was
up, and by its light the three white people stared hopelessly at this
frowning natural fortification, wondering if they could climb it, and
wondering also what terrors awaited them upon its further side. They
were silent that night, for a great weariness had overcome them, and if
the truth must be known, all three of them regretted that they had ever
undertaken this mad adventure.

Leonard glanced to the right, where, some fifty paces away, the
Settlement men were crouched round the fire. They also were silent, and
it was easy to see that the heart was out of them.

"Won't somebody say something?" said Juanna at last with a rather
pathetic attempt at playfulness. How could she be cheerful, poor girl,
when her feet were sore and her head was aching, and she wished that she
were dead, almost?

"Yes," answered Leonard, "I will say that I admire your pluck. I should
not have thought it possible for any young lady to have gone through the
last two months, and 'come out smiling' at the end of them."

"Oh, I am quite happy. Don't trouble about me," she said, laughing as
merrily as though there were no such things as sore feet and headaches
in the world.

"Are you?" said Leonard, "then I envy you, that is all. Here comes old
Soa, and Otter after her. I wonder what is the matter now. Something
disagreeable, I suppose."

Soa arrived and squatted down in front of them, her tall spare form
and somewhat sullen face looking more formidable than usual in the
moonlight. Otter was beside her, and though he stood and she sat, their
heads were almost on a level.

"What is it, Soa?" said Leonard carelessly.

"Deliverer," she answered, for all the natives knew him now by this
name, "some months ago, when you were digging for gold yonder, in the
Place of Graves, I made a bargain with you, and we set the bargain down
on paper. In that paper I promised that if you rescued my mistress I
would lead you to the land were precious stones were to be won, and I
gave you one of those stones in earnest. You saved my mistress, Mavoom
her father died, and the time came when I must fulfil my promise. For my
own part I would not have fulfilled it, for I only made it that promise
hoping to deceive you. But my mistress yonder refused to listen to me.

"'No,' she said, 'that which you have sworn on my behalf and your own
must be carried out. If you will not carry it out, go away, Soa, for I
have done with you.'

"Then, Deliverer, rather than