Part 27 (2/2)

”Walk, Kuliso!”

The chief stared--stared at the deadly weapon--stared at the face behind it Then he--walked

I, too, looked at that face The large eyes shone fro stare Could this be the face whose sunny, equable sweetness had captured my heart, and held it? Noas as the face of a fiend--a ruthless, unswerving, vengeful fiend

Seeing it thus, I scarcely wondered that this great savage, the chief of a large section of a powerful tribe, should docilely obey its co forth alone, unar his hundreds of turbulent followers, at the behest of one individual, and that individual a woe order of march, a spell seemed to have fallen upon all who beheld Not a hand was raised, not a voice

It was as though they were bewitched After the first gasp of wonder the silence was intense--awful But it was not to last

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

JUDGE AND EXECUTIONER

No, it was not to last Soical suddenness ith it had coe arose, terrible in its ht Many had run swiftly back to the huts, and now I could see thelint of assagais They had returned to arm themselves

It was a fearful ripped, I half-turnedmass In a ainst hundreds Nothing could save us But Beryl, whose eyes were never reust captive, whose weapon never deflected fro his form, cried out--

”The first spear thrown means the death of Kuliso!”

Her tones, clear and incisive, rose above the wild, bass hubbub of furious voices A dead silence succeeded, even as before, and the forward rush became a foot's pace For they knew that she would keep her word

Never shall I forget that scene, and assuredly it was one to stand forth in a man's mee chieftain stalking sullenly before that pitiless weapon; the resolute, ruthless figure of that beautiful yet terrific avenger of blood, sitting erect as she paced her horse forith fir hand, and I, half turned in -on crowd of exasperated barbarians

This seemed effective, and they paused somewhat Whether it was that they feared for Kuliso or themselves, or both, they forbore to rush us, and thus, with the crowd still following, but at a respectful distance, we gained the high ”neck,” beyond which lay our own valley

And now, behind us, a weird, low, long-drawn cry arose It seeht up, echoed forth, fro cry? If so the whole location would be aroused and upon us, and--what then? Yet at that hts--admiration for the intrepidity which had pro; the other the sense of a coer than ht on, Kuliso,” said the latter ”Do not stop, do not turn your head, or h the back of it

You know I never ely to himself, but he dared not disobey Then he said--

”Has not our walk lasted long enough, _Uase_? Because, if so, I would prefer to return home”

”There are till never return home, Kuliso Soon there will be three,” ca--too dark I know not what is meant”

”You are a liar, Kuliso,” replied Beryl calreat liar Ha! Do not stop Again I warn you--do not stop”

I thought that moment was Kuliso's last That terrible leaht ain the instinct of self-preservation was stronger than his natural exasperation, and he stepped forith renewed alacrity

”We shall never get hi like as far,” I said, as the road thither lay but a short space in front of us ”He'll be rescued, or give us the slip long before”

”I don't intend to take hi like as far,”

she answered shortly