Superstitions 
a large sum of money for it. After he had 
swaggered a while, 1 told him that I had a gun 
which could shoot through his “ medicine.” He 
defiantly challenged me to shoot at him at short 
range. After some argument, he was persuaded 
to take it off and let the interpreter shoot at that 
only. When the smoke of the gun cleared away, 
the shells were, of course, found to be com¬ 
pletely shattered. He immediately fell at the 
feet of the interpreter and worshipped him, beg¬ 
ging him at the same time to give him some of 
his “strong medicine.” The expedient which 
was intended to convince him of his error 
seemed only to confirm him in it. 
Their belief in the malice and power of Shango 
so dominates their thoughts, that the most thiev¬ 
ish among them will not touch anything which 
is protected by the symbol of Shango’s power. 
People on the farms often expose for sale by 
the highways fruits and vegetables while the 
owners are far away at work. The price of the 
articles is indicated by pebbles lying near, and 
over the whole is an erect stick with a bunch of 
dried grass tied to the end. The natives believe 
that if any one should dare to take anything 
which is thus protected, the angry god will im¬ 
mediately compel some one to burn his house or 
91 
