Part 19 (1/2)

Then he turned to his confederates, as Thoan to ask them questions which need not be set out in detail Was it an animal that the Little Flower had lost? No, it was not an animal, the Spirits told him that it was not Was it an article of dress? No, they did not think it was an article of dress, yet the Spirits see to do with dress Was it a shoe? Was it scissors? Was it a co that had to do with needles What had to do with needles? Thread Was it thread? No, but so that had to do with thread Was it a silver shi+eld which pushed the needle that drew the thread?

Here Tabitha could contain herself no longer, but clapped her hands and cried out delightedly:

”Yes, that's it It's my thimble”

”Oh! very well,” said Menzi, ”but it is easy to discover what is lost and hard to find it”

Then followed another long examination of the assessors or acolytes, or witch-doctor's chorus, by which it was established at length that the thi on a stone sewing, that she believed it had fallen into a crevice of rocks, and so forth

After this the chorus was silent and Menzi hi questions of the sky and putting his ear to the ground for an answer

At length he announced: (1) That the thi the rocks; (2) That it was not lost at all

”But it is, it is, you silly old man,” cried Tabitha excitedly ”I have hunted everywhere, and I cried about it because I haven't got another, and can't buy one here, and the needle hurts h he were looking her through and through

”It is _not_ lost, Little Flower I see it; you have it now Put your hand into the pocket of your dress What do you find there?”

”Nothing,” said Tabitha ”That is, nothing except a hole”

”Feel at the bottoht No, a littlehard,” said Tabitha

”Take this knife and cut the lining of your dress where you feel the hard thing Ah! there is the silver shi+eld which you have been carrying about with you all these days”

The crowd murmured approval Dorcas exclaimed: ”Well, I never!” and Thory, then suspicious

”Does the Teacher think that the Floweret and the old doctor have ether?” asked Menzi ”Can a sweet Flower make plots and tell lies like the old doctor? Well, well, it is nothing Now let us try soh he would go away, but Menzi stopped hi:

”No, doubters must stay to see the end of their doubts What shall I do?

Ah! I have it”

Then fros he drew out a number of crooked black sticks that looked like bent ebony rulers, and built theround Next he found sorass, which he thrust into the interstices between the sticks, as he did so bidding one of his servants to run to the nearest hut and bring a coal of fire upon a sherd

”A match will not do,” he said ”Whitee, Menzi blew upon it as though to keep it alight

”Now, White Teacher,” he said in a voice that had suddenly beco Think of what you will, and I will show it to you”

”Indeed,” said Thoood your words”

Menzi thrust the eht and blazed up fiercely,the san to blaze Menzi grew excited

”My Spirit, come to me; my Spirit, come to me!” he cried ”O my Spirit, show this White Teacher Tombool that I am not a cheat!”

He ran round and round the fire; he leapt into the air, then suddenly shouted: ”My Spirit has entered into me; rew quite cal his thin hands over the fire, slowly he let them fall, and as he did so the fierce fla out,” said Tabitha