Witch-Doctors | Page 7

MYalu observed the taking of snuff as if he had never seen the
operation before.
"Ehh!" he remarked again succinctly.
Marufa replaced the cork of twisted leaves, let fall the snuff box made
of rhinoceros horn suspended from his neck by a copper wire, and
contemplated a skinny goat scratching itself violently. MYalu stirred as
if to rise, but subsided, cogitated and said slowly:
"In the house of MYalu are four more tusks."
"Four more tusks," repeated Marufa dreamily.
"Bigger than this one," said MYalu suggestively.

"Bigger than this one."
"Knowest thou by whom the girdle is tied?"
"By the grandson of the Snake."
"Ehh!"
MYalu squatted motionless. The old man appeared to doze. Women
bearing gourds of water upon their heads passed in single file, their
loins swaying rhythmically. The shadows dwindled. From close at hand
began the rapid beat of a drum. A stir began through the village as each
man herded his women and slaves to his own hut.
"O Marufa," said MYalu, speaking with a slight snarl, "hast thou such a
powerful medicine that can surely trap the soul of Zalu Zako when
perchance it wanders (in sleep)?"
"All things are possible to the son of MTungo," mumbled the old man.
Two chiefs appeared walking through the grove at a middle distance.
MYalu glanced round apprehensively.
"Two tusks will I give thee," he whispered, "if thou wilt do this thing."
"Three tusks. No less, for the matter is dangerous."
"Two, two."
"Nay."
The old man stirred to rise.
"Three be it," gasped MYalu. "But I must see the magic done."
They rose together.
"Bring me of his toe-nails one paring, of his hair one, and his spittle
and a footprint. Then shalt thou come with me to the sacred grove

where the magic shall be done."
"Ehh!"
"But the three tusks must be given to Yanoka, my first wife."
MYalu hesitated.
"Aye, thus shall it be done," he assented reluctantly.
"It is agreed?" inquired Marufa.
"May my cord be lost!" swore MYalu, and gesturing to the slaves,
hurried away.
A slight grin flecked the old man's eyes as he turned into the hut.
"Already hath he drunken of her blood," he mumbled. "Ya, Inkombana!
take the tusk!"
When Marufa emerged, a head-dress of the tail feathers of the green
parrot, professional uniform and potent specific against evil spirits,
fluffed gently as he slowly stalked towards the council house. From the
other side of a hut walked MYalu as if he had come from a different
direction. In the open gate of the royal enclosure sat a muscular young
man upon his haunches, tending the royal fire, which fed hungrily upon
small faggots. Beyond him across the yellow glare upon the cleared
ground beneath a thatched awning, stood an idol of wood, whose
lopsided mouth snarled beneath a bridgeless nose; narrow slits for eyes
squinted; baby arms stuck down beside triangular breasts above a
melon belly having a protuberant navel like a small cucumber--the
incarnation of the Snake-god, Usakuma.
Without the palisade of the sacred ground was a taller one, barring the
doings of the council of witch-doctors and chiefs from the lay public,
who were confined to their own huts under the penalty of a hideous
death, or an enormous fine, as the witch-doctors should decide.
To the rear of the idol, cross-legged against the wall of the entrance to

the conical hut, were the musicians beating a monotonous rhythm upon
big and small drums and twanging a primitive lyre of five strings. Just
as Marufa and MYalu took their respective places without among the
wizards and the chiefs, a young goat skipped into the open and stared
inquisitively at the Keeper of the Fires. As the man waved the animal
back from the sacred ground, the goat lowered its head and threatened
to charge, suddenly recollected its mate lying in the shade a few feet
away, and began to bleat absent-mindedly.
Gravely and silently sat the assembly: continuously throbbed the drums.
The sun beat diagonally. As a lizard darted like a flash of a prism from
the grass palisade, the band ceased. A man emerged from behind the
idol. Although the grey woolly tufts upon his chin, the sacred snake
skin around his waist above the cat skin loin-cloth, the jingle of the
ivory bangles on arms and ankles, and his stature, imparted an air of
barbaric royalty, King MFunya MPopo advanced with the manner of a
pariah dog ordered to his master's side.
As the King approached, the Keeper of the Fires hastily threw on a
handful of faggots and bowed his head. In the centre of the opening of
the enclosure the King squatted down with his back to the fire which
streamed blue smoke. Not a limb or a muscle moved among the group
of