and unsteady, his hand
shook, and he did not walk altogether straight.

"You have been drinking again, you sot," said Leonard. "Go back to your
drink; we are in sorrow here and want no drunkards in our company. Now
then, Francisco, give me that rope."

"Yes, Baas, I have been drinking," answered the dwarf humbly; "it is
well to drink before one dies, since we may not drink afterwards and I
think that the hour of death is at hand. Oh! Shepherdess of the
heavens, they said down yonder at the Settlement that you were a great
rain-maker: now if you can make the rain to fall, can you not make the
sun to shine? Wind and water are all very well, but we have too much of
them here."

"Hearken," said Leonard, "while you revelled, the last of Mavoom's men
vanished, and these are left in their place," and he pointed to the
knives.

"Is it so, Baas?" answered Otter with a hiccough. "Well, they were a
poor lot, and we shall not miss them. And yet I wish I were a man again
and had my hands on the throat of that wizard Nam. _Wow!_ but I would
squeeze it."

"It is your throat that will be squeezed soon, Otter," said Leonard.
"Look here, god or no god, get you sober or I will beat you."

"I am sober, Baas, I am indeed. Last night I was drunk, to-day nothing
is left but a pain here," and he tapped his great head. "Why are you
tying up that old cow Soa, Baas?"

"Because she threatens to use her horns, Otter. She says that she will
betray us all."

"Indeed, Baas! Well, it is in my mind that she has betrayed us already.
Why do you not kill her and have done?"

"Because the Shepherdess here will have none of it," answered Leonard;
"also I do not like the task."

"I will kill her if you wish, Baas," said Otter with another hiccough.
"She is wicked, let her die."

"I have told you that the Shepherdess will have none of it. Listen: we
must watch this woman; we will guard her to-day and you must take your
turn to-night--it will keep you from your drink."

"Yes, Baas, I will watch, though it would be better to kill her at once,
for thus we should be spared trouble."

Then they bound Soa securely and set her in a corner of the throne
chamber, and all that day Leonard and Francisco mounted guard over her
alternately. She made no resistance and said nothing; indeed it seemed
as if a certain lassitude had followed her outbreak of rage, for she
leaned her head back and slept, or made pretence to sleep.

The day passed uneventfully. O