Witch-Doctors Part 8

As Birnier sat he remarked the blonde head of the lieutenant in his meticulous uniform touched with gold and caught a glimpse of the jewelled bracelet of ivory and the Chinese finger-nail.

Another summons of the gong brought zu Pfeiffer to his feet. As he led his guest out through the side verandah along a screened porch to the mess room, built away from the main building to keep away the plague of flies, a native girl whose close-wrapped white robes revealed a lithe figure, flitted through a doorway. The table was set in immaculate linen, aglitter with gla.s.s and decorated with a profusion of wild orchids. Behind the chairs stood two negroes in spotless white, immobile. On each plate were hors d'uvres of anchovy and cheese upon a patterned piece of toast.

Salted almonds, sweets, and olives were in green china; wine gla.s.ses of three kinds. Broiled fish followed the soup.

"So, Professor," remarked the lieutenant, "you will go back some day to Wongolo?"

"Yes, I-unless I discover some tribe who have a more interesting system of-er-theology."

"They are a powerful tribe, nicht wahr?"

"Oh yes, very. Their system ensures unity which provides for concerted action. Here I believe it is different."

"Yes, yes; they are poor here. Each village was at war with the other-before we came. Their superst.i.tions are not-how would you say it?"

"Systematised?"

"Yes. They have neither any supreme chief nor G.o.d. There you see," he added, smiling, "that autocracy is the only form of government.

Democracy-pah! ... I apologise, Professor!"

"Please don't," replied Birnier, "although of course I cannot agree with you."

"But the Wongolo, they have a G.o.d and king?"

"Yes, the King-Priest system. One of the most interesting I have ever encountered or read of."

"You did see the King-G.o.d, MFunya MPopo?"

"Oh no. He is forbidden to be seen by a foreigner-a similar law to that of the Medes; only by the witch-doctors-and by the people once a year at a harvest festival. That is why I intend to go back. It is impossible to procure reliable statistics of their customs, practices and real beliefs without-without winning their confidence. That is my mission."

"I do not longer wonder, Herr Professor, that you were most justly annoyed. Ach, yes. But please do not worry about your ridiculous licence.

It is not necessary in my jurisdiction, I a.s.sure you. You may come and go as you please, shoot what you wish. I will always be so glad to help so distinguished a professor."

"I thank you very much."

"It is nothing. And perhaps when you are there, you will be so kind as to write to me? To tell me things that are not known-so that I may, too, continue to study the animals-again what is it? das Volkskundliches?"

"Folk-lore, isn't it?"

"Yes. Please to have some more wine, Herr Professor. Please, I insist. It is the real Mumm. That is a promise? I thank you. And if-- Were there any others-whites-when you were there?"

"Only one."

"Where was he, I wonder?"

"On the southern boundary."

"Near lake Kivu?"

"Yes."

"Saunders," muttered zu Pfeiffer.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It was nothing, but I do not like to have-aliens in my province. They are-missionaries and traders-spies."

"Indeed."

"Yes, it is always so. Herr Professor, I ask you a favour. Will you be so kind as to write to me if some other white comes into the Wongolo country?"

"I shall be delighted," said Birnier.... "Do you intend to come there some day, Herr Lieutenant?"

"Ach, no, it is not-not our territory; although I should very much like to see it and to shoot. There is much elephant there?"

"Oh yes, quant.i.ties."

"Please to try some of this curried egg, Herr Professor. It is excellent, I a.s.sure you. I thank you.... And rubber, is there much rubber there?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Now I wonder if you noticed whether it was tree or vine?"

"I really couldn't say." Birnier smiled thinly. "I am not interested in such things."

Zu Pfeiffer glanced at him keenly and changed the subject. When they had finished the best boned chicken that Birnier had ever tasted in Africa, zu Pfeiffer rose.

"Let us go to my study, Herr Professor, if you so permit, for some coffee and a little good port-and I will have the pleasure to show you my little library."

"I should be delighted," a.s.sented Birnier willingly.

Around the white walls of the cool room which was zu Pfeiffer's study, ran low bookshelves made of native wood, containing some hundreds of volumes which had been carried five hundred miles on the heads of porters. Gra.s.s mats and leopard skins were upon the floor. In the centre, upon a heavy table, was a green shaded lamp set in a silver-mounted elephant's foot.

Upon the bookcases were various odd curios, and a coffee service in copper; and from opposite sides, marbles of Bismarck and Voltaire stared into each other's eyes. On the south wall was a large oil of Kaiser Wilhelm II; and in the centre of the other wall a photograph of a woman set in an ivory frame made from a section of a tusk.

Zu Pfeiffer strove to be more agreeable than ever. They talked mythology and folklore. With the port, zu Pfeiffer rose, an erect martial figure above the glow of the lamp.

"Herr Professor!" he remarked. "I beg you."

Slightly bewildered, Birnier rose, too, gla.s.s in hand. Wheeling with military precision zu Pfeiffer raised his gla.s.s to the great portrait on the wall.

"Ihre Hochheit!"

Politely Birnier followed suit, his democratic ideas slightly astonished at the veneration of the kingly office; almost, he reflected, as curious as the native superst.i.tion of the King-G.o.d. Then zu Pfeiffer turned to the left and lifting his gla.s.s to the portrait in the ivory frame, drank silently.

"I was wondering, Professor," remarked he, as he resumed his seat without explanation, "from what college-you call it?-you come?"

"Harvard," said Birnier, rather amused and noticing that as a true connoisseur, zu Pfeiffer refrained from smoking while drinking his port.

"I have met many of the Harvard men-at Washington."