ill it should reach the horizon, although I knew well that it would
have been wiser after such a night to prepare for our journey by lying
down to sleep.

At length the great orb began to sink in majesty behind the tattered
western forest, and, punctual to the minute, Simba, with a mounted
escort of some twenty men and two led horses, appeared at our gate. As
our preparations, which consisted only of Marut stuffing such food as
was available into the breast of his robe, were already made, we walked
out of that accursed guest-house and, at a sign from the king, mounted
the horses. Riding across the empty market-place and past the spot where
the rough stone altar still stood with charred bones protruding from
the ashes of its extinguished fire--were they those of our friends the
camel-drivers? I wondered--we entered the north street of the town.

Here, standing at the doors of their houses, were many of the
inhabitants who had gathered to watch us pass. Never did I see hate more
savage than was written on those faces as they shook their fists at us
and muttered curses not loud but deep.

No wonder! for they were all ruined, poor folk, with nothing to look
forward to but starvation until long months hence the harvest came again
for those who would live to gather it. Also they were convinced that we,
the white magician and the prophet of their enemy the Child, had brought
this disaster on them. Had it not been for the escort I believe they
would have fallen on us and torn us to pieces. Considering them I
understood for the first time how disagreeable real unpopularity _can
be_. But when I saw the actual condition of the fruitful gardens without
in the waning daylight, I confess that I was moved to some sympathy with
their owners. It was appalling. Not a handful of grain was there left
to gather, for the corn had been not only "laid" but literally cut to
ribbons by the hail.

After running for some miles through the cultivated land the road
entered the forest. Here it was dark as pitch, so dark that I wondered
how our guides found their way. In that blackness dreadful apprehensions
seized me, for I became convinced that we had been brought here to be
murdered. Every minute I expected to feel a knife-thrust in my back. I
thought of digging my heels into the horse's sides and trying to gallop
off anywhere, but abandoned the idea, first because I could not desert
Marut, of whom I had lost touch in the gloom, and secondly bec