u going to do while I am
away?"

"I shall climb the pillar."

"You don't mean----" and he stopped.

"No, no, nothing of that sort. I shall not follow the example of Benita
da Ferreira unless I am driven to it; I want to look, that is all. One
can see far from that place, if there is anything to see. Perhaps the
Matabele are gone now, we have heard nothing of them lately."

So they dressed themselves, and as soon as the light was sufficiently
strong, came out of the hut and parted, Mr. Clifford, rifle in hand,
limping off towards the wall, and Benita going towards the great
cone. She climbed it easily enough, and stood in the little cup-like
depression on its dizzy peak, waiting for the sun to rise and disperse
the mists which hung over the river and its banks.

Now whatever may have been the exact ceremonial use to which the
ancients put this pinnacle, without doubt it had something to do with
sun-worship. This, indeed, was proved by the fact that, at any rate at
this season of the year, the first rays of the risen orb struck full
upon its point. Thus it came about that, as she stood there waiting,
Benita of a sudden found herself suffused in light so vivid and intense
that, clothed as she was in a dress which had once been white, it must
have caused her to shine like a silver image. For several minutes,
indeed, this golden spear of fire blinded her so that she could see
nothing, but stood quite still, afraid to move, and waiting until,
as the sun grew higher, its level rays passed over her. This they did
presently, and plunging into the valley, began to drive away the fog.
Now she looked down, along the line of the river.

The Matabele camp was invisible, for it lay in a hollow almost at the
foot of the fortress. Beyond it, however, was a rising swell of ground;
it may have been half a mile from where she stood, and on the crest
of it she perceived what looked like a waggon tent with figures moving
round it. They were shouting also, for through the silence of the
African morn the sound of their voices floated up to her.

As the mist cleared off Benita saw that without doubt it was a waggon,
for there stood the long row of oxen, also it had just been captured
by the Matabele, for these were about it in numbers. At the moment,
however, they appeared to be otherwise occupied, for they were pointing
with their spears to the pillar on Bambatse.

Then it occurred to Benita that, placed as she was in that fierce ligh