighter than
before, like a jaded business man who has drunk a cocktail.

"No, Wife of Tombool," he said, "I shall not die; every year I doctor
myself with this magic medicine that is called _Dawa_, after which all
the snakes in Sisa-Land--remember that they are many, Little Flower--may
bite me if they like."

"Is it your magic or is it the medicine that protects you?" asked
Dorcas.

"Both, Lady. The medicine _Dawa_ is of no use without the magic words,
and the magic words are of no use without the medicine. Therefore alone
in all the land I can cure snake bites, who have both medicine and
magic. Look at your goat, Little Flower. Look at your goat!"

Tabitha looked, as did everyone else. The kid was rising to its feet.
It rose, it baa'd and presently began to frisk about its mistress, like
Menzi apparently rather brighter than before.

V

A year had gone by, during which time, by the most heroic exertions,
Thomas Bull had at length succeeded in rebuilding the church. There
it stood, a very nice mission-church, constructed of sun-dried bricks
neatly plastered over, cool and spacious within, for the thatched roof
was lofty, beautifully furnished (the font and the pulpit had been
imported from England), and finished off with the spire and clock of his
dreams, the latter also imported from England and especially adjusted
for a hot climate.

Moreover, there was a sweet and loud-throated bell upon which the clock
struck, with space allowed for the addition of others that must
wait till Thomas could make up his mind to approach Dorcas as to the
provision of the necessary funds. Yes, the church was finished, and the
Bishop of those parts had made a special journey to consecrate it at
the hottest season of the year, and as a reward