d. When you
yourself are frightened it is natural that she, an untried
maiden, should be frightened also in this home of spirits."

"It is men we fear, not spirits, now when all Zululand is boiling
like a pot," I replied angrily.

"Have it as you will, Macumazahn," she said, and at that moment
her quiet, searching eyes and fixed smile were hateful to me.
"At least you admit that you do fear. Well, for the lady Heddana
fear nothing. I sleep across the door of her hut, and while I
who have learned to love her, live, I say--for her fear nothing,
whatever may chance or whatever you may see or hear."

"I believe you, but, Nombe, you might die."

"Yes, I may die, but be sure of this, that when I die she will be
safe, and he who loves her also. Sleep well, Macumazahn, and do
not dream too much of what you heard and saw in Zikali's house."

Then before I could speak she turned and left me.

I did _not_ sleep well; I slept very badly. To begin with,
Maurice Anscombe, generally the most cheerful and nonchalant of
mortals with a jest for every woe, was in a most depressed
condition, and informed me of it several times, while I was
getting ready to turn in. He said he thought the place hateful
and felt as if people he could not see were looking at him (I had
the same sensation but did not mention the fact to him). When I
told him he was talking stuff, he only replied that he could not
help it, and pointed out that it was not his general habit to be
downcast in any danger, which was quite true. Now, he added, he
was enjoying much the same sensations as he did when first he saw
the Yellow-wood Swamp and got the idea into his head that he
would kill some one there, which happened in due course.

"Do you mean that you think you are going to kill somebody else?"
I asked anxiously.

"No," he answered, "I think I am going to be killed, or something
like it, probably by that accursed old villain of a witch-doctor,
who I don't believe is altogether human."

"Others have thought that before now, Anscombe, and to be plain,
I don't know that he is. He lives too much with the dead to be
like other people."

"And with Satan, to whom I expect he makes sacrifices. The truth
is I'm afraid of his playing some of his tricks with Heda. It is
for her I fear, not for myself, Allan. Oh! why on earth did you
come here?"

"Because you wished it and it seemed the safest thing to do.
Look here, my boy, as usual the trouble comes t