drug. Of this also Dick took possession. Next,
having brought his medicine chest with him, in accordance with the plans
which he had made overnight, the young doctor administered a powerful
emetic, then he locked the chest, slipped the key into his pocket, and,
leaving the chest in the hut to obviate the inconvenience of carrying it
to and fro, he gave certain instructions to the chief's wife, and then
requested Ingona to conduct him to the hut of Sekosini, the chief witch
doctor.

This request appeared to fill Ingona with alarm, which he made no
attempt to conceal. He informed Dick that Sekosini was a very great man
indeed, second in power and influence only to Lobelalatutu himself; that
it was not his custom to receive visitors unless permission had first
been asked, the request being invariably accompanied by a present; that
evil invariably befell those who were foolhardy enough to offend him;
and that if he--Ingona--might presume to advise, he would strongly
recommend the white man not to go near him, as Sekosini had always
manifested a peculiarly strong aversion to strangers, and especially to
white men since the two visits of the Spirits of the Winds to the Makolo
country.

All this, however, only tended to strengthen certain suspicions which
Dick had already formed; but he did not express them to Ingona; he
blandly explained to that chief that, having been requested by the king
to use his best endeavours to cure 'Nkuni, he wished to see Sekosini and
consult with him, in order that he might learn as many particulars as
possible respecting the ailment from which 'Nkuni was suffering. This
explanation appeared at least partially to satisfy Ingona, who made no
further attempt to dissuade Dick from his purpose, but, on the contrary,
offered to go forward and prepare Sekosini for the proposed visit. To
this proposal, since it could scarcely interfere with his plans, Dick
cheerfully assented, whereupon Ingona, pointing out the witch doctor's
hut, which stood a good quarter of a mile apart from all others,
hastened toward it at the long, swinging trot which enables the South
African savage to get over the ground so quickly and which he can
maintain for such an incredible length of time.

Dick, meanwhile, accompanied only by Mafuta to act as interpreter,
sauntered slowly on his way, for the double purpose of arranging
mentally the plan of his impending interview with Sekosini, and giving
Ingona time to say whateve