Part 18 (2/2)

Here I looked at hi lost her wits How then did he know of the ht it best to hold my peace I think that Hart saw he had nall, he went on:

”You very welcoerous journey, since elephant Jana not like strangers, and,” he continued slowly, ”think no elephant like your blood, and all elephants brothers

What one hate rest hate everywhere in world See it in your face that you already suffer great hurt from elephant, you or someone near you

Also so, and p'raps there war in the land while you there, and in war people get killed”

”Very good, nall, ”I ao to your country together, as Macuo”

”We understand That is our bargain and we no break word,” replied Hart

Then he turned his benevolent gaze upon Savage, and said: ”So you come too, Mr Bena That your nas in Kendahland, about snakes and all rest”

Here the jovial-looking Mart whispered so all over his face and showing his white teeth as he did so ”Oh!” went on Hart, ”my brother tells me you meet one snake already, down in country called Natal, but sit on hirow quite flat and no bite”

”Who told hiet Think Macumazana No? Then p'raps you tell him in sleep, for people talk ood ears and hear long way Or p'raps little joke Hart You 'member, he first-rate conjurer P'raps he send that snake No trouble if kno

Well, we show you much better snake Kendahland But you no sit on _him_, Mr Bena”

Tohorrible in all this jocosity, soht of a cat playing with a s How _could_ these men know the details of occurrences at which they were not present and of which no one had told theive them some clairvoyant power, I wondered, or had they other secret e and perceived that he too felt as I did, for he had turned quite pale beneath his tan Even Hans was affected, for he whispered to me in Dutch: ”These are not men; these are devils, Baas, and this journey of ours is one into hell”

Only Ragnall sat stern, silent, and apparently quite un almost sphinx-like about the set and expression of his handsonized the th and determination and that he was one hom they must reckon seriously Beneath all their se in their eyes; also that it was causing theh they knew that here was one against whom their power had no avail, whose fate was the master of their fate In a sense Hart admitted this to ed voice and in Bantu:

”You are a good reader of hearts, O Macuood as I am

But remember that there is One Who writes upon the book of the heart, Who is the Lord of us who do but read, and that what He writes, that will befall, strive as we may, for in His hands is the future”

”Quite so,” I replied coolly, ”and that is why I a with you to Kendahland and fear you not at all”

”So it is and so let it be,” he answered ”And now, Lords, are you ready to start? For long is the road and who knohat awaits us ere we see its end?”

”Yes,” I replied, ”long is the road of life and who knohat awaits us ere we see its end--and after?”

Three hours later I halted the splendid white riding-camel upon which I was mounted, and looked back from the crest of a wave of the desert

There far behind us on the horizon, by the help of lasses, I could make out the site of the caazed in thefroic

This was the manner of our ht or tenof any danger Next, three or four hundred yards away, followed a body of about fifty Kendah, travelling in a double line, and behind these the baggagebehind thes of caoods, including the fifty rifles and the aland Then ca as swift and fine a caht at a distance of about half a mile, and also on our left, travelled other bodies of the Kendah of the saht up by the remainder of the company who drove a number of spare camels

Thus we journeyed in the centre of a square whence any escape would have been iot to say that our keepers Hart and Mart rode exactly behind us, at such a distance that we could call to them if ished

At first I found this , as does everyone who is quite unaccusto and the jolt of the swift creature beneath me seemed to wrenchI had once or twice to be lifted froth we cae suffered even more than I did, for the nall, however, who I think had ridden camels before, felt little inconvenience, and the same may be said of Hans, who rode in all sorts of positions, so on the saddle like a h as ri rees all these troubles left us to such an extent that I could covertired