t could one woman and
a Kaffir youth do against so many men? Moreover, she knew whither Van
Vooren would take her, and could follow there, but first she must learn
for certain what had been the fate of the Baas Ralph her husband. So
Sihamba lay still beneath the two tufts of grass until the last of the
men had passed in silence, glancing about them sullenly as though they
feared vengeance for a crime. Then, having noted that they were heading
for the kloof, she went back to where Zinti stood in the hollow holding
the horse with one hand and the mule with the other, and beckoned him to
follow her.

Very soon, tracing the spoor backwards, they reached the edge of the
cliff just where the waterfall fell over it into the sea pool. Here she
searched about, noting this thing and that, till at last all grew clear
to her. Yonder Suzanne had lain, for the impress of her shape could
still be seen upon the grass. And there a man had been stretched out,
for his blood stained the ground. More, he had been dragged to the edge
of the cliff, for this was the track of his body and the spoor of his
murderer's feet. Look how his heels had sunk into the turf as he took
the weight of the corpse in his arms to hurl it over the edge.

"Tie the horse and the mule together, Zinti," she said, "and let us find
a path down this precipice."

The lad obeyed, wondering, though he too guessed much of what had
happened, and after a little search they found a place by which they
could descend. Now Sihamba ran to the pool and stood upon its brink
scanning the surface with her eyes, till at length she glanced
downwards, and there, almost at her feet, three parts of his body yet
hidden in the water, lay the man she sought.

Swiftly she sprang to him, and, aided by Zinti, dragged him to dry
ground.

"Alas! lady," moaned the Kaffir, "it is of no use, the Baas is dead.
Look, he has been shot."

Taking no heed of the words, Sihamba opened Ralph's garments, placing
first her hand, then her ear, upon his heart. Presently she lifted her
head, a light of hope shining in her eyes, and said:

"Nay, he lives, and we have found him in time. Moreover, his wound
is not to death. Now help me, for between us we must bear him up the
cliff."

So Zinti took him on his back as a man takes a sack of flour, while
Sihamba supported his legs, and thus between them, with great toil, for
the way was very steep, they carried him by a sloping buck's path to the
top of the