 African drums are talking over arid belt through forests sinister in their untamed beauty over steaming primeval swamp whose fever-ridden vapor holds the white man at bay over untold distances of undulating plane the drum notes travel eaten with distance and then reborn as village by village relays the message the drums bring you a story of Africa in the village of the leopard men the professor Jack Lorna and a guru saw a beautiful girl known as the witch of the moon apparently change herself into a leopard a feat which is supposed to be able to affect that will during the night the professor sees a leopard slinking outside his hut he is positive it's the beast into which a fobby the girl is supposed to change herself and to support his contention that the girl and the beast are two separate entities and guru Jack and the professor trail the animal they find it sitting on the roof of a hut just outside the village as the flashlight beam is turned directly onto it the beast starts to spring and the professor shoots at that moment and guru drops the light the snarls of the animal changed to the groaning of a woman and when the light is again turned on they find the fobby which of the moon wounded give me the light on guru hold her head up Jack nothing serious just grazed the side of the head any other marks no none sir nothing on the shoulders is down the back no touch on my head is all strange what do you make of it Jack I don't want to make up it sir completely at a loss I'm almost afraid to think in that case don't try to boy just accepted we shot at a leopard from a distance of 20 yards and turned into a woman but we all saw the beast was crossing there on the roof of the hut and again it that's the simplest thing to do yeah just before she faded she said we'd broken the law I yes and but it was written in the moon I want to get a good look at that hut if I be back to the village oh the white man she's coming out of it sir broken the law and if Bobby is dying I don't think so if Bobby you won't die as easily as that does the white man believe now possibly if you're hand away from that wound I'll dress it as soon as we get back to the hut then they're up Jack right and you walk a puppy the forest moves under my feet then I'm going to have to carry you wanna go to carry no woman well I have a good mind to make you do it for dropping that light if Bobby can walk white man good then we'll get back to the village see the way of hubby you know the ground yes white man shall I carry her sir he doesn't look really fit no Jack he's fit enough I think she wanted you to carry her that's why I suggested and grew up I'm wondering what her game is that wound in their head is look she's taking to that narrow path that's better than walking in this grass girl what made you drop that flashlight just when I fired one a devil him for a spirit runger I own a seat there's a mark on his wrist there's something it hit him no doubt at all that something did hit him must have been a very useful spirit club at all events although Lana standing at the door of a hot talking to someone looks like Malini the witch doctor wonder what he wants do you think there'll be trouble when he sees a Bobby's wound no I don't think so it's very slight where did you go father I think frightened I heard a shot and dressed quickly and the witch doctor called me out he said you'd shot a leopard and well the way he said it right now don't worry about it all right when to my honey Bobby white man you have broken the law how do you come by the knowledge so quickly Malini I have a medicine that tells me many things well then go to your hut and make medicine to tell you how a fobby came by her wound no bullet of mine is made it more jack get some hot water ready we don't in one infection to set in here it is I a taco what need you a taco the moon is about to set you should be in your hut I am a warrior I need no sleep what do the white people at this hour with a fobby she has a wound the big white man makes medicine for it is a trick of a fobby to be near the little white dog she has no eyes for me since he came to the village what would you a taco you cannot kill him the big white man is powerful and their black warrior has quick eyes but there are ways Malini you have no liking for these people no they are too inquisitive and they mocked my medicine but they shall learn that Malini is as powerful as the moon and that is medicines unnumbered with the grasses of the forest that may be what would you a taco you have seen how he fobby looks at this white man you have seen her walk before him you have seen how she took his brain that he may desire her in your wisdom Malini and the wisdom that was your father's before you surely there is a secret way yes there is a way come into my house and leave your spear in the entrance but it is a costly fetish a taco and the price Malini 50 rods and two bags of salt and because it is to your benefit as well as mine I will pay you half of that price it is well but no man shall know of the palaver or your death is assured no man shall know unless it be from your own tongue what is this fetish in the making it requires the blood of a cockerel fresh killed to that is added a measure of your own blood clay taken from the bed of the river of forgotten people when the moon is but a rind mixed with the blood and made into the image of the white man when this is completed my magic begins oh you have these things they are here the clay was obtained bummed hammer whose crops were destroyed five moons ago his enemy is now dead are you ready to begin I am ready then get me the chicken that sleeps in the corner the fire is low up knife I use only the knife passion by my grandfather in the fires of the great wizard hold the head over this ball it is done hold your arm over the ball it is enough this leaf will stop the bleeding hold it to the wound now a tail feather from the chicken see this powder it is the dried blood of an owl it shall carry my magic through the air to the white man I mix it in the bowl dig a daco dig with your fingers a hand span from the outer edge of the fire where you stand the clay is there give it to me put the body of the chicken in the hole and cover it that its soul may sleep in comfort it is done millini good face now the east dwells strongly in thought upon the white man for millini weave the thought into the image oh sisters of darkness from the shadow of the black mountain where rises the river of forgotten people send out thy power take the shadow of the white man in the name of usury walk over Teza Akili bring life to this image that it may feel the urge of death the word is spoken shimba see a daco the image is made what is there for me to do millini you shall take this image in your left hand with your right hand pierce it with this long needle working ever over each part of the body towards the heart have patience the sisters of the mountain will not be hurried remember from the remotest part to the heart and dwell strongly and thought upon the white man my oh millini I make magic that the sisters may be trying to impress us if Bobby and the witch doctor are excellent showman and I prefer to let her think we're impressed with her magic we might learn what she has in the back of her mind but I heard you tell the witch doctor millini that it wasn't a bullet that made the wound and Bobby says maybe I was wrong to have done it he's in the picture somewhere and it might cause some bad feeling for the life of me I couldn't leave him thinking he'd put one over on me I did it principally they're making them think I knew what was going on well what's the matter Jack I don't know why I got a little rheumatism my right arm your pain went through it just now the girls wound isn't bad is it father no it's mere scratch I don't think it was enough to have laid her out the way she's pretended did you know this is a bit what in thunder is the matter with my arm well you better get to bed Jack you need some sleep no it isn't that I well maybe I better lie down there stretch out boy here let me take your pulse you know sir I felt suddenly as if I'd taken a good beating you know manhandled normal no fever as rest is what you want can I get you anything dear if I put some hot claws on your arm it might do some good no I guess it'll be oh gee burning as if there's a fire in it seems to be going down my right side sir bring that lamp over here Lana give me your hand Jack you weren't bitten by anything out there at night were you I don't think so I didn't feel anything did you go by any of those poison thorn bushes I don't think there are any in this part of the country not the deadly kind how do you feel now my legs burning badly what in the world could have done it there are some minute indentations on your arm Jack is if a hypodermic needle had been inserted you think they're insect bites but then no insect could you never can tell about insects in this country Jack some of the deadliest of the smallest I feel strange my left foot seems to be dead I I can't feel a thing on my right side can be wrong father is there anything I can wait a minute on her he said the pain started in his right arm and went down the right leg then his left foot those marks in his arm put the light down here on the cap of his leg by George I knew it it's witchcraft