Part 27 (1/2)
”The way back is far, Peter,” answered Leonard, ”and you know its perils How many, think you, will reach their houide them? For know, Peter, I will not turn back now Desert me, if you wish, all of you, and still I will enter this country alone, or with Otter only Alone we took the slave camp and alone ill visit the People of the Mist”
”Your words are true, Deliverer,” said Peter, ”the homeay is far and its perils are ain, for this is an ill-fated journey But if we pass yonder,” and he pointed to the wall of rock, ”then we shall all of us certainly die, and be offered to a devil by devils”
Leonard pulled his beard thoughtfully and said: ”It seeood-bye”
The head aith an abashed countenance when Juanna stopped hi to the colloquy in silence, and now spoke for the first tiently, ”when you and your companions were in the hands of the Yellow Devil and about to be sold as slaves, as it that rescued you?”
”The Deliverer, Shepherdess”
”Yes And now do my ears betray me, or do I hear you say that you and your brethren, ith many another were saved from shame and toil by the Deliverer, are about to leave hiht, Shepherdess,” the man answered sadly
”It is well, Peter Go, children of Mavoom, my father, who can desert me in my need For learn, Peter, that where you fear to tread, there I, a white woman, will pass alone with the Deliverer Go, children of o with you Yet, as you know, I, who foretold the doom of the Yellow Devil, am a true prophetess, and I tell you this, that but a very few of you shall live to see your kraal again, and _you_ will not be of their number, Peter As for those who come home safely, their names shall be a mockery, the little children shall call them coward, and traitor and jackal, and one by one they shall eat out their hearts and die, because they deserted hie Farewell, children of host not colance she turned scornfully away
”Brethren,” said Peter after a moment's pause, ”is it to be borne that the Shepherdess should mock us thus and tie such ropes of shame about our necks?”
”No,” they answered, ”we cannot bear it”
Then for a while they consulted together again, and presently Peter stood forward and said: ”Deliverer, ill accompany you and the Shepherdess into the country of devils, nor need you fear that we shall desert or betray you We knoell that we go to our death, every one of us; still it is better to die than to live bearing the burden of such bitter words as hide within the Shepherdess's lips”
”Very well,” answered Leonard ”Get your loads and let us start”
”Ay! It is well indeed,” put in Otter with a snort of indignation ”I tell you this, Peter, that before you left this place the words of the Shepherdess had coht you till I was killed, and though I have little wisdoht”
Leonard se, but his heart was heavy within him
He knew that these reatly lest their evil forebodings should come true and the lives of all of them pay forfeit for his rashness
But it was too late to turn back now: things must befall as they were fated
CHAPTER XIX
THE END OF THE JOURNEY
An hour later the party began the ascent of the wall of rock, which proved to be an even more difficult business than they had anticipated
There was no path, for those who lived beyond this natural barrier never came down it, and few of the dwellers in the plains had ever ventured to go up It was possible, for Soa herself had descended here in bygone years, and this was all that could be said for it
In default of a better road they followed the course of the river, which thundered down the face of the precipice in four great waterfalls, connected by as many sullen pools, whose cavities had been hollowed out in the course of centuries froes proved so insurht that they would be obliged to abandon their attempt, and follow the foot of the cliff till they found some easier route But at last Otter, who could clierous part at the risk of his life, bearing a rope with hioods were hauled up one by one It was evening before the height was scaled, and they proceeded to enca a scanty ht with thereat discomfort, for it was mid-winter and here the climate proved to be very cold Bitter winds swept across the vast plain before the and blankets they had scarcely sufficing to keep them warm; indeed, the Settlement men and Francisco, who had been bred in a southern clime, suffered severely Nor were ht, they woke from a troubled sleep to find the plain hidden in a dense mist However, they rose, athered on the banks of the river, and ate, waiting for the fog to vanish
But it did not vanish, so about nine o'clock they continued their journey under Soa's guidance, following the east bank of the river northwards The ground proved easy to travel over, for, with the exception of isolated water-worn boulders of granite, the plain was perfectly srows in northern lands