e expression upon the dark countenance of his
enemy, realised something of this, and fearless as he habitually was, it
was all he could do to keep from betraying some misgiving.

At this juncture a mandate arrived from Kreli that the warriors should
once more assemble within the temporary kraal, and that the white
prisoners should again be brought before him. Singing, chatting,
laughing, administering many a sly kick or cuff to poor Carhayes, the
savages swarmed back to the open space, dragging that unfortunate along
in rough, unceremonious fashion. Soon the glade was empty, save for the
body of the miserable victim of their blindly superstitious ferocity.
It lay there, stark, mangled, and hideous.

The Paramount Chief and his councillors still sat in a group apart.
They had borne no part in, betrayed no interest in, the barbarous
tragedy which had just taken place. Such a matter as the punishment of
a wizard was entirely beneath their notice--in theory at any rate. They
still sat in grave and dignified impassiveness.

Eustace, noting the difference between his own treatment and that of his
cousin--the one bound with unnecessary rigour, hustled and kicked, the
other, though disarmed, treated with a certain amount of consideration--
began to entertain strong hopes on his own account. But tending
materially to dash them was the fact that Ngcenika, standing before the
chief and the _amapakati_, was favouring that august assemblage with a
very fierce and denunciatory harangue.

There were two white men, she said--two prisoners. One of these was a
man of some power, who had been able to oppose her magic with his own;
only for a time, however--the hag took care to add. This man it might
be well to keep for a little while longer at any rate; there were
several experiments which she herself intended to try upon him. But the
other--he had always been a bitter enemy of their race. Many had fallen
at his hands. Had he not cut a notch upon his gun-stock for every
fighting man of the race of Xosa whom he had slain? There was the
gun-stock and there were the notches. There were many of them, let the
Great Chief--let the _amapakati_ count.

At the production of this damning "_piece de conviction_," a shout of
fury rose from the ranks of the warriors.

"To the fire!" they cried. "To the fire with him!"

The situation was appalling, yet Carhayes never quailed. The desperate
pluck of the man bore him up even then. H