e. As a matter of
fact it was just that. A sudden instinct, an indefinable _flair_, had
inspired in her mind an element of suspicion. Even the cleverest of
actors may at times forget to keep up his part and this is precisely
what Warren had done. Some of the intense jubilation which rang in his
mind had overflowed into his tone, making his sympathy ring hollow, and
even false. There and then Lalante formed the conclusion that he was
not Wyvern's friend. But she said nothing. What did it matter? What
did the whole world matter now?

Over the dusking plains the red afterglow shed its changing rays of
beauty. There were the same familiar sights and sounds of the closing
day, and the voices of life. Together they two had listened to it, had
remarked on it often--the sweetness of the golden air, the rushing forth
of innumerable stars as the heavenly vault darkened. Side by side they
had watched it all, and now--side by side they would watch it no more.
Without a word she rose, and, passing to her room shut herself in, to
undergo the first night of agony alone. The first night! and, after
that the first awakening--in the morning!

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

THE SNAKE-DOCTOR.

Baffled in their search for Bully Rawson the disappointed savages surged
round their two captives like a swarm of devouring ants; and, in fact,
it was to the awful, torturing death by this instrumentality that they
clamoured the two should be given.

The impi was made up almost entirely of young bloods. There were few
head-ringed men among them, and even Laliswayo, though a chief was young
for that dignity. His sympathies, too, lay far more with them than with
the older and wiser indunas of the nation. In common with young bloods
of whatever nationality demoralised by a generality of public
disturbance, and collected together under arms by reason of the same,
there was a strong element of irresponsible rowdiness among them which
is apt to find its outlet in cruelty; and these were savages. Many
hands fastened upon the bound and helpless white men, and they were
dragged roughly towards one point where the bush line began.

"Ha! The black ants are hungry. The good black ants," was jeered at
them. "Now they shall be fed, fed with white meat Ah-ah--with fresh
white meat."

"But this is how you treat your _abatagati_," [Persons condemned for
witchcraft] Fleetwood managed to get out. "We are not such. Therefore
if we are to die le