S.O., and by one,
Jeekie, Christian surname Smith."
"Proceed, Jeekie," said Alan, removing the whisky bottle, "proceed and
explain."
"Major, thus: The Asiki tribe care nothing about all that gold, it no
good to them. Dead people who live long, long ago, no one know when, dig
it up and store it there and make the great fetish which they call Bonsa
to keep away enemy who want to steal. Also old custom when any one in
country round find big nugget, or pretty stone, like ladies wear on
bosom, to bring it as offering to Bonsa, so that there now great plenty
of all this stuff. But no one use it for anything except to set on walls
of house of Asiki, or to make basin, stool, table and pot to cook with.
Once Arab come there and I see the priests give him weight in gold for
iron hoe, though afterwards they murder him, not for the gold, but lest
he go away and tell their secret."
"One might trade with them then, Jeekie?"
He shook his white head doubtfully.
"Yes, perhaps, if you can find anything they want buy and can carry it
there. But I think there only one thing they want, and you got that,
Major."
"I, Jeekie! What have I got?"
The negro leant forward and tapped his master on the knee, saying in a
portentous whisper:
"You got Little Bonsa, which much more holy than anything, even than
Big Bonsa her husband, I mean greater, more powerful devil.
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