.

So very solemnly they laid their right hands upon the altar and "in the
presence of the Child and the name of the Child and of all the White
Kendah people," repeated after Harut a most solemn oath of which I
have already given the substance. It called down on their heads a very
dreadful doom in this world and the next, should it be broken either in
the spirit or the letter; the said oath, however, to be only binding if
we, on our part, swore to observe their terms and kept our engagement
also in the spirit and the letter.

Then they asked us to fulfil our share of the pact and very
considerately drew out of hearing while we discussed the matter; Harut,
the only one of them who understood a word of English, retiring behind
the sanctuary. At first I had difficulties with Ragnall, who was most
unwilling to bind himself in any way. In the end, on my pointing out
that nothing less than our lives were involved and probably that of his
wife as well, also that no other course was open to us, he gave way, to
my great relief.

Hans announced himself ready to swear anything, adding blandly that
words mattered nothing, as afterwards we could do whatever seemed best
in our own interests, whereon I read him a short moral lecture on the
heinousness of perjury, which did not seem to impress him very much.

This matter settled, we called back the priests and informed them of our
decision. Harut demanded that we should affirm it "by the Child," which
we declined to do, saying that it was our custom to swear only in the
name of our own God. Being a liberal-minded man who had travelled, Harut
gave way on the point. So I swore first to the effect that I would fight
for the White Kendah to the finish in consideration of the promises that
they had made to us. I added that I would not attempt either to see or
to interfere with the lady here known as the Guardian of the Child until
the war was over or even to bring our existence to her knowledge, ending
up, "so help me God," as I had done several times when giving evidence
in a court of law.

Next Ragnall with a great effort repeated my oath in English, Harut
listening carefully to every word and once or twice asking me to explain
the exact meaning of some of them.

Lastly Hans, who seemed very bored with the whole affair, swore, also
repeating the words after me and finishing on his own account with
"so help me the reverend Predikant, the Baas's father," a form that he
utterly declin