allow room for nervous fears, and sleep overwhelmed her. Sleep! The
ghosts of former victims done to death amid every circumstance of horror
within that den arose not to appal her. She slept on in blissful
ignorance; slept--within the scarce-known retreat of one of the most
atrocious monsters of cruelty that ever flourished amid even a barbarous
race--slept--within the web of the crafty blood-sucking human spider.

Nanzicele departed, and the sorcerer, having secured the entrances to
his den with thick thorn branches, sat crouching over a small red fire,
his plotting brain ever at work. He was in high good humour, for here
was a new victim for him to practise some of his favourite barbarities
upon. In this case they must be refined forms of barbarity, such as
would torture the mind rather more acutely than the red-hot iron would
the body, and a better subject for such he thought he had never seen.
So he squatted there, and gleefully chuckled. Beside him crouched the
wolf. "Ah, ah, Lupiswana!" he exclaimed, addressing his familiar
spirit. "It may be that thou shalt sink thy fangs into white flesh--
dainty delicate flesh, Lupiswana. White blood, too--white red blood--
richer, more rare than that of Nompiza, and such. It is sleeping now.
Come, Lupiswana; we will go forth and see."

Taking one of the red faggots from the fire, he blew it into flame;
then, rising, he went to the door of the hut wherein Nidia was asleep.
Softly undoing the fastenings, he entered. The light flickered fitfully
on the horrible trophies disposed around. The evil beast at his side
was emitting a low, throaty growl; but neither that nor the proximity of
this demon availed to awaken the sleeping girl. Calm, peaceful, she
slumbered on amid her hideous surroundings. The wizard went forth
again, "Ah, ah, Lupiswana! She knows not what is before her. To-morrow
I think thou must have one taste of this white flesh--perhaps two."

And the four-footed demon growled in response to the biped one.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

OF PERIL AND FEAR.

Nidia's sleep had been dreamless and profound, wherefore when she awoke
the next morning she felt rested and refreshed. A shudder of repulsion
ran: through her as her gaze made out the hideous adornments of her
grisly sleeping apartment--the skulls and bones and stuffed
snake-skins--but she felt no real fear. Even the human mask, looking
sufficiently horrible in the semi-darkness of the hut, failed