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The white couple walk over the low hillock holding hands and approach the Africans.  The couple have been contracted by the leader of the Voortrekkers solely for this occasion.  The man is a Dutch aristocratic called Martin van Pelt and the woman accompanying him is his mistress Mavis Pasman.  As is common on the African plains permission to cross another tribe's land has to be sought through combat between a woman from each tribe.  Mavis have been contracted, for a sizeable sum of money, by the Voortrekkers to fight and win such a "fight of passage" on their behalf.