VI 
MAKANYANGA THE PHILOSOPHER 
67 
fools than others, while Mahometans are the 
greatest fools of all. So the first big village we 
came to, I thought I’d take advantage of the 
Mahometan’s usual stupidity. I told the villagers 
that your tracker, Kapopo, and I were Mahometans, 
but that the remainder of the party were not; also, 
that we had killed three buffaloes and cut their 
throats according to Moslem rites and were desirous 
of purchasing food with the flesh. So the idiots 
said “good,” and brought us lots of food in 
exchange for the so-called buffalo meat, and we, 
as you see, have brought it here. I will take good 
care not to visit their village again, for if they ever 
find out the trick I have played on them, they will 
most assuredly poison or murder me at the first 
opportunity.” 
Upon my remonstrating with him on his duplicity 
and lecturing him upon the wrong he had inflicted 
on those unsuspecting Mahometans, he argued: 
‘Well, master, had I deceived shenzis (that is, 
heathens), like ourselves, I should certainly feel that 
I had done wrong, but with Mahometans, no : for 
they say that we who are not Mahometans are only 
heathens, and that when we die we all go to Ahellas 
(Hades), and that they, who are Mahometans, are 
sure to go to Binguni (Paradise). Now this no 
man knows, for no human being, to our knowledge, 
has ever returned from the grave to tell us what to 
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