blessing, then pointed towards the curtains which at this moment were
drawn asunder, by whom I do not know.

I went and when I reached them, turned to look my last on her.

There she stood as I had left her, but now her eyes were fixed upon the
ground and her face once more was brooding absently as though no such
a man as I had ever been. It came into my mind that already she had
forgotten me, the plaything of an hour, who had served her turn and been
cast aside.

CHAPTER XXIII

WHAT UMSLOPOGAAS SAW

Like one who drams I passed down the outer hall where stood the silent
guards as statues might, and out through the archway. Here I paused for
a moment, partly to calm my mind in the familiar surroundings of the
night, and partly because I thought that I heard someone approaching me
through the gloom, and in such a place where I might have many enemies,
it was well to be prepared.

As it chanced, however, my imaginary assailant was only Hans, who
emerged from some place where he had been hiding; a very disturbed and
frightened Hans.

"Oh, Baas," he said in a low and shaky whisper, "I am glad to see you
again, and standing on your feet, not being carried with them sticking
straight in front of you as I expected."

"Why?" I asked.

"Oh, Baas, because of the things that happened in that place where the
tall _vrouw_ with her head tied up as though she had tooth-ache, sits
like a spider in a web."

"Well, what happened, Hans?" I asked as we walked forward.

"This, Baas. The Doctoress talked and talked at you and Umslopogaas, and
as she talked, your faces began to look as though you had drunk half
a flask too much of the best gin, such as I wish I had some of here
to-night, at once wise and foolish, and full and empty, Baas. Then you
both rolled over and lay there quite dead, and whilst I was wondering
what I should do and how I should get out your bodies to bury them, the
Doctoress came down off her platform and bent, first over you and next
over Umslopogaas, whispering into the ears of both of you. Then she took
off a snake that looked as though it were made of gold with green eyes,
which she wears about her middle beneath the long dish-cloth, Baas, and
held it to your lips and next to those of Umslopogaas."

"Well, and what then, Hans?"

"After that all sorts of things came about, Baas, and I felt as though
the whole house were travelling through the air, Baas, twice as fast as
a bullet does from a rifle.