ed his servants, telling them that he and
the white kali were going out into the brush to hunt. The beaters would
go north as far as the little hill and then circle back to the east and
in toward the village. The gun carriers he directed to take the extra
pieces and precede himself and Jane slowly toward the east, waiting for
them at the ford about half a mile distant. The blacks responded with
greater alacrity than usual and it was noticeable to both Jane and
Obergatz that they left the village whispering and laughing.

"The swine think it is a great joke," growled Obergatz, "that the
afternoon before I die I go out and hunt meat for them."

As soon as the gun bearers disappeared in the jungle beyond the village
the two Europeans followed along the same trail, nor was there any
attempt upon the part of Obergatz' native soldiers, or the warriors of
the chief to detain them, for they too doubtless were more than willing
that the whites should bring them in one more mess of meat before they
killed them.

A quarter of a mile from the village, Obergatz turned toward the south
from the trail that led to the ford and hurrying onward the two put as
great a distance as possible between them and the village before night
fell. They knew from the habits of their erstwhile hosts that there was
little danger of pursuit by night since the villagers held Numa, the
lion, in too great respect to venture needlessly beyond their stockade
during the hours that the king of beasts was prone to choose for
hunting.

And thus began a seemingly endless sequence of frightful days and
horror-laden nights as the two fought their way toward the south in the
face of almost inconceivable hardships, privations, and dangers. The
east coast was nearer but Obergatz positively refused to chance
throwing himself into the hands of the British by returning to the
territory which they now controlled, insisting instead upon attempting
to make his way through an unknown wilderness to South Africa where,
among the Boers, he was convinced he would find willing sympathizers
who would find some way to return him in safety to Germany, and the
woman was perforce compelled to accompany him.

And so they had crossed the great thorny, waterless steppe and come at
last to the edge of the morass before Pal-ul-don. They had reached this
point just before the rainy season when the waters of the morass were
at their lowest ebb. At this time a hard crust is baked upon th