Part 38 (1/2)
”So,” he said, ”as I thought, you are at the botto us what has become of your friends, the Settlement men, or, if you feel a delicacy on that point, how it is that you have escaped while they have vanished”
”I know nothing of the Settlement men,” answered the Fury, ”except that they have been taken and sacrificed as was their ainst you, though a breath from me would have swept you all to doom Hitherto I have been spared for the same reason that you and Bald-pate yonder have been spared--because we are the body-servants of the false Gods, and are reserved to perish with them when the lie is discovered; or perhaps to live awhile, set in cages in the market-place, to beto any whose ainst the divinity of Aca and Jal
”Now, Shepherdess, take your choice As you knoell, I have loved you froh you have scornedtothe Deliverer to the priests, and I will save you Cling to hi shame and death upon you all, for my love shall turn to hate”
At this juncture Leonard quietly drew his revolver, though at the time nobody noticed it except Francisco Indeed by now Juanna was alry as Soa herself
”How dare you speak toher foot, ”you whoood and have trusted What do you say? That I ive him who saved me from death over to death, in order that I may buy back your love and protect myself You evil woman, I tell you that first I will die as I would have died yonder in the slave careat to allow her to say more
”So be it, Shepherdess,” said Soa solemnly, ”I hear you It was to be expected that you would prefer him whom you love to her who loves you
Yet, Shepherdess, was it not I after all who saved you yonder in the slave camp? Doubtless I dream, but it seems tothis way and that in their fear--and, Shepherdess, it is for this that I alad they are dead, and lifted no hand to save the followed you far till I could walk no er and weariness, I used my wit and bribed a certain white man, of the sort ould sell their sisters and blaspheme their mothers for a reward, to attereat price--had there been ten of theem I told him the secret of the treasure which is here He took the bribe, and being brave and desperate, he drew you out of the clutches of the Yellow Devil, though in that matter also I had some part; and then you loved him
Ah! could I have foreseen it, Shepherdess, I had left you to die in the slave ca me who now hate me and cast me off for the sake of this white thief”
Leonard could bear it no longer, and in the interests of their common safety he came to a desperate resolve With an exclamation, he lifted the pistol and covered Soa Both Francisco and Juanna saw the act and sprang to hi to do?”
”I propose to kill this woman before she kills us, that is all,” he answered coldly
”No! no!” cried Juanna, ”she has been faithful to me for many years I cannot see her shot”
”Let the butcher do his work,” mocked Soa; ”it shall avail hiry because I have spoken the truth about hi the bullet
”What is to be done?” said Leonard desperately ”If I do not shoot her, she will certainly betray us”
”Then let her betray,” said Francisco; ”it is written that you shall do no murder”
”If you fear to shoot a wo, White Man,”
mocked Soa ”He would have killed ”
”I can't do it Get a rope and tie her up, Francisco,” said Leonard
”We ht; it will be a pleasant addition to our occupations After all it is only oneso ame is about played out, anyhow”
Francisco went for the rope and presently returned accompanied by Otter
A month of furious dissipation had left its ht black eyes were bloodshot and unsteady, his hand shook, and he did not walk altogether straight
”You have been drinking again, you sot,” said Leonard ”Go back to your drink; we are in sorrow here and want no drunkards in our coive ,” answered the dwarf humbly; ”it is well to drink before one dies, since we may not drink afterwards and I think that the hour of death is at hand Oh! Shepherdess of the heavens, they said down yonder at the Settlereat rain-maker: now if you can make the rain to fall, can you not make the sun to shi+ne? Wind and water are all very well, but we have too much of them here”
”Hearken,” said Leonard, ”while you revelled, the last of Mavoom's men vanished, and these are left in their place,” and he pointed to the knives
”Is it so, Baas?” answered Otter with a hiccough ”Well, they were a poor lot, and we shall not ain and had my hands on the throat of that wizard Nam _Wow!_ but I would squeeze it”
”It is your throat that will be squeezed soon, Otter,” said Leonard
”Look here, God or no God, get you sober or I will beat you”
”I aht I was drunk, to-day nothing is left but a pain here,” and he tapped his great head ”Why are you tying up that old cow Soa, Baas?”