membered that such a pit existed in front of the huts which,
although empty at the time, was, as is common among the Bantu natives,
used to preserve corn that would not immediately be needed. Once I
myself went through a very tragic experience in one of these pits,
as any who may read the history of my first wife, that I have called
_Marie_, can see for themselves.

Soon we cleared the place and had lifted the stone, with ventilating
holes in it--well was it for Sammy that those ventilating holes existed;
also that the stone did not fit tight. Beneath was a bottle-shaped and
cemented structure about ten feet deep by, say, eight wide. Instantly
through the mouth of this structure appeared the head of Sammy with his
mouth wide open like that of a fish gasping for air. We pulled him out,
a process that caused him to howl, for the heat had made his skin
very tender, and gave him water which one of the Mazitu fetched from
a spring. Then I asked him indignantly what he was doing in that hole,
while we wasted our tears, thinking that he was dead.

"Oh! Mr. Quatermain," he said, "I am a victim of too faithful service.
To abandon all these valuable possessions of yours to a rapacious enemy
was more than I could bear. So I put every one of them in the pit, and
then, as I thought I heard someone coming, got in myself and pulled down
the stone. But, Mr. Quatermain, soon afterwards the enemy added arson to
murder and pillage, and the whole place began to blaze. I could hear the
fire roaring above and a little later the ashes covered the exit so that
I could no longer lift the stone, which indeed grew too hot to touch.
Here, then, I sat all night in the most suffocating heat, very much
afraid, Mr. Quatermain, lest the two kegs of gunpowder that were with me
should explode, till at last, just as I had abandoned hope and prepared
to die like a tortoise baked alive by a bushman, I heard your welcome
voice. And Mr. Quatermain, if there is any soothing ointment to spare, I
shall be much obliged, for I am scorched all over."

"Ah! Sammy, Sammy," I said, "you see what comes of cowardice? On the
hill with us you would not have been scorched, and it is only by the
merest chance of owing to Hans's quick hearing that you were not left to
perish miserably in that hole."

"That is so, Mr. Quatermain. I plead guilty to the hot impeachment. But
on the hill I might have been shot, which is worse than being scorched.
Also you gave me charge of you