ew we were in danger? Who,
forgetting his own fatigue, started at a moment's notice, and, inspiring
the others with the same energy and bravery, rescued us from a ghastly
death? Who was it?"

"It was only what any man would have done. Oh, Clare, you can never
realise what that moment meant to me when I heard that that blighting
idiot Fullerton had started this morning--literally to hurl you on to
the assegais of these devils. You!"

In his vehemence he hardly noticed that he had used her Christian name.
She did, however, and smiled, and the smile was very soft and sweet.

"Me!" she echoed. "Didn't you think of poor Lucy too? Why only me?"

"Because I love you."

It was out now. His secret had been surprised from him. What would she
say? They stood facing each other, in that rough room with its cheap
oleographs of the Queen, the Kaiser, and Cecil Rhodes staring down upon
them from the walls in the dingy light of an unfragrant oil-lamp, any
moment liable to interruption. The smile upon her face became a shade
sweeter.

"Say that again," she said.

"I love you."

She was now in his embrace, but she sought not to release herself from
it. Bending down his head she put her lips to his ear and whispered,
"Consider the compliment returned."

They said more than that, these two, who had thus so unpremeditatedly
come together, but we do not feel under the necessity of divulging what
they said. Perchance also they--_did_.

"I must really go now," she said at last, as footsteps were heard
approaching. "Good-night--my darling."

And she disappeared with a happy laugh, leaving the other standing there
in a condition little short of dazed, and sticking a pin into himself to
make sure that he was actually awake and not merely dreaming.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note. Literally `flogging the name.' When a Zulu regiment returned
from battle, those who had specially distinguished themselves were
pointed at by the commanding induna and _named_ to the King. Each thus
named came forward separately and danced before the King, recapitulating
his deeds. The while his comrades in arms signalled his distinction by
striking their shields with their knob-sticks and roaring out his name.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

AS AN OASIS.

Day dawned, cloudless and golden, in its full African splendour. The
night had passed without any alarm, but, to make sure, the force had