CHAPTER XXVII 



THE GENTLE ART OF POISONING 



THE African native is a past-master in the art of 

 poisoning. The practice is so common that his out- 

 look on life is always tinged with a fear that, at any 

 moment, he may fall a victim to this death that gives 

 no warning of its approach. He, therefore, takes 

 every precaution to prevent an untimely and painful 

 end at the hand of a treacherous enemy, who, 

 suffering from some real or imaginary wrong, has no 

 compunction in doing him to death, while seemingly 

 on fairly friendly terms. For instance, when a 

 native on a journey comes to a village and begs a 

 drink of water or beer, he always waits until the 

 donor drinks first as a pledge of good faith ; and he 

 will never partake of a dish of food, until the host 

 has eaten some beforehand. 



To the average European, who probably labours 

 under some misconception that the negro is stupid, 

 the almost devilish cunning with which he removes 



an enemy without incurring any risk to himself, will 



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