he Home of the Dead.

"O White Heart and black body, I look into your heart and it is white as
milk, and the milk of innocence shall save it. Fool, why do you strike
that blow? Let him be who is loved of the tiger, and whose love is as
the love of a tiger. Ah! what face is that in the battle? Follow it,
follow it, O swift of foot; but follow warily, for the tongue that has
lied will never plead for mercy, and the hand that can betray is strong
in war. White Heart, what is death? In death life lives, and among the
dead you shall find the life you lost, for there awaits you she whom
kings and waters cannot harm."

As the Bee spoke, by degrees her voice sank lower and lower till it was
almost inaudible. Then it ceased altogether and she seemed to pass from
trance to sleep. Hadden, who had been listening to her with an amused
and cynical smile, now laughed aloud.

"Why do you laugh, White Man?" asked Nahoon angrily.

"I laugh at my own folly in wasting time listening to the nonsense of
that lying fraud."

"It is no nonsense, White Man."

"Indeed? Then will you tell me what it means?"

"I cannot tell you what it means yet, but her words have to do with a
woman and a leopard, and with your fate and my fate."

Hadden shrugged his shoulders, not thinking the matter worth further
argument, and at that moment the Bee woke up shivering, drew the red
snake from her head-dress and coiling it about her throat wrapped
herself again in the greasy kaross.

"Are you satisfied with my wisdom, _Inkoos_?" she asked of Hadden.

"I am satisfied that you are one of the cleverest cheats in Zululand,
mother," he answered coolly. "Now, what is there to pay?"

The Bee took no offence at this rude speech, though for a second or two
the look in her eyes grew strangely like that which they had seen in
those of the snake when the fumes of the fire made it angry.

"If the white lord says I am a cheat, it must be so," she answered, "for
he of all men should be able to discern a cheat. I have said that I ask
no fee;--yes, give me a little tobacco from your pouch."

Hadden opened the bag of antelope hide and drawing some tobacco from it,
gave it to her. In taking it she clasped his hand and examined the gold
ring that was upon the third finger, a ring fashioned like a snake with
two little rubies set in the head to represent the eyes.

"I wear a snake about my neck, and you wear one upon your hand,
_Inkoos_. I should like to have this ring