he death of their chief. That would be me all
over, wouldn't it?"

"If only I could see some way out of it--for you! Let me think."

"No, Beryl. Don't think. There's nothing further to be said. Whatever
this is we are in it together."

It must not be supposed that during all this talk Beryl's vigilance over
her captive was relaxed for one single moment. Nor must it be supposed
that I--that either of us--imagined that we were going to have things
all our own way, and that Kuliso's people had tamely left their chief to
his fate.

We could not see them, but that they were keeping us under observation
the whole way neither of us had a shadow of a doubt. But while keeping
a sharp look-out, I was able to turn over the situation in my mind. If
only Brian had been here. As it was, would he not hold me responsible
for Beryl's action, and any disastrous consequences which might ensue?
Well, for that matter he could hardly do so, if only that he knew his
sister well enough to know also that under the circumstances she would
simply laugh at the advice or attempted control of anybody, and that had
I discountenanced her project by refusing to accompany her she would
simply have embarked on it alone, and then--putting the question on its
lowest ground--what sort of figure should I have cut?

Now we were drawing near the fatal spot. We seemed to be moving in a
dream--worse--a nightmare. The face of the murdered boy, swollen and
ghastly, staring upward to the full broad moon, again seemed to come
before my gaze--and that other face, calm, placid, as overtaken by death
before a last moment of fleeting horror had had time to stamp it. My
nerves were strung to the utmost tension. The Ndhlambe chief would now
guess why he had been brought here, and that moment would be his last;
for, thus rendered desperate, would he not make one last effort for
life? All was still--still as death, save for the tread of the horses;
yet momentarily I awaited the roar of the shot which should send Kuliso
into that unseen world whither his victims had preceded him.

Then just what I had expected came to pass. Suddenly, and by a rapid,
serpentine movement, the chief flung himself down, wriggling for the
shade of a thick clump of bush we were passing, and simultaneously dark,
sinuous forms started up in front, around us, seeming to spring from
nowhere. Beryl's pistol cracked, and then I saw a huge savage--naked,
ochre-stained--poising a hea