Even he, I think, was now sincerely convinced that I possessed superhuman powers; but it would have been awkward had he come along when I was laboriously and surreptitiously extracting the poison fangs from the snakes, and placing my "hall mark" upon them.
His refusal cost him his prestige, and he was forthwith driven from the tribe as a fraud, whilst my fame rose higher than ever.

The blacks now wished me to take over the office of medicine-man, but I declined to do so, and nominated instead a youth I had trained for the position.

It may be necessary here to remark that the blacks, under no circumstances, kill a medicine-man.

My defeated rival was a man of very considerable power, and I knew quite well that if I did not get the best of him he would have _me_ driven out of the tribe and perhaps speared.
Mention of the snake incident reminds me of a very peculiar and interesting sport which the blacks indulge in.

I refer to fights between snakes and iguanas.