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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