the circumstances. Besides, no end of things
would be raked up and a motive established. But nothing more would have
been heard of the affair if that infernal Stride hadn't picked up the
saddle. Then, when he heard I had come through the Makanya just about
that time, he put two and two together. He more than hinted as much one
evening in the club before them all. Before them all, mind! Of course
I made some joke about it, but as sure as we are sitting here, Verna, I
could see that two, at any rate, more than half believed there might be
something in it. Those two were James and Hallam."

Verna's brows knitted. She did not like this feature in the case.

"Do you know why Stride is so vindictive in the matter, Verna?" he said,
after giving her an account of his interview with the young prospector
and the latter's threats.

"I think I can guess." Then she fell to thinking whether she could not
turn Stride's weakness for herself to account. But it was too late, she
recognised. He had set the ball rolling--at first all innocently, it
was true--but it had now rolled too far.

"Who did you first meet after you had left the river?" she asked.

"I struck a small kraal, and, incidentally, the people were none too
civil. But it was a long way from the spot where it happened."

Not even to her could he break his word of honour pledged to the
strange, sinister-looking fellow-countryman who had shown him
hospitality, to respect to the uttermost the latter's secrecy.

Verna thought for a moment. Then she said--

"Alaric, do you remember the time that we killed the _indhlondhlo_, down
in the forest, Mandevu's sudden appearance?"

"Yes," eagerly. "What then?"

"Do you remember his reference to your power of snake-charming, not once
but twice?"

"Good God! I should think so. I thought it strange at the time."

"Well, could he--or anybody--have witnessed the whole affair?"

"N-no," he answered thoughtfully. "I don't see how any natives could
have been concealed within sight or even earshot. The horses would have
winded them and have got restive, whereas they were perfectly quiet."

"I can't make out that part of it at all," said Verna. "I must think.
He knew about that other snake-charming incident. I could see that.
The question is--if he knew, how did he know? Some one must have seen
it, and if they saw the one thing they'd have seen the other."

"Yes; they must have. Verna, I have an instinct," he