trees, the women and children
gathered dry stuff in the forest and brought it in their arms and piled
it round. Then they set fire to it on all sides, laughing and shouting:
'Burn, burn, daughter of the Didi!' At length all the lower branches of
the big tree were on fire, and the trunk was on fire, but above it was
still green, and we could see nothing. But the flames went up higher and
higher with a great noise; and at last from the top of the tree, out
of the green leaves, came a great cry, like the cry of a bird: 'Abel!
Abel!' and then looking we saw something fall; through leaves and smoke
and flame it fell like a great white bird killed with an arrow and
falling to the earth, and fell into the flames beneath. And it was the
daughter of the Didi, and she was burnt to ashes like a moth in the
flames of a fire, and no one has ever heard or seen her since."

It was well for me that he spoke rapidly, and finished quickly.
Even before he had quite concluded I drew my cloak round my face and
stretched myself out. And I suppose that he at once followed my example,
but I had grown blind and deaf to outward things just then. My heart no
longer throbbed violently; it fluttered and seemed to grow feebler and
feebler in its action: I remember that there was a dull, rushing sound
in my ears, that I gasped for breath, that my life seemed ebbing away.
After these horrible sensations had passed, I remained quiet for about
half an hour; and during this time the picture of that last act in the
hateful tragedy grew more and more distinct and vivid in my mind, until
I seemed to be actually gazing on it, until my ears were filled with the
hissing and crackling of the fire, the exultant shouts of the savages,
and above all the last piercing cry of "Abel! Abel!" from the cloud of
burning foliage. I could not endure it longer, and rose at last to my
feet. I glanced at Kua-ko lying two or three yards away, and he, like
the others, was, or appeared to be, in a deep sleep; he was lying on
his back, and his dark firelit face looked as still and unconscious as
a face of stone. Now was my chance to escape--if to escape was my wish.
Yes; for I now possessed the coveted knowledge, and nothing more was to
be gained by keeping with my deadly enemies. And now, most fortunately
for me, they had brought me far on the road to that place of the five
hills where Managa lived--Managa, whose name had been often in my
mind since my return to Parahuari. Glanci