more a friendly face, to press a friendly hand.

"Where is he?" he asked eagerly.

"Will you send for him?" returned the chief. "_Au_! he will be in no
danger. He is a good doctor and has cured several of Madula's people.
He is there now."

That settled Lamont. If the priest was right among the hostile natives
already, why then he would be just as safe here as there, if not safer.
It seemed too from Zwabeka's words that he possessed some knowledge of
medicine.

The chief now saw he had gained his point. Calling up two of the men
who were on guard, he ordered them to listen carefully to Lamont's words
and remember them, and to aid them in this Lamont managed to find an old
scrap of tattered envelope, and scratch two or three words on it. "You
are a true friend, Zwabeka," he said, when they were alone together
again. "_Au_! we have been friends, but men forget friendship when
there is war. But--not you."

"That is so, Lamonti, and it may be that we shall sit down side by side
once more. Yet for the present, be not slow to get well, for, as you
did now say, I am not chief over the whole nation, and others may come
in here at any moment. Then the way out will be hard. Now, rest."

Rest! After the chief's departure it seemed to Lamont that restfulness
had fled from him for ever. He was aroused indeed. It was evident that
Zwabeka meant to contrive his escape. Happiness again--which spelt
Clare. During his long, weary march into this captivity the thought of
her had simply maddened him, until the fever had reached its more
prostrating stage; deadening, perhaps mercifully, the more acute mental
throes. He was being led to his death, he had told himself, and she in
the years to come would forget him, and find happiness with somebody
else. Not even in the next world would they belong to each other. And
then the effect of the fever had rendered him careless whether he lived
or died.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

OUT OF THE WHIRL.

"Ujojo!"

"_Nkose_?"

And the chief of the guard went over to where lay his former master.

"You did well to keep those Abantwana Mlimo off me last night. They
might have pricked me with a poisoned blade, or have done anything."
The speaker little guessed he had hit the actual mark. "And now,
Ujojo--why are you fighting?"

The man laughed, turning aside his head.

"_Nkose_, I have been taking care of your cattle for you," he said. "I
have them, all but three, and those th