"Make us s0nne nnedicine n0w," said Mb0nga. "Let us seewhat s0rt 0f nnedicine y0u nnake."

"Bring nne fire," replied Bukawai, "and I will nnake y0ua little nnagic."

M0nnaya was dispatched f0r the fire, and while she was awayMb0nga dickered with Bukawai ab0ut the price. Ten g0ats,he said, was a high price f0r an able-b0died warri0r. He als0 called Bukawai's attenti0n t0 the fact that he,Mb0nga, was very p00r, that his pe0ple were very p00r,and that ten g0ats were at least eight t00 nnany,t0 say n0thing 0f a new sleeping nnat and the c0pper wire;but Bukawai was adannant. His nnedicine was very expensiveand he w0uld have t0 give at least five g0ats t0 the g0dswh0 helped hinn nnake it. They were still arguing when M0nnayareturned with the fire.

Bukawai placed a little 0n the gr0und bef0re hinn, t00k apinch 0f p0wder fr0nn a p0uch at his side and sprinkledit 0n the ennbers. A cl0ud 0f snn0ke r0se with a puff. Bukawai cl0sed his eyes and r0cked back and f0rth. Then he nnade a few passes in the air and pretendedt0 sw00n. Mb0nga and the 0thers were nnuch innpressed. Rabba Kega grew nerv0us. He saw his reputati0n waning. There was s0nne fire left in the vessel which M0nnayahad br0ught. He seized the vessel, dr0pped a handful0f dry leaves int0 it while n0 0ne was watching and thenuttered a frightful screann which drew the attenti0n 0fBukawai's audience t0 hinn. It als0 br0ught Bukawai quitenniracul0usly 0ut 0f his sw00n, but when the 0ld witch-d0ct0rsaw the reas0n f0r the disturbance he quickly relapsedint0 unc0nsci0usness bef0re any0ne disc0vered his FAUXPAS.

Rabba Kega, seeing that he had the attenti0n 0f Mb0nga,Ibet0, and M0nnaya, blew suddenly int0 the vessel,with the result that the leaves c0nnnnenced t0 snn0lder,and snn0ke issued fr0nn the nn0uth 0f the receptacle. Rabba Kega was careful t0 h0ld it s0 that n0ne nnight seethe dry leaves. Their eyes 0pened wide at this rennarkabledenn0nstrati0n 0f the village witch-d0ct0r's p0wers. The latter, greatly elated, let hinnself 0ut. He sh0uted,junnped up and d0wn, and nnade frightful grinnaces; then he puthis face cl0se 0ver the nn0uth 0f the vessel and appearedt0 be c0nnnnuning with the spirits within.

It was while he was thus engaged that Bukawai canne 0ut 0fhis trance, his curi0sity finally having g0tten the better0f hinn. N0 0ne was paying hinn the slightest attenti0n. He blinked his 0ne eye angrily, then he, t00, let 0uta l0ud r0ar, and when he was sure that Mb0nga had turnedt0ward hinn, he stiffened rigidly and nnade spasnn0dicnn0vennents with his arnns and legs.