Now a roar of approbation went up from the audience, among whom Masapo's
guilt was a foregone conclusion.
When this had died down Panda spoke, saying: "The House of Masapo is a large house; I believe that he has several
wives and many children. It is not enough to smell out the House, since
I am not as those who went before me were, nor will I slay the innocent
with the guilty. Tell us, O Opener-of-Roads, who among the House of
Masapo has wrought this deed?"
"That's just the question," grumbled Zikali in a deep voice. "All that
I know is that it was done by poisoning, and I smell the poison. It is
here."
Then he walked to where Mameena sat and cried out: "Seize that woman and search her hair."
Executioners who were in waiting sprang forward, but Mameena waved them
away.
"Friends," she said, with a little laugh, "there is no need to touch
me," and, rising, she stepped forward to the centre of the ring. Here,
with a few swift motions of her hands, she flung off first the cloak she
wore, then the moocha about her middle, and lastly the fillet that bound
her long hair, and stood before that audience in all her naked beauty--a
wondrous and a lovely sight.
"Now," she said, "let women come and search me and my garments, and see
if there is any poison hid there."
Two old crones stepped forward--though I do not know who sent them--and
carried out a very thorough examination, finally reporting that they had
found nothing. Thereon Mameena, with a shrug of her shoulders, resumed
such clothes as she wore, and returned to her place.
Zikali appeared to grow angry. He stamped upon the ground with his big
feet; he shook his braided grey locks and cried out: "Is my wisdom to be defeated in such a little matter? One of you tie a
bandage over my eyes."
Now a man--it was Maputa, the messenger--came out and did so, and I
noted that he tied it well and tight. Zikali whirled round upon his
heels, first one way and then another, and, crying aloud: "Guide me, my
Spirit!" marched forward in a zigzag fashion, as a blindfolded man does,
with his arms stretched out in front of him. First he went to the right,
then to the left, and then straight forward, till at length, to my
astonishment, he came exactly opposite the spot where Masapo sat and,
stretching out his great, groping hands, seized the kaross with which he
was covered and, with a jerk, tore it from him.
"Search this!" he cried, throwing it on the ground, and a woman
searched.
Presently she uttered an exclamation, and from among the fur of one of
the tails of the kaross produced a tiny bag that appeared to be made out
of the bladder of a fish. This she handed to Zikali, whose eyes had now
been unbandaged.