located
with the tugs forward.

For an hour or more I suffered this breakneck treatment. We were
descending. Often I could hear the noise of falling streams, and once
we splashed through a mountain ford. Laputa was taking no risks, for he
clearly had in mind the possibility of some accident which would set me
free, and he had no desire to have me guiding Arcoll to his camp.

But as I stumbled and sprawled down these rocky tracks I was not
thinking of Laputa's plans. My whole soul was filled with regret for
Colin, and rage against his murderer. After my first mad rush I had
not thought about my dog. He was dead, but so would I be in an hour or
two, and there was no cause to lament him. But at the first revival of
hope my grief had returned. As they bandaged my eyes I was wishing
that they would let me see his grave. As I followed beside Laputa I
told myself that if ever I got free, when the war was over I would go
to Inanda's Kraal, find the grave, and put a tombstone over it in
memory of the dog that saved my life. I would also write that the man
who shot him was killed on such and such a day at such and such a place
by Colin's master. I wondered why Laputa had not the wits to see the
Portugoose's treachery and to let me fight him. I did not care what
were the weapons--knives or guns, or naked fists--I would certainly
kill him, and afterwards the Kaffirs could do as they pleased with me.
Hot tears of rage and weakness wet the bandage on my eyes, and the sobs
which came from me were not only those of weariness.

At last we halted. Laputa got down and took off the bandage, and I
found myself in one of the hill-meadows which lie among the foothills
of the Wolkberg. The glare blinded me, and for a little I could only
see the marigolds growing at my feet. Then I had a glimpse of the deep
gorge of the Great Letaba below me, and far to the east the flats
running out to the hazy blue line of the Lebombo hills. Laputa let me
sit on the ground for a minute or two to get my breath and rest my
feet. 'That was a rough road,' he said. 'You can take it easier now,
for I have no wish to carry you.' He patted the Schimmel, and the
beautiful creature turned his mild eyes on the pair of us. I wondered
if he recognized his rider of two nights ago.

I had seen Laputa as the Christian minister, as the priest and king in
the cave, as the leader of an army at Dupree's Drift, and at the kraal
we had left as the savage with