Evening star., 1936-03-29
Continued from page sis


which gradually increased in rapidity
until their heads almost touched the
ground.
. The witch-doctor swayed in unison
with them until suddenly, with little
grlint, he pitched forward senseless,
upon his face, and lay motionless on
the ground. The others ceased their
chanting. collected his pipe and herbs.
and left him there. sprawled in the
dust before the hut.
The four Englishmen waited silently
to see the result Of this strange per-
formance. After time the sun became
so hot that they we're forced to move
into the shadow of the reed and waffle
barricade. Then, when the Bushman
had lain notionless for nearly an hour
his feet and neck began to jerk. A
woman went up to him and. placing
his head upon her knees, poured some
liquid from small kalabash into his
mouth; he sat up and looked about
him.
Sandy strolled over and asked him if
he would now be able to help them
further. He nodded slowly, handing
back the kaross to Michael who had
joined them.
This" he said, belonged to a
white man of great height and fine
presence. One who was as lion for
courage; but he is no more. He died in
a country far from here beyond the
great waters"
Before that!" Sandy prompted.
Before . it belonged to one of my
people . one who is still in the prime
of life. He lives in the kraal beyond
thehill-top. . u. Hisname is Ombulike."
Sandy translated this to the Others,
and told them they must make the old
man a handsome present. The de-
lighted Bennetts we're only too glad to
do so and then they insisted that
Sandy accompany them to the neigh
boring kraal.
BY now the sun was we'll up in the
heavens and the four white men were
streaming with sweat when they
reached the second kraal.
Once again Sandy acted as inter-
prefer, and this time they had no
trouble in finding the man they
sought.
He was a sinewy little creature with
the high cheekbones and triangular
face Of the pure Hottentot type. His
small dark eyes held a humorous,
friendly CLINT and he could speak both
Afrikaans and few words Of English.
He listened patiently to all that Sandy
had to say and then replied, without
hesitation, that he was willing to
undertake the journey again if it was
at the request of the brothers of his
Great White Master.
Asked how soon he would be pre-
pared to start. he picked up the
leopard-skin kaross which they had
shown him when they arrived and
twisted it round his shoulders. Taking
an assegai and little skin pouch
which held his knife, pipes, tobacco.
charms and drugs, from just inside the
doorway of his hut, he stood before
them, announcing abruptly: "One day
is as another"
Michael and the BENEFITS we're
overjoyed to have actually secured
the man who had led their uncle to his
valley of diamonds. Sandy was equally
delighted but hid his satisfaction
under congratulations to the Others as
they returned to the village. the Hot
tentot following.
At the inn surprise was in store for
them. The Longs party had arrived in
their absence. As Michael caught sight
of Patricia and her father seated with
three other men on the stoep he
stopped dead in his tracks. and the
BENEFITS stopped automatically with
him. Their faces turned an angry red
at the sight of their detested uncle.
Sandy, who had not seen the Longs
since he left London, was greatly