ther his life had been spent outside the sphere of
adventure or not, she felt certain that given an emergency he would
prove the strong, capable official, ready and able to deal with it at
the critical or perilous moment.

Elvesdon's mind, too, was running upon her and he was speculating as to
the effect her presence would have upon those among whom her lot was to
be cast for a time. She was bright, lively, natural; just the very
companion for Edala, though somewhat older. Thornhill, too, wanted
livening up; and now, seen in the light of the revelation he had heard
that morning, Elvesdon thoroughly understood the restraint which had
lain upon that household of two. This stranger from the outside world
was just the one to take both out of themselves.

They left the more open rolling country, where the road suddenly dived
down into the bosky ruggedness of a long winding valley, and here Evelyn
grew enthusiastic over the romantic grandeur of the black forest-clad
rifts sloping down from a great row of castellated crags. Here, too,
bird and animal life seemed suddenly to blossom into being. Troops of
monkeys skipped whimsically among the tree-tops chattering at the
wayfarers, and the piping of bright spreuws flashing from frond to frond
among the thorn bushes, and the call of the hoepoe, and the mellow
cooing of doves making multitudinous melody throughout the broad valley
into which they were descending, together with the quaint, grating duet
of the yellow thrush--then, too, the deep boom of great hornbills
stalking among the grass and stones, yonder, down the slope--all blended
harmoniously in the unclouded evening calm, for the sun was near his
rest now, and the stupendous krantz fronting the Sipazi mountain shone
like fire.

"Why, it is glorious," declared the newcomer gazing around. "What a
lovely country this is."

"There's our destination," said Elvesdon, pointing to the homestead
lying on the farther side of the valley beneath, whence already the dogs
were announcing their arrival in deep-mouthed clamour. "And there are
your relatives," he added, as two figures could be seen coming down from
the front stoep, "and they are already taking stock of us through
binoculars."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thornhill's greeting was quiet but cordial.

"Welcome to Sipazi," he said. "We had about given you up, but better
late than never. I am afraid you'll find it d