The Wise Man by Edgar Wallace — Read

At rare intervals, once in a hundred years or so, there arise from a crowd of charlatans and make-beliefs, magicians of such potency that they are remembered when the names of kings and chiefs are forgotten. Some such, by the accident of nature, die in their youth and their powers are unknown. Others reach maturity and find no call for their gifts, or jealously preserve the secrets from their neighbours. Others are misunderstood and pass almost automatically into the category of madmen.

But T'chala, the wise man of the Ochori, had a middle course steered for him, for he was the only son of a man rich in stock and salt and brass rods, which are the currency of this part of the world; and because he loved his fellows and did harm to none, and, if he could not prophesy benevolently, would not prophesy at all, he approached the status of holiness, and even Sanders, who looked slantwise at all men who claimed to be supernaturally gifted, and had a rope or a set of shackles for any who used their reputation evilly -- even Sanders spoke fairly to him, and never visited the Upper Ochori but he called at the wise man's hut and listened to his philosophy.