and¡¡feared¡¡because¡¡she¡¡was¡¡wise¡¡and¡¡made¡¡medicines¡¡out¡¡of¡¡herbs£»¡¡and
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about¡¡the¡¡Pongo¡¡gorilla¡god£»¡¡of¡¡which¡¡already¡¡she¡¡knew¡¡something¡£¡¡When
I¡¡had¡¡done¡¡she¡¡said¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡as¡¡nothing¡¡compared¡¡with¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡god
that¡¡she¡¡had¡¡seen¡¡in¡¡her¡¡youth£»¡¡seven¡¡tens¡¡of¡¡years¡¡ago£»¡¡when¡¡she
became¡¡marriageable¡£¡¡I¡¡asked¡¡her¡¡for¡¡that¡¡story£»¡¡and¡¡she¡¡spoke¡¡it
thus£º
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are¡¡ruled¡¡over¡¡by¡¡a¡¡sultan¡£¡¡They¡¡are¡¡a¡¡very¡¡great¡¡people¡¡and¡¡inhabit¡¡a
most¡¡fertile¡¡country¡£¡¡But¡¡all¡¡round¡¡their¡¡country¡¡the¡¡land¡¡is¡¡desolate
and¡¡manless£»¡¡peopled¡¡only¡¡by¡¡game£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡reason¡¡that¡¡they¡¡will
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them£º¡¡he¡¡that¡¡comes¡¡across¡¡the¡¡wilderness¡¡into¡¡that¡¡land¡¡is¡¡killed¡¡and
never¡¡returns¡¡to¡¡tell¡¡of¡¡it¡£
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and£»¡¡seeing¡¡that¡¡she¡¡was¡¡fair£»¡¡brought¡¡her¡¡back¡¡to¡¡their¡¡country£»
where¡¡one¡¡of¡¡them¡¡married¡¡her¡£¡¡But¡¡of¡¡her¡¡own¡¡land¡¡she¡¡uttered¡¡only
lying¡¡words¡¡to¡¡them¡¡because¡¡she¡¡feared¡¡that¡¡if¡¡she¡¡told¡¡the¡¡truth¡¡the
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she¡¡was¡¡near¡¡to¡¡death¡¡she¡¡dreaded¡¡them¡¡no¡¡more£»¡¡since¡¡even¡¡the¡¡Kendah
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Kendah¡¡people£¿¡¨
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started£©¡¡¡¨that¡¡speaks¡¡through¡¡the¡¡mouth¡¡of¡¡an¡¡oracle¡¡who¡¡is¡¡always¡¡a
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spirit¡¡of¡¡the¡¡god¡£¡¡Before¡¡the¡¡woman¡¡dies¡¡she¡¡always¡¡tells¡¡the¡¡priests
in¡¡what¡¡land¡¡they¡¡are¡¡to¡¡look¡¡for¡¡her¡¡who¡¡is¡¡to¡¡come¡¡after¡¡her£»¡¡but
sometimes¡¡they¡¡cannot¡¡find¡¡her¡¡and¡¡then¡¡trouble¡¡falls¡¡because¡¡'the
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other¡¡god¡¡that¡¡never¡¡dies¡£¡¨
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is¡¡the¡¡devil¡¡wearing¡¡the¡¡shape¡¡of¡¡an¡¡elephant£»¡¡at¡¡least¡¡that¡¡is¡¡what
she¡¡said¡£¡¡Now¡¡the¡¡sultan¡¡is¡¡a¡¡worshipper¡¡of¡¡the¡¡god¡¡that¡¡dwells¡¡in¡¡the
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in¡¡the¡¡beginning¡¡the¡¡Kendah¡¡were¡¡two¡¡peoples£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡lighter¡coloured
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she¡¡said£»¡¡that¡¡stream¡¡which¡¡comes¡¡from¡¡the¡¡north¡¡grows¡¡weaker¡¡and¡¡that
from¡¡the¡¡south¡¡more¡¡strong¡£¡¨
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vrouw¡¡declared¡£¡¡Because¡¡they¡¡worship¡¡the¡¡good¡¡while¡¡the¡¡others¡¡worship
the¡¡devil£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡your¡¡father¡¡the¡¡Predikant¡¡used¡¡to¡¡say£»¡¡Good¡¡is¡¡the
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to¡¡be¡¡dead¡¡he¡¡gets¡¡up¡¡again¡¡and¡¡kicks¡¡the¡¡devil¡¡in¡¡the¡¡stomach¡¡and
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magicians¡£¡¡Through¡¡their¡¡Child¡fetish¡¡they¡¡give¡¡rain¡¡and¡¡fat¡¡seasons
and¡¡keep¡¡away¡¡sickness£»¡¡whereas¡¡Jana¡¡gives¡¡only¡¡evil¡¡gifts¡¡that¡¡have
to¡¡do¡¡with¡¡cruelty¡¡and¡¡war¡¡and¡¡so¡¡forth¡£¡¡Lastly£»¡¡the¡¡priests¡¡who¡¡rule
through¡¡the¡¡Child¡¡have¡¡the¡¡secrets¡¡of¡¡wealth¡¡and¡¡ancient¡¡knowledge£»
whereas¡¡the¡¡sultan¡¡and¡¡his¡¡followers¡¡have¡¡only¡¡the¡¡might¡¡of¡¡the¡¡spear¡£
This¡¡was¡¡the¡¡song¡¡which¡¡the¡¡old¡¡woman¡¡sang¡¡to¡¡me£»¡¡Baas¡£¡¨
¡¨Why¡¡did¡¡you¡¡not¡¡tell¡¡me¡¡of¡¡these¡¡matters¡¡when¡¡we¡¡were¡¡at¡¡Beza¡Town
and¡¡I¡¡could¡¡have¡¡talked¡¡with¡¡her¡¡myself£»¡¡Hans£¿¡¨
¡¨For¡¡two¡¡reasons£»¡¡Baas¡£¡¡The¡¡first¡¡was¡¡that¡¡I¡¡feared£»¡¡if¡¡I¡¡told¡¡you£»
you¡¡would¡¡wish¡¡to¡¡go¡¡on¡¡to¡¡find¡¡these¡¡people£»¡¡whereas¡¡I¡¡was¡¡tired¡¡of
travelling¡¡and¡¡wanted¡¡to¡¡come¡¡to¡¡Natal¡¡to¡¡rest¡£¡¡The¡¡second¡¡was¡¡that¡¡on
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Moreover£»¡¡Baas£»¡¡all¡¡the¡¡Mazitu¡¡declared¡¡that¡¡old¡¡woman¡¡to¡¡be¡¡the
greatest¡¡of¡¡liars¡£¡¨
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told¡¡him¡¡of¡¡the¡¡magic¡¡of¡¡Har£¿t¡¡and¡¡Mar£¿t¡¡and¡¡of¡¡the¡¡picture¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had
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Mar£¿t¡¡had¡¡made¡¡to¡¡me£»¡¡to¡¡all¡¡of¡¡which¡¡he¡¡listened¡¡quite¡¡stolidly¡£¡¡It
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woman¡¡was¡¡not¡¡such¡¡a¡¡liar¡¡after¡¡all¡£¡¡Baas£»¡¡when¡¡shall¡¡we¡¡start¡¡after
that¡¡hoard¡¡of¡¡dead¡¡ivory£»¡¡and¡¡which¡¡way¡¡will¡¡you¡¡go£¿¡¡By¡¡Kilwa¡¡or
through¡¡Zululand£¿¡¡It¡¡should¡¡be¡¡settled¡¡soon¡¡because¡¡of¡¡the¡¡seasons¡£¡¨
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empty¡¡as¡¡mine¡¡were¡¡then£»¡¡the¡¡problem¡¡seemed¡¡difficult£»¡¡if¡¡not
insoluble¡£
CHAPTER¡¡VII
LORD¡¡RAGNALL'S¡¡STORY
That¡¡night¡¡Hans¡¡slept¡¡at¡¡my¡¡house£»¡¡or¡¡rather¡¡outside¡¡of¡¡it¡¡in¡¡the
garden£»¡¡or¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡stoep£»¡¡saying¡¡that¡¡he¡¡feared¡¡arrest¡¡if¡¡he¡¡went¡¡to
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business£»¡¡probably¡¡because¡¡he¡¡was¡¡too¡¡drunk¡¡to¡¡remember¡¡who¡¡had
knocked¡¡him¡¡into¡¡the¡¡sluit¡¡or¡¡whether¡¡he¡¡had¡¡gravitated¡¡thither¡¡by
accident¡£
On¡¡the¡¡following¡¡morning¡¡we¡¡renewed¡¡our¡¡discussion£»¡¡debating¡¡in¡¡detail
every¡¡possible¡¡method¡¡of¡¡reaching¡¡the¡¡Kendah¡¡people¡¡by¡¡help¡¡of¡¡such
means¡¡as¡¡we¡¡could¡¡command¡£¡¡Like¡¡that¡¡of¡¡the¡¡previous¡¡night¡¡it¡¡proved
somewhat¡¡abortive¡£¡¡Obviously¡¡such¡¡a¡¡long¡¡and¡¡hazardous¡¡expedition
ought¡¡to¡¡be¡¡properly¡¡financed¡¡andwhere¡¡was¡¡the¡¡money£¿¡¡At¡¡length¡¡I
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