would not crack
it, for fear the sound might reach other ears. Then the beast lowered
his head as if to charge her--backed a few paces--then thought better of
it, and, turning, galloped madly away, uttering that--as it sounded in
the silent and ghostly moonlight--shrill unearthly bellow.

Edala looked after the retreating beast. Her weaker instincts were all
to return inside and bolt and bar the door. But some stronger motive to
investigate took hold upon her--leading her steps to the spot where the
beast had been most moved to his weird and mysterious rumblings.

As she turned the corner of the cattle-kraal her heart beat quicker, and
her hand stole by sheer mechanical instinct to the butt of the revolver
inside her blouse, not that it would be of any use against that which
she expected to see and--did see.

There, in the moonlight, just out from the fence, lay a form--a human
form; and it did not require two glances to determine that it was a dead
human form. Mastering her overpowering horror the girl advanced. The
body was ripped right open, and in the dead face, its sightless eyeballs
upturned to the moon, she recognised that of the faithful old
cattle-herd Patolo.

What was this? Old Patolo! Dear old Patolo, who had known her from her
childhood! Never a time that she could not remember old Patolo. And
now here he lay, barbarously murdered! A rush of tears came to her
eyes, and with a fierce longing for revenge upon his brutal slayers, she
unconsciously gripped the butt of her revolver, and perhaps it was as
well, or the shock of the awful sight might have had disastrous effects.

"Oh--hh!"

Edala turned quickly, at the shuddering exclamation, uttered as it was
in accents of the most indescribable horror. Evelyn, dreading to be
alone, even for a moment, had followed her out.

"Go back!" she cried. "You need not see this."

But Evelyn had seen it. Her face wore a set, stony stare.

"Come in. Come in," said Edala, in her most brusque commanding tone,
taking the other by the arm. And then that hideous moaning sound arose
just behind them, together with the stamp of feet. The great bull had
returned, and stood, not ten yards from them, his massive head, grim and
formidable looking to the last degree in the moonlight. Evelyn
collapsed. She slid to the ground in a dead faint.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

"THE PERILS AND DANGERS OF THIS NIGHT."

What was to be done? The great, grisly brute s