For the drought was widespread, and therefore corn could not
be sent from other districts, even if there were cattle to draw it.
Every day Thomas put up prayers for rain in the church, and on two
occasions held special services for this purpose. These were better
attended than any others had ever been, because his congregation felt
that the matter was extremely urgent, affecting them all, and that now
was the time when, whatever happened to the heathen, good Christians
like themselves should be rewarded.
However this did not chance, since the drought went on as fiercely as
before.
Menzi was, of course, a rain-doctor, a "Heaven-herd" of the highest
distinction; one who, it was reputed, could by his magic cause the
most brazen sky to melt in tears. His services had been called in by
neighbouring tribes, with the result, it was rumoured, that those tribes
had been rewarded with partial showers. Also with great ceremony he had
gone through his rites for the benefit of the heathen section of the
Sisa people. Behold! by some curious accident on the following day
a thunderstorm had come up, and with it a short deluge of rain which
sufficed to make it certain that the crops in those fields on which it
fell would keep alive, at any rate for a while.
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