of veld
flowers, such as appear in their glory after the rains in Africa. Among
these was a rare and beautiful white lily. This lily Menzi plucked, and
stepping forward, presented it to Tabitha, saying:

"A flower for the Flower! A gift to a child from one who is childless!"

Her father saw and meditated interference. But he was too late; Tabitha
had already taken the lily and was thanking Menzi in his own tongue,
which she knew well enough, having been brought up by Zulu nurses. He
smiled at her, saying:

"All Spirits, black or white, love flowers."

Then for a third time he saluted, not the others, but Tabitha, with more
heartiness than before, and turning, departed, followed by his spearmen,
who also saluted Tabitha as they filed in front of her.

It was a strange sight to see these great plumed men lifting their broad
spears to the beautiful bright-haired child who stood there holding the
tall white lily in her hand as though it were a sceptre.

IV

When Menzi and his company had departed, vanishing round the corner of
the koppie, Thomas again asked the Chief where they were to sleep, an
urgent matter as darkness was now approaching.

Kosa answered with his usual vagueness that he supposed in the hut where
the late Teacher had died after the mission-house was burnt down. So
they trekked on a little way, passing beneath the shelf of rock that has
been mentioned as projecting from that side of the koppie which overhung
the stream, where there was just room for a wagon to travel between the
cliff and the water.

"What a dark road," said Dorcas, and one of the Christian natives
who understood some English, having been the body-servant of the late
missionary--it was he with the accordion--replied in Zulu:

"Yes, Lady; this rock is called the Rock of Evildoers, because once
those accused of witchcraft and others were thrown from it by the order
of the King, to be eaten by the crocodiles in that pool. But," he added,
brightening up, "do not be afraid, for there are no more Zulu kings and
we have hunted away the crocodiles, though it is true that there are
still plenty of wizards who ought to be thrown from the rock," and he
looked over his shoulder in the direction Menzi had taken, adding in a
low voice, "You have just seen the greatest of them, Lady."

"How horrible!" said Dorcas for the second time.

A few yards farther on they emerged from this tunnel-like roadway and
found themselves travelling along