nd the father of Heda, whom your friend wishes to marry, will,
according to your showing, be proved a gun-runner, a thief and a
would-be murderer of his guests. I should advise you to leave
that business alone, Mr. Quatermain."

The reply was bold and clever, so much so that I regarded this
blackguard with a certain amount of admiration, as I answered--

"I shall take your advice if you take mine to leave another
business alone, that of this young lady and her father, but not
otherwise."

"Then spare your breath and do your worst; only careful, sharp as
you think yourself, that your meddling does not recoil on your
own head. Listen, Heda, either you make up your mind to marry me
at once and arrange that this young gentleman, who as a doctor I
assure you is now quite fit to travel without injury to his
health, leaves this house to-morrow with the spy Quatermain--you
might lend him the Cape cart to go in--or I start with the proofs
to lay a charge of murder against your father. I give you till
to-morrow morning to have a family council to think it over.
Good-night."

"Good-night," I answered as he passed me, "and please be careful
that none of us see your face again before to-morrow morning. As
you may happen to have heard, my native name means
Watcher-by-Night," and I looked at the revolver in my hand.

When he had vanished I remarked in as cheerful voice as I could
command, that I thought it was bedtime, and as nobody stirred,
added, "Don't be afraid, young lady. If you feel lonely, you
must tell that stout maid of yours to sleep in your room. Also,
as the night is so hot I shall take my nap on the stoep, there,
just opposite your window. No, don't let us talk any more now.
There will be plenty of time for that to-morrow."

She rose, looked at Anscombe, looked at me, looked at her father
very pitifully; then with a little exclamation of despair passed
into her room by the French window, where presently I heard her
call the native maid and tell her that she was to sleep with her.

Marnham watched her depart. Then he too went with his head bowed
and staggering a little in his walk. Next Anscombe rose and
limped off into his room, I following him.

"Well, young man," I said, "you have put us all in the soup now
and no mistake."

"Yes, Allan, I am afraid I have. But on the whole don't you
think it rather interesting soup--so many unexpected ingredients,
you see!"

"Interesting soup! Unexpected ingr