He was better the next day, and said to me: "Oguizi, some persons have bewitched me; they are jealous, for you are my friend, and you love me, a poor slave, and they say, 'Why should the great Oguizi love Rogala?' and they want me to die."
I replied, "Rogala, nobody wants you to die."
"Yes," he replied very earnestly, "somebody wants me to die, but fortunately I have a powerful mondah which is stronger against witchcraft than the machinations and incantations of the sorcerers or witches."
While he was talking, I said to myself: "I suppose that if Rogala should die while with me, the people would say that I had caused his death; that I wanted his spirit to follow me when I left the country because I loved him." I remembered that a man had died the day after I had left a village, and the people there to this day believe that I caused his death for this reason.
So I was very anxious about Rogala, for not only should I regret his death, but I could not foretell what would happen afterwards.
But he got quite well soon, though his face began again to show signs of anxiety. He seemed almost afraid of our camp, and even suggested that we might build another camp at some other place. He hinted that the place had been bewitched.
"Only your friends Shinshooko and Alapai have been here. You do not mean to say that they wish you to be ill and die? Do not be afraid," I said earnestly, in order to convince him. "You will not die; the Oguizi will keep you with him."
These words seemed to reassure him somewhat, but I could see that he was still anxious.
ROGALA LEAVES THE CAMP--NON-APPEARANCE OF SHINSHOOKO AND ALAPAI--WHAT HAPPENED TO ROGALA ON HIS JOURNEY--HE RETURNS AFTER FOUR DAYS WITH A POWERFUL MONDAH WHICH HE BURIES BEFORE THE CAMP
THE next day after our talk Rogala, bending low and taking one of my feet in both his hands, said with great fervor: "Oguizi, I want to go home, and if you let me go I will be back in four days. Yes," he repeated, "I will be back in four days. Shinshooko and Alapai will remain with you."
I said: "You can go, Rogala." I did not wish to ask him why he wanted to go home, but I suspected that he wanted to consult the big idol about the illness from which he had recovered, and to try to find out who had bewitched him.