legs were
somewhat swollen, otherwise he was none the worse for that great ride.

In the shelter of the hut Suzanne took off her clothes, remembering with
a sort of wonder how she had put them on on the morning of her marriage,
which now seemed years ago, and bathed herself with water. Then Sihamba
having given the garments to a waiting woman to wash, wrapped her in a
soft kaross of fur, and after drinking some milk and eating a little,
Suzanne laid herself down upon a mattress made of the husks of mealie
cobs, and even as she thanked God Who had brought her safely through so
many dangers past, and prayed Him to protect her in those that were
to come, and to comfort the heart of her husband in his sickness and
affliction, she fell asleep. When she saw her sleeping, but not before,
Sihamba crept to her feet, for now that all was over she could scarcely
walk, and laying herself down there slept also.

All the rest of the day they slept, and all the night that followed,
nor did they wake till sunrise of the next morning, when women of the
household of the chief knocked upon the door-board to ask if they needed
aught. Then they rose feeling well and strong again except for the
stiffness of their limbs, and Suzanne clothed herself in the garments
that the woman had washed, combing her dark hair with a Kaffir comb.
Afterwards they ate heartily of the good food that was brought to
them, and left the hut to visit the _schimmel_, that they found almost
recovered and devouring Kaffir sugar-cane, though like themselves he was
somewhat stiff.

Presently, while they stroked and fondled him, a messenger came, saying
that if it pleased the lady Swallow, the chief Sigwe would take counsel
with her in the place of audience. So after a little while they went,
and as they passed out of the kraal fence, Suzanne was received with a
chief's salute by the escort that was waiting for her. Then surrounding
her and Sihamba, they led them to the place of audience, a circle of
ground enclosed by a high double fence, and as Suzanne entered it once
more all present there, including Sigwe himself, gave her the salute of
chiefs.

But though it was strange enough that such a thing should happen to a
white woman, at the time Suzanne took little notice of the salute or
aught else, for there standing before her, looking much bewildered and
very weary, was none other than Zinti and with him Sihamba's horse, and
also that mule laden with goods, which t