Therefore he organised a “smelling-out” at which Umslopogaas, who was as superstitious as the rest, assisted.  So did Hans, although he called himself a Christian, partly out of curiosity, for he was as curious as a magpie, and partly from fear lest some implication should be brought against him in his absence.  I saw the business going on from a little distance, and, unseen myself, thought it well to keep an eye upon the proceedings in case anything untoward should occur.  This I did with Miss Inez, who had never witnessed anything of the sort, as a companion.

The circle, a small one, was formed in the usual fashion; Goroko rigged up in the best witch-doctor’s costume that he could improvise, duly came under the influence of his “Spirit” and skipped about, waving a wildebeeste’s tail, and so forth.

Finally to my horror he broke out of the ring, and running to a group of spectators from the village, switched Thomaso, who was standing among them with a lordly and contemptuous air, across the face with the gnu’s tail, shouting out that he was the wizard who had poisoned the bowels of the sick men.  Thereon Thomaso, who although he could be insolent, like most crossbreeds was not remarkable for courage, seeing the stir that this announcement created amongst the fierce-faced Zulus and fearing developments, promptly bolted, none attempting to follow him.

After this, just as I thought that everything was over and that the time had come for me to speak a few earnest words to Umslopogaas, pointing out that matters must go no further as regards Thomaso, whom I knew that he and his people hated, Goroko went back to the circle and was seized with a new burst of inspiration.

Throwing down his whisk, he lifted his arms above his head and stared at the heavens.  Then he began to shout out something in a loud voice which I was too far off to catch.  Whatever it may have been, evidently it frightened his hearers, as I could see from the expressions on their faces.  Even Umslopogaas was alarmed, for he let his axe fall for a moment, rose as though to speak, then sat down again and covered his eyes with his hands.

In a minute it was over; Goroko seemed to become normal, took some snuff and as I guessed, after the usual fashion of these doctors, began to ask what he had been saying while the “Spirit” possessed him, which he either had, or affected to have, forgotten.  The circle, too, broke up and its members began to talk to each other in a subdued way, while Umslopogaas remained seated on the ground, brooding, and Hans slipped away in his snake-like fashion, doubtless in search of me.

“What was it all about, Mr. Quatermain?” asked Inez.

“Oh! a lot of nonsense,” I said.  “I fancy that witch-doctor declared that your friend Thomaso put something into those men’s food to make them sick.”

“I daresay that he did; it would be just like him, Mr. Quatermain, as I know that he hates them, especially Umslopogaas, of whom I am very fond.  He brought me some beautiful flowers this morning which he had found somewhere, and made a long speech which I could not understand.”