r than hell."

"_Dead!_ Where did you see them dead?"

"In that Black Kloof, Baas, some days after you left us and went
away. The old baboon man who is called Zikali gave us leave
through the witch-girl, Nombe, to go also. So the Baas Anscombe
set to work to inspan the horses, the Missie Heda helping him,
while I packed the things. When I had nearly finished Nombe
came, smiling like a cat that has caught two mice, and beckoned
to me to follow her. I went and saw the cart inspanned with the
four horses all looking as though they were asleep, for their
heads hung down. Then after she had stared at me for a long
while Nombe led me past the horses into the shadow of the
overhanging cliff. There I saw my mistress and the Baas Anscombe
lying side by side quite dead."

"How do you know that they were dead?" I gasped. "What had
killed them?"

"I know that they were dead because they _were_ dead, Baas.
Their mouths and eyes were open and they lay upon their backs
with their arms stretched out. The witch-girl, Nombe, said some
Kaffirs had come and strangled them and then gone away again, or
so I understood who cannot speak Zulu so very well. Who the
Kaffirs were or why they came she did not say."

"Then what did you do?" I asked.

I ran back to the hut, Baas, fearing lest I should be strangled
also, and wept there till I grew hungry. When I came out of it
again they were gone. Nombe showed me a place under a tree where
the earth was disturbed. She said that they were buried there by
order of her master, Zikali. I don't know what became of the
horses or the cart."

"And what happened to you afterwards?"

"Baas, I was kept for several days, I cannot remember how many,
and only allowed out within the fence round the huts. Nombe came
to see me once, bringing this," and she produced a package sewn
up in a skin. "She said that I was to give it to you with a
message that those whom you loved were quite safe with One who is
greater than any in the land, and therefore that you must not
grieve for them whose troubles were over. I think it was two
nights after this that four Zulus came, two men and two women,
and led me away, as I thought to kill me. But they did not kill
me; indeed they were very kind to me, although when I spoke to
them they pretended not to understand. They took me a long
journey, travelling for the most part in the dark and sleeping in
the day. This evening when the sun set they brought