Then the Bee slipped back her kaross, and stood bending over the firebefore them, into which she threw herbs taken from a pouch that wasbound about her middle. She was still a finely-shaped woman, and shewore none of the abominations which Hadden had been accustomed to seeupon the persons of witch-physicianesses. About her neck, however, was acurious ornament, a tiny live snake, black and grey in hue, which hervisitors recognised as one of the most deadly to be found in that partof the country. It is not unusual for Bantu witch-physicians thus todecorate themselves with snakes, though whether or not their fangshave first been extracted no one seems to know.

Presently the herbs began to smoulder, and the smoke of them rose upin a thin, straight stream, that, striking upon the face of the Bee,clung about her head enveloping it as though with a strange white veil.Then of a sudden she stretched out her arms, and let fall the twolocks of hair upon the burning herbs, where they writhed themselves toashes like things alive. Next she opened her mouth, and began to drawthe fumes of the hair and herbs into her lungs in great gulps; whilethe snake, feeling the influence of the medicine, hissed and,uncoiling itself from about her neck, crept upwards and took refugeamong the yellow /saccaboola/ feathers of her head-dress.