Indeed she _is_ dead, since many years ago there was a great feast in Pongo-land and numbers of slaves were eaten, because the priests had found a beautiful new princess who was white with yellow hair and had finger-nails of the right shape." 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.
Upon my word, thought I to myself, as the meeting broke up because Babemba had nothing more to say, if I had my way I would leave Pongo-land and its white devil alone.