taught to
Indabeni--the terrible magic wherewith he overthrew Lo Bengula and the
Matabele."

"We, also, have our magic," said Sololo, glancing at Shasha, the
war-doctor.

Shasha came forward in a half-crouching attitude, and approached Vooda,
who appeared to be very much impressed. The war-doctor's appearance was
startling enough. He was an elderly man of hideous aspect. On his head
he wore a high cap of baboon skin. Slung around his neck, waist,
elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles were all sorts of extraordinary
things--cowrie and tortoise-shells, teeth and claws of various beasts
of prey, strips of skin from all kinds of animals, inflated gall
bladders, bones, and pieces of wood. In his hand he carried a bag made
by cutting the skin of a wild cat around the neck, and then tearing it
off the body as one skins an eel. Out of this he drew a long, living,
green snake (inusbwa, the boom-slang), which he hung over his shoulder,
where it began to coil about, darting out its forked tongue.

As Shasha advanced quivering towards Vooda in short, abrupt springs,
all the things hanging about him clashed and rattled together. He bent
down and beat the ground with the palms of his hands and the soles of
his feet, making the while a low rumbling in his throat, the apple of
which worked up and down. His eyes glared and his nostrils dilated.
The snake hissed, and wound itself round his neck and limbs. The whole
audience appeared to be struck with superstitious dread.

Shasha suddenly drew himself straight up, and chanted in a sing-song
voice, rattling his charms at every period:

"I am the ruler of the baboons and the master of the owls. I talk to
the wild cat in the hush. I call Tikoloshe (a water spirit) out of the
river in the night-time and ask him questions. I make sickness do my
bidding on men and cattle. I drive it away when I like. I can bring
blight to the crops, and stop the milk of cows. I can, by my magic
medicines, find out the wicked ones who do these things. I alone can
look upon Icanti (a fabulous serpent) and not die. I know the mountain
where Impandulu (the Lightning Bird) builds its nest. I can make men
invulnerable in battle with my medicines, and I can cause the enemies
of my Chief to run like a bush-buck pursued by dogs."

The speech ended, Shasha again bowed down, quivering and contorting,
beat the ground with his hands and the soles of his feet and then
sprang aside into the darkness.

Sololo looked a