hile
Jan and I looked at each other like people who have suddenly beheld a
sign from heaven.

"What evil magic is there in my words," said Gaasha presently, "that
they should strike the Baas yonder dead like a spear?"

"He is not dead," I answered, "but for long he has sought that mountain
Umpondwana of which you speak. Tell us now, did you hear of any white
woman dwelling with the chieftainess Sihamba?"

"No, lady, I heard of none."

This answer of Gaasha's saddened me, for I made sure that if so strange
a thing had happened as that a white woman had come to live among his
tribe, the man who told him of the return of Sihamba would have told him
of this also. Therefore, so I argued, either Suzanne was dead or she
was in the power of Piet Van Vooren, or Sihamba had deserted her, though
this last I did not believe. As it turned out afterwards, had not Gaasha
been the stupidest of Kaffirs, we should have been saved those long
days of doubt and trouble, for though he had not heard that Sihamba was
accompanied by a white woman, he had heard that she brought with her
a white _bird_ to the mountain Umpondwana. Of course if he had told us
this we should have guessed that the white bird could be none other than
Suzanne, whose native name was Swallow.

Well, we set about reviving Ralph, which was done by throwing water
on to his face. When he had found his senses again I prayed him not to
suffer himself to be carried away with hope, since although Gaasha had
heard of Sihamba, he had heard nothing of Suzanne.

To this he answered that now when God had pointed out to him the
mountain of his vision and in so strange a manner, he had no fear but
that he would find his wife upon it, since God was merciful and did not
desire to mock or torment His servants.

I replied that I trusted it might be so, but the ways of the Almighty
were beyond our understanding, nor did it become us to pass judgment
upon them. Ralph scarcely heeded my words, but, springing to his feet,
said:

"Come, let us be going to the mountain Umpondwana."

"First we must consult with the commandant and get aid from him," said
Jan, "for it would not be safe that we should wander into these wild
places alone, where there are many Kaffirs who doubtless would murder
us."

In his eagerness Ralph would not listen to this, for he desired to start
at once. But I pointed out to him that we had no horses, all ours being
dead of the sickness; moreover, that the night