"Pentridge? Oh, he's been herding me then? But--Brian--where am I?"
For almost for the first time I realised the strangeness of my
surroundings.

"Why, you're where you've been the last few weeks--at Fort Lamport--in
the new cottage hospital. Pentridge wanted to turn out of his house,
and put us all in there, but he'd only just got into it himself, and
it's all at sixes and sevens."

The mention of Pentridge seemed to bring back all the old bitterness,
and I lay still, not caring to talk any more. But Brian was not of the
same mind.

"Do you know, Kenrick, again you have been a sort of Providence to us,"
he said. "But for you, Beryl would have been killed stone dead--if you
hadn't stopped that kerrie. Nothing could have saved her. I saw it."

"You saw it? No, I don't quite follow."

Then he told me what had happened. Old Dumela, fearful for our safety,
had warned the neighbours, and had in process of doing so met Brian
himself, returning home sooner than was expected. Further, by a piece
of great good fortune, a patrol of Mounted Police was making its round,
and, joining bands, they had come up in the very nick of time. There
would have been nothing left of either of us a minute later, he
declared. But that sudden move of mine had saved Beryl. I had received
the weapon intended for her.

Well, I knew this of course, but was not aware that she did. Now her
care for me stood explained. Its motive was gratitude, and I--well, I
had been allowing a sweet new hope to take possession of my mind while I
had been lying there, helpless and tended by her, the sight of her
gladdening my eyes.

Then Brian went on to tell me the sequel to that fearful night. No one
but myself had been seriously injured in the scrimmage. The quickness
and unexpected manner of the move made by Kuliso had saved the chief's
life, although by a hair's breadth, for the bullet from Beryl's pistol
had passed so close to his head as nearly to stun him by the concussion.
He had been arrested, but discharged on the insufficiency of evidence
connecting him with the murder; but his arrest had produced this amount
of good, that his people, anxious for the safety of their chief, had
given away the actual murderers, and these proved to be Sibuko, Maqala
and one other, who were now awaiting trial.

Not for nothing, then, had my suspicions been aroused by the sight of
these two scoundrels hanging about the place, and now I told Brian about