t she heard the scraping of the feet of a green lizard which crept
across a stone a yard or two away.

Then of a sudden it ended. Of a sudden the two remaining Matabele turned
and fled for their lives, and as, when dogs run, a flock of sheep will
wheel about and pursue them, so did the Makalanga. They grabbed at the
messengers with their hands, tearing their finery from them; they struck
them with sticks, they pounded them with stones, till at length two
bruised and bleeding men, finding all escape cut off, and led perhaps
by some instinct, staggered back to where Benita stood horrified at this
dreadful scene, and throwing themselves upon the ground, clutched at her
dress and prayed for mercy.

"Move a little, Miss Clifford," said Meyer. "Three of those brutes will
not weigh heavier than one upon my conscience."

"No, no, you shall not," she answered. "Mambo, these men are messengers;
spare them."

"Hearken to the voice of pity," said the old prophet, "spoken in a place
where pity never was, and not in vain. Let them go. Give mercy to the
merciless, for she buys their lives with a prayer."

"They will bring the others on us," muttered Tamas, and even old Mr.
Clifford shook his head sadly. But the Molimo only said:

"I have spoken. Let them go. That which will befall must befall, and
from this deed no ill shall come that would not have come otherwise."

"You hear? Depart swiftly," said Benita, in Zulu.

With difficulty the two men dragged themselves to their feet, and
supporting each other, stood before her. One of them, a clever,
powerful-faced man, whose black hair was tinged with grey, addressing
himself to Benita, gasped:

"Hear me. That fool there," and he pointed to his dead companion, "whose
boasting brought his death upon him, was but a low fellow. I, who kept
silence and let him talk, am Maduna, a prince of the royal house who
justly deserve to die because I turned my back upon these dogs. Yet I
and my brother here take life at your hands, Lady, who, now that I have
had time to think, would refuse it at theirs. For, whether I stay or
go does not matter. The impi waits; the slayers are beneath the walls.
Those things which are decreed will happen; there, yonder old Wizard
speaks true. Listen, Lady: should it chance that you have cause to
demand two lives at the hands of Maduna, in his own name and the name
of his king he promises them to you. In safety shall they pass, they
and all that is theirs, witho