"There are many ways by which white men deal with this sickness," he said wisely, "by giving certain powders and by sticking needles into arms, but to give medicine for the sickness when madness comes is useless--so I have heard the fathers at the station say, because madness only comes when the man is near death." "He was well last night," said a hushed voice. "There are many devils in the forest, let us ask him what he has seen." So a deputation went to the screaming, writhing figure that lay trussed and tied on the ground, and spoke with him. They found some difficulty in gaining an opening, for he jabbered and mouthed and laughed and yelled incessantly. "On the question of devils," at last Elebi said. "Devils," screeched the madman. "Yi! I saw six devils with fire in their mouths--death to you, Elebi! Dog----" He said other things which were not clean. "If there were water here," mused Elebi, "we might drown him; since there is only the forest and the earth, carry him away from the camp, and I will make him silent." So they carried the lunatic away, eight strong men swaying through the forest, and they came back, leaving Elebi alone with his patient. The cries ceased suddenly and Elebi returned, wiping his hands on his leopard skin. "Let us sleep," said Elebi, and lay down. Before the dawn came up the party were on the move. They marched less than a mile from their camping ground and then faltered and stopped. "There is no sign, lord," the leader reported, and Elebi called him a fool and went to investigate. But there was no red flannel, not a sign of it. They went on another mile without success. "We have taken the wrong path, let us return," said Elebi, and the party retraced its steps to the camp they had abandoned. That day was spent in exploring the country for three miles on either side, but there was no welcome blaze to show the trail. "We are all N'Gombi men," said Elebi, "let us to-morrow go forward, keeping the sun at our back; the forest has no terrors for the N'Gombi folk--yet I cannot understand why the white man's magic failed." "Devils!" muttered his lieutenant sullenly. Elebi eyed him thoughtfully. "Devils sometimes desire sacrifices," he said with significance, "the wise goat does not bleat when the priest approaches the herd." In the morning a great discovery was made. A crumpled piece of flannel was found on the outskirts of the camp. It lay in the very centre of a path, and Elebi shouted in his joy. Again the caravan started on the path. A mile farther along another little red patch caught his eye, half a mile beyond, another. Yet none of these were where he had placed them, and they all bore evidence of rude handling, which puzzled the lay brother sorely. Sometimes the little rags would be missing altogether, but a search party would come upon one some distance off the track, and the march would go on.