"
Now I bethought me that this finding of the priestess named "Mother of
the Flower," who must be distinguished by certain personal
peculiarities, resembled not a little that of the finding of the Apis
bull-god, which also must have certain prescribed and holy markings,
by the old Egyptians, as narrated by Herodotus. However, I said
nothing about it at the time, because Brother John asked sharply:
"And is this priestess also dead?"
"I do not know, Dogeetah, but I think not. If she were dead I think
that we should have heard some rumour of the Feast of the eating of
the dead Mother."
"Eating the dead mother!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, Macumazana. It is the law among the Pongo that, for a certain
sacred reason, the body of the Mother of the Flower, when she dies,
must be partaken of by those who are privileged to the holy food."
"But the White Devil neither dies nor is eaten?" I said.
"No, as I have told you, he never dies. It is he who causes others to
die, as if you go to Pongo-land doubtless you will find out," Babemba
added grimly.
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