oud in Portuguese, 'Here
we have a pretty prize. This must be that Juanna of whose beauty I have
heard. Where is your father, my dove? Gone trading up the river, has he
not? Ah! I knew it, or perhaps I should not have ventured here. But it
was wrong of him to leave one so pretty all alone. Well, well, he is
about his business, and I must be about mine, for I am a merchant also,
my dove, a merchant who trades in blackbirds. One with silver feathers
does not often come my way, and I must make the most of her. There
is many a young man in our part who will bid briskly for such eyes as
yours. Never fear, my dove, we will soon find you a husband.'

"Thus the Yellow Devil spoke, White Man, while the Shepherdess my
mistress crouched against the wall and stared at him with frightened
eyes, and the slave-traders his servants laughed aloud at his evil
words. Presently she seemed to understand, and I saw her slowly lift her
hand towards her head. Then I knew her purpose.

"Now, there is a certain deadly poison, White Man, of which I have
the secret, and that secret I taught long ago to my mistress. It is so
deadly that a piece of it no larger than the smallest ant can kill
a man--yes, the instant after it touches his tongue he will be dead.
Living alone as she does in the wilds, it is the custom of my mistress
to carry a portion of this poison hidden in her hair, since a time might
come when she must use it to save herself from worse than death. Now it
seemed to her that this hour was upon her, and I knew that she was about
to take the poison. Then in my fear I whispered to her through the crack
in the wall, speaking in an ancient tongue which I have taught her,
the tongue of my own people, White Man, and saying: 'Hold your hand,
Shepherdess; while you live you may escape, but from death there is no
escape. It will be time to use the poison when the worst is with you.'

"She heard and understood, for I saw her bow her head slightly, and her
hand fell to her side. Then Pereira spoke again:

"'And now, if you are ready,' he said, 'we will be moving, for it is
eight days' journey to my little Nest on the coast, and who can tell
when the dhows will come to fetch my blackbirds? Have you anything to
say before you go, my dove?'

"Now my mistress spoke for the first time, answering, 'I am in your
power, but I do not fear you, for if need be I can escape you. But I
tell you this: that your wickedness shall bring your own death
upon y