from her dress, "this is that same water of which Saga gave your black
dog to drink when I escaped you. Now mix it with some spirit, go to the
Shepherdess, awake her, and bid her drink this to comfort her. She will
obey, and immediately deep sleep will take her again that shall hold her
fast for six hours."

"It is not a poison?" asked Leonard suspiciously.

"No, it is not a poison. What need would there be to poison one who must
die at dawn?"

Then Leonard did as she told him. Taking a tin pannikin, one of their
few possessions, he emptied the sleeping-draught into it and added
enough native brandy to colour the water.

Next he went into Juanna's room and found her lying fast asleep upon
the great bed. Going up to her he touched her gently on the shoulder,
saying, "Wake, my love." She raised herself and opened her eyes.

"Is that you, Leonard?" she said. "I was dreaming that I was a girl
again and at school at Durban, and that it was time to get up for early
service at the church. Oh! I remember now. Is it dawn yet?"

"No, dear, but it soon will be," he answered; "here, drink this, it will
give you courage."

"How horrid that spirit tastes!" she said, then sank back slowly on the
cushion and in another minute fell sound asleep again. The draught was
strong and it worked quickly.

Leonard went to the curtain and beckoned to Soa and the others. They
all entered except the priests, who remained clustered together near the
doorway of the great chamber talking in low tones and apparently taking
no notice of what passed.

"Take off that robe, Bald-pate," said Soa; "I must give you another."

He obeyed, and while Soa was engaged in clothing Juanna's senseless form
in the gown of the priest, Francisco drew his diary from the pocket in
his vest where he kept it. Rapidly he wrote a few lines on a blank page,
then shutting the book he handed it to Leonard together with his rosary,
saying:

"Let the Senora read what I have written here, after I am dead, not
before, and give her these beads in memory of me. Many is the time that
I have prayed for her upon them. Perhaps she will wear them after I am
gone, and, although she is a Protestant, sometimes offer up a prayer for
me."

Leonard took the book and the rosary and placed them in an inner pocket.
Then he turned to Otter and rapidly explained to him the meaning of all
that was being done.

"Ah, Baas," said the dwarf, "put no faith in that she-devil. And yet
perhap