e went on by way of letting me down easily, "Or
perhaps he wore very good armour under his beard, for I saw some of
those Amahagger who pulled his hair off and cut him to pieces, go away
with what looked like little bits of brass. Also the Great Medicine
meant that he should be killed by Umslopogaas and not by you, since
otherwise Umslopogaas would have been sad for the rest of his life,
whereas now he will walk about the world as proud as a cock with two
tails and crow all night as well as all day. Then, Baas, when Rezu broke
the square and the Amahagger began to run, without doubt it was the
Great Medicine which changed their hearts and made them brave again, so
that they charged at the right moment when they saw it going forward on
your breast, and instead of being eaten up, ate up the cannibals."

"Indeed! I thought that the Lady who dwells yonder had something to do
with that business. Did you see her, Hans?"

"Oh, yes! I saw her, Baas, and I think that without doubt she lifted the
cloth from over her head and when the people of Rezu saw how ugly was
the face beneath, it did frighten them a little. But doubtless the Great
Medicine put that thought into her also, for, Baas, what could a silly
woman do in such a case? Did you ever know of a woman who was of any use
in a battle, or for anything else except to nurse babies, and this one
does not even do that, no doubt because being so hideous under that
sheet, no man can be found to marry her."

Now I looked up by chance and in the light of the lamps saw Ayesha
standing in the room, which she had entered through the open doorway,
within six feet of Hans' back indeed.

"Be sure Baas," he went on, "that this bundle of rags is nothing but a
common old cheat who frightens people by pretending to be a spook, as,
if she dared to say that it was she who made those stinking Amahagger
charge, and not the Great Medicine of the Opener-of-Roads, I would tell
her to her face."

Now I was too paralysed to speak, and while I was reflecting that it was
fortunate Ayesha did not understand Dutch, she moved a little so that
one of the lamps behind her caused her shadow to fall on to the back
of the squatting Hans and over it on to the floor beyond. He saw it and
stared at the distorted shape of the hooded head, then slowly screwed
his neck round and looked upwards behind him.

For a moment he went on staring as though he were frozen, then uttering
a wild yell, he scrambled to his f