bergatz. She had never gone there before and the German
looked up in surprise as he saw who his visitor was.

Briefly she told him what she had heard. At first he was inclined to
bluster arrogantly, with a great display of bravado but she silenced
him peremptorily.

"Such talk is useless," she said shortly. "You have brought upon
yourself the just hatred of these people. Regardless of the truth or
falsity of the report which has been brought to them, they believe in
it and there is nothing now between you and your Maker other than
flight. We shall both be dead before morning if we are unable to escape
from the village unseen. If you go to them now with your silly
protestations of authority you will be dead a little sooner, that is
all."

"You think it is as bad as that?" he said, a noticeable alteration in
his tone and manner.

"It is precisely as I have told you," she replied. "They will come
tonight and kill you while you sleep. Find me pistols and a rifle and
ammunition and we will pretend that we go into the jungle to hunt. That
you have done often. Perhaps it will arouse suspicion that I accompany
you but that we must chance. And be sure my dear Herr Lieutenant to
bluster and curse and abuse your servants unless they note a change in
your manner and realizing your fear know that you suspect their
intention. If all goes well then we can go out into the jungle to hunt
and we need not return.

"But first and now you must swear never to harm me, or otherwise it
would be better that I called the chief and turned you over to him and
then put a bullet into my own head, for unless you swear as I have
asked I were no better alone in the jungle with you than here at the
mercies of these degraded blacks."

"I swear," he replied solemnly, "in the names of my God and my Kaiser
that no harm shall befall you at my hands, Lady Greystoke."

"Very well," she said, "we will make this pact to assist each other to
return to civilization, but let it be understood that there is and
never can be any semblance even of respect for you upon my part. I am
drowning and you are the straw. Carry that always in your mind, German."

If Obergatz had held any doubt as to the sincerity of her word it would
have been wholly dissipated by the scathing contempt of her tone. And
so Obergatz, without further parley, got pistols and an extra rifle for
Jane, as well as bandoleers of cartridges. In his usual arrogant and
disagreeable manner he call