to some place where at length
the clouds would roll away and I should understand; whence, too, I
should see all the landscape of the past and future, as an eagle does
watching from the skies, and be no longer like one struggling through
dense bush, wild-beast and serpent haunted, beat upon by the storms of
heaven and terrified with its lightnings, nor knowing whither I hewed
my path. Perhaps in that place there would be no longer what St. Paul
describes as another law in my members warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin. Perhaps there
the past would be forgiven by the Power which knows whereof we are made,
and I should become what I have always longed to be--good in every sense
and even find open to me new and better roads of service. I take these
thoughts from a note that I made in my pocket-book at the time.

Thus I reflected and then wrote a few lines of farewell in the fond
and foolish hope that somehow they might find those to whom they were
addressed (I have those letters still and very oddly they read to-day).
This done, I tried to throw out my mind towards Brother John if he still
lived, as indeed I had done for days past, so that I might inform him of
our plight and, I am afraid, reproach him for having brought us to such
an end by his insane carelessness or want of faith.

Whilst I was still engaged thus Babemba arrived with his soldiers to
lead us off to execution. It was Hans who came to tell me that he was
there. The poor old Hottentot shook me by the hand and wiped his eyes
with his ragged coat-sleeve.

"Oh! Baas, this is our last journey," he said, "and you are going to
be killed, Baas, and it is all my fault, Baas, because I ought to have
found a way out of the trouble which is what I was hired to do. But
I can't, my head grows so stupid. Oh! if only I could come even with
Imbozwi I shouldn't mind, and I will, I _will_, if I have to return as a
ghost to do it. Well, Baas, you know the Predikant, your father, told
us that we don't go out like a fire, but burn again for always
elsewhere----"

("I hope not," I thought to myself.)

"And that quite easily without anything to pay for the wood. So I hope
that we shall always burn together, Baas. And meanwhile, I have brought
you a little something," and he produced what looked like a peculiarly
obnoxious horseball. "You swallow this now and you will never feel
anything; it is a very good medicine that my grandf