eating the air often, but sometimes getting
in a solid blow on hard black flesh. I was soundly beaten myself,
pricked with spears, and made to caper for savage sport. Suddenly I saw
Laputa before me, and hurled myself madly at his chest. Some one gave
me a clout on the head, and my senses fled.

When I came to myself, I was lying on a heap of mealie-stalks in a dark
room. I had a desperate headache, and a horrid nausea, which made me
fall back as soon as I tried to raise myself. A voice came out of the
darkness as I stirred--a voice speaking English.

'Are you awake, Mr Storekeeper?'

The voice was Laputa's, but I could not see him. The room was pitch
dark, except for a long ray of sunlight on the floor.

'I'm awake,' I said. 'What do you want with me?'

Some one stepped out of the gloom and sat down near me. A naked black
foot broke the belt of light on the floor.

'For God's sake get me a drink,' I murmured. The figure rose and
fetched a pannikin of water from a pail. I could hear the cool trickle
of the drops on the metal. A hand put the dish to my mouth, and I
drank water with a strong dash of spirits. This brought back my
nausea, and I collapsed on the mealie-stalks till the fit passed. Again
the voice spoke, this time from close at hand.

'You are paying the penalty of being a fool, Mr Storekeeper. You are
young to die, but folly is common in youth. In an hour you will regret
that you did not listen to my advice at Umvelos'.'

I clawed at my wits and strove to realize what he was saying. He spoke
of death within an hour. If it only came sharp and sudden, I did not
mind greatly. The plan I had made had slipped utterly out of my mind.
My body was so wretched, that I asked only for rest. I was very
lighthearted and foolish at that moment.

'Kill me if you like,' I whispered. 'Some day you will pay dearly for
it all. But for God's sake go away and leave me alone.'

Laputa laughed. It was a horrid sound in the darkness.

'You are brave, Mr Storekeeper, but I have seen a brave man's courage
ebb very fast when he saw the death which I have arranged for you.
Would you like to hear something of it by way of preparation?'

In a low gentle voice he began to tell me mysteries of awful cruelty.
At first I scarcely heard him, but as he went on my brain seemed to
wake from its lethargy. I listened with freezing blood. Not in my
wildest nightmares had I imagined such a fate. Then in despite of
mys