Part 27 (1/2)
”But, can you leave hi, maniacal--or was it the snarl of a bereaved wild beast?
”We can leave thee Co her saddle without my aid she led the way from that evil and accursed spot But it was the opposite way to that by which we had come She uttered no word But the positions were reversed now She led, and I folloondering
We reached the high ridge at the head of the kloof, then descended into the valley wherein,the valley, ascended by a steep track to a high ”neck” which cleft the heights on the further side We had by this ti for nearly an hour
Now, as we halted to breathe our horses, and sat in our saddles, gazing forth upon the more open country beyond, before us the shadowy veldt, stretching away into moonlit di points of light, over which hung a low
These were the fires in the Ndhla waves of sound, ca accos or the faint shrill laughter of wo the
No word had Beryl uttered all this time, but now she spoke, and the words which she did say fairly startled me, for they were of such iainst either or both of us living to see the light of another day She read off hts as in a flash
”Do not let me take you into this, Kenrick After all, there is a risk
I can bring it off alone”
”Do be just toforth my hand till it rested on hers ”Do you think the idea of deserting you ever crossed le fraction of an instant? It was of you I was thinking Now listen Leave this to --I alone I will carry it out to the letter Life is nothing toselfishly at such a tie you my word of honour and my life that I will do all you would have done But you?--youas this Noill you leave it to me?”
”No--a thousand times no Kenrick, you are loyal and brave as fewto, for I never did so really”
In spite of the grief and hich had co to which ere pledged, a thrill of genuine exaltation set ether Our horses, glad of even this te into aled the situation for any other on earth A wild, well-nigh uncontrollable ireat eyes were turned full upon mine, and the pallid hardness of her face seemed to relax Then the recollection of what had happened, of e had just looked upon, came back and I mastered the is this was not a tie weary sigh that escaped her, as she gave the word to resume our way
The Ndhla in theover the veldt far and wide Innumerable they seemed, and from the dark, mimosa-stockaded enclosures caoat, and the sweet night air was unfragrant with the led odour of kine and wood smoke, and the musty reek of ochre-smeared Kafir humanity
Most of the merrymakers had departed to their own kraals, but here and there, in that of the chief, dark groups still stood around These gazed, with e apparition of thite people riding into their ht, and one of those whites a woman Fores, antic of fra white of their distended eyeballs as they stood and gazed
”Where is Kuliso? Where is the chief?”
The tone was firm, clear, audible to all The Kafirs looked at each other
”_Au_! That is his house, _Ue hut standing aht”
”Request him to co fluently in the vernacular, of which I, as I have before e
There was hesitation,the ht for the hut they had pointed out, they following a short distance behind The chief did not care to see visitors at such a time, was the not unnatural burden of their objections
But just then two Kafirs eed from one of the huts, and stood in front of us One of thenised, and even were it otherwise the reeted his appearance would have been sufficient to identify hi, bearded face, the lofty forehead with its air of coet Now the expression of that face was divided betonder and a scowl of resentment Then Beryl spoke
”I see you, Kuliso What is the news, Kuliso?”
”_Whau_!” cried the chief, bringing his hand to his mouth in displeased amazement ”What is this? What does ithim with her revolver ”Walk, Kuliso
Walk in front of me”
Then indeed the chief's exclaathered around A command--addressed to hi revolver covered him, and the skill of this particular woman was known to him--was known to ain that word--this time shorter and more crisp--