less something, covered up with skins, but yet showing the outlines
of the human form. Wyzinski shuddered as he opened his eyes and saw it.
The pile of brushwood grew higher and higher, and the missionary felt
himself rudely dragged along the ground, and fastened to the stake. The
palmyra rope which cut into his flesh was removed, and his feet firmly
tied apart to two small wooden pins driven into the ground. The hideous
looking woman, who had been dancing and singing round him, waving her
lean arms, and clashing together her long yellow teeth, now sat down
right opposite the victim, her eyes intently fixed on his, to enjoy his
agony. The last armful of brush was tossed upon the heap, fire was
procured, and a long twisted wisp of dry grass lighted, and placed in
the widow's hands.

Chanting out a monotonous song, the woman rose and came on. She reached
the wall of dry brush, she waved the wisp of flame in her victim's face,
scorching his hair and whiskers; then, with a yell of vengeance, stooped
to kindle the fire, when a flash of light seemed to quiver through the
sunshine, and she fell forward, pierced through the heart by an assegai,
the torch falling from her dying hands, kindling the dry grass and
brushwood.

In an instant the missionary was surrounded by a semicircle of flame,
the reports of rifles rang in his ears, a loud shout of "Boarders,
away!" came from among the trees, as half a dozen Portuguese soldiers,
led on by Hughes, the Matabele chief, Masheesh, and Captain Weber of the
"Halcyon," dashed across the open, scattered the burning brush right and
left, cut away his bonds, and dragged the half-choked missionary free of
the flames.

Three of the Amatongas had fallen by the first discharge, and without
halting to reload, the Portuguese charged with the bayonet, led by an
old seaman, whose scar-seamed face told of some recent fight. It was
Captain Mason, late of the "Argonaut." The savages, wholly surprised,
at once fled, but halting as they reached the belt of forest, threw
their assegais. "Forward, my lads; no quarter for the accursed
scoundrels!" shouted the excited Mason. "For--," the word was never
spoken, for an assegai struck him in the left eye, piercing to the
brain. He fell heavily on his face, his clubbed rifle tumbling to the
ground; a deep groan, one or two spasmodic struggles, and the captain of
the "Argonaut" was no more, the whole band of savages having disappeared
in the bush.