d and muscular, and as strong as any two men--in fact, no mean
antagonist, even had he been similarly armed, and he was unarmed.

"No, I do not fear you," he replied quietly, keeping his eyes upon hers,
like a skilful fencer. The answer seemed rather to amuse than irritate
her.

"He does not fear me!" she repeated. "Ha! _Inyoka_, [Serpent], does he
fear thee!" she cried, darting the serpent's head within a couple of
inches of the prisoner's face. The reptile hissed hideously, but
Eustace, who knew that it had been rendered harmless, and that it must
long since have spat its venom glands empty, did not allow himself to be
disconcerted by this. A murmur of wonder arose from the spectators.

[The _rinkhaal_, a variety of cobra, has the faculty of being able, when
angry, to eject an acrid, venomous saliva, to a distance of about six
feet.]

"He is not afraid! The white wizard is not afraid!" they cried.

"Dost thou dare to stand before me while I strike thee? Is thy charm
potent enough, O white wizard?" said Ngcenika, raising the assegai in
the air.

"I dare."

"Present thy breast, then. Give thy heart to my stroke. Let thy
`charm' protect thee if it can."

A desperate plan had occurred to Eustace--to wrench the assegai from the
hag's hand and make a dash for the forest. But even concurrently with
the idea, he realised the absolute impracticability of it. He more,
than doubted his ability to disarm his adversary; he had no doubt at all
as to the certainty of his being seized long before he could accomplish
that feat. No--he must stand up to the blow. It was his only chance,
and at any rate his death would be a swift and painless one.

The dark, brawny arm of the sorceress was upraised, her muscular fingers
gripped the assegai haft a few inches from the blade. The shining
spear-head gleamed aloft.

Not once did his glance wander from that cruel demon-face confronting
him. Yet between it and him floated the sweet, oval contour of another
very different countenance.

"Love of my life--preserve that life once more for thyself!" he murmured
with the impassioned fervour of an invocation of faith. His lips moved.

"Ha! Thou repeatest thy charm, O white wizard," said Ngcenika. "Is it
stronger than mine? Is it stronger than mine?"

One might have heard a pin drop. That fierce, excitable crowd, bending
forward, straining their eyes upon this unwonted scene, held their very
breath as they gazed.