“’I remember the guns that you and your companion brought with you, which can kill things from far away.  If I had a supply of those guns from behind my walls I might defy the impi of Lobengula, whose warriors use the assegai.  If you will bring me a hundred good guns and plenty of powder and bullets for them, it is revealed to me that it will be lawful for me to admit you to the secret, holy place, where you may look for the buried gold for as long as you wish, and if you can find it, take it all away without hindrance from me or my people.  But I will be honest with you.  That gold will never be found save by the one appointed.  The white lady said so in the time of my forefather; he heard it with his ears, and I have heard it from his descendants with my ears, and so it shall be.  Still, if you bring the guns you can come and see if either of you is that one appointed.  But I do not think that any man is so appointed, for the secret is hid in woman.  But of this you can learn for yourselves.  I do but speak as I am bidden.

“’This is my message spoken by my mouth, Tamas, son of my body, and my councillors who go with him will bear witness that he speaks the truth.  I, Mambo, the Molimo of Bambatse, send you greeting, and will give you good welcome and fulfil my promise, if you come with the far-shooting guns, ten times ten of them, and the powder, and the bullets wherewith I may drive off the Matabele, but not otherwise.  My son, Tamas, and my councillors will drive your waggon into my country but you must bring no strange servants.  The Spirit of the white woman who killed herself before the eyes of my forefather has been seen of late standing upon the point of rock; also she has visited me at night in my secret place where her companions died.  I do not know all that this portends, but I think that amongst other things she wished to tell me that the Matabele are about to attack us.  I await the decree of the Heavens.  I send you two karosses as a gift, and a little ancient gold, since ivory is too heavy for my messengers to carry, and I have no waggon.  Farewell.’”

“We have heard you,” said Meyer, when Mr. Clifford had finished translating, “and we wish to ask you a question.  What do you mean when you say that the Spirit of the white woman has been seen?”

“I mean what I say, white man,” answered Tamas.  “She was seen by all three of us, standing upon the pinnacle at the dawn; also my father saw and spoke with her alone in his sleep at night.  This is the third time in my father’s day that she has appeared thus, and always before some great event.”

“What was she like?” asked Meyer.

“Like?  Oh! like the lady who sits yonder.  Yes, quite the same, or so it seemed to us.  But who knows?  We have seen no other white women, and we were not very near.  Let the lady come and stand side by side with the Spirit, so that we can examine them both, and we shall be able to answer better.  Do you accept the offer of the Molimo?”