in hand."

We were thankful to find that Tom was in such good spirits. Charley, on
looking at his foot, said he hoped, as the swelling had greatly gone
down, that in a few days it would be as strong as ever. As it was so
late at night, we expected to go supperless to bed, but we had not been
long in the hut when a bevy of damsels arrived carrying baskets on their
heads, containing cooked provisions enough, including some of our
venison, to feed a dozen people. We were not sorry to partake of them,
as we had become very hungry; but as we had had but little rest the
previous night, we begged our entertainers to leave us in quiet, which
they did not appear disposed to do. At length Aboh and Shimbo making
their appearance, at our request turned all our guests out and allowed
us to sleep in quiet.

Next morning we were awakened by great shouting, and on inquiring the
cause, ascertained that a famous doctor had come to cure the king,
Quagomolo, of his disease, though what that was we could not ascertain.
We went out to see this important personage, who presented a most
fantastic appearance. His head was adorned with feathers, birds' beaks,
and claws of leopards, hyenas, and other savage brutes; half his body
was painted red, the other half white, while his face was daubed with
streaks of alternate black, white, and red. Round his neck he wore
numerous chains and charms, which tinkled and rattled as he moved about.

After having paraded himself through the village to be admired by the
inhabitants, he was introduced to the hut of the king, whom he had not
yet seen. Finding no one to stop us, we shortly afterwards followed,
when we saw the doctor seated on a low stool before a large earthenware
pot, into which he was looking intently. This done, having seized a
lighted torch smouldering by his side, he whirled it about his head till
it burst into a flame. He then waved it over the pot, muttering some
mysterious words. He continued this and similar performances for so
long a time that we were getting weary of witnessing them, when suddenly
a person rose from a couch at the further end of the room, whom we
rightly supposed to be King Quagomolo.

"Sit down, your majesty, sit down," exclaimed the doctor. "I'll soon
say what's the matter with you."

The king obeyed. Again the doctor waved his torch and gazed into the
pot, and then declared that his majesty was bewitched.

"Who are the people who have bewitched me?"