ulled himself together sufficiently to assist in piling a
quantity of fuel upon the already sinking fire, which soon blazed
brightly, lighting up the mouth of the cavern and the space in front of
it. One of the bodies of the men who had been shot was lying on its
side, with the face towards the fire. Whitson examined the mouth,
pushing back the upper lip with a piece of stick. He found that the
shape of the mouth and the development of the teeth were the same as
Ghamba's. The other bodies were lying on their faces, so he did not
trouble to examine them.

Whitson then told Langley to follow him, and the two walked down the
footpath towards where they had left Ghamba, Him they found lying
motionless in the position in which he had been left about an hour
previously. They removed the sack and the gag and untied his feet,
first taking the precaution to fasten the belt by one end of his bound
hands, Whitson holding the other. They then signed to him to proceed
towards the cave, and this he silently did without making any
resistance. He looked calmly at the three dead bodies, but said not a
word. Langley held him, whilst Whitson again tied his feet together
with the belt, and then they placed him with his back against a rock,
facing the fire which was still blazing brightly.

His lips were drawn back in a ghastly, mirthless grin, and the tusks
were revealed from point to insertion, Langley questioned Ghamba, but
he would not speak. After several attempts to force him to answer had
been vainly made, Whitson said--

"Now tell him that if he speaks and tells the whole truth, he will only
be shot, but if he does not speak, he will be burnt alive."

This was interpreted, but the threat had no apparent effect. So
Whitson seized Ghamba and dragged him to the fire, where he flung him
down on the very edge of the glowing embers.

"Now," said Whitson, holding him down with his foot, so that he got
severely scorched, "for the last time, will you speak?"

"Take me away from the fire, and I will speak," said Ghamba, in
English.

So they lifted him, and set him again with his back to the rock.

"Now," said Whitson, "go ahead, and no nonsense."

"If I tell the whole truth," said Ghamba, still speaking English, and
with a fair accent, "will you swear not to burn me, but to shoot me, so
that I shall die at once?"

"I will," said Whitson.

"You too must swear," said Ghamba, looking at Langley.

"Yes, I swear."

"Very well," s