up to pegs driven
firmly into cracks in the rock. Good Lord! it gave me a turn. In some
places the flesh had all fallen away, showing the bones, and what
remained was bleached almost white. Here, send the bottle along again.
The very recollection turns me sick."

"How long did he seem to have been there?" I said. "Could you form any
idea?"

"Not well. Besides I was in too great a hurry to get away, and so was
Jan Boom, I can tell you. What d'you think it meant, Glanton? Mind
you, those devils up in the kraal must have known of it, because it
occurred to me afterwards that that was their reason for not wanting us
to go that way."

"Very likely. The chap may have been planted there after he was dead,
you know," I answered--not in the least thinking so. "Some peculiar and
local form of sepulture."

"I don't believe it," rejoined Falkner quickly. "The expression of the
face was that of some poor devil who had come to a most beastly end and
knew it--and it haunts me."

"Well, why didn't you investigate further, while you were at it?"

"Didn't feel inclined. But--I'll tell you what, Glanton, we might go
back there to-morrow. I'm sure I could find the way, and at any rate
Jan Boom could. Then such an experienced beggar as you could see to the
bottom of it perhaps. Eh?"

"I've no wish to do anything of the sort, in fact it would have been
just as well if you had missed that little find to-day altogether. And
I should recommend you to keep your mouth shut about it--to Tom for
instance. You may rely upon it Jan Boom will. They have curious
customs in these parts, and some of them they don't in the least like
nosed into and talked over. By the way, here's Mrs Sewin's letter I
was telling you about."

"By Jove, yes--I forgot. Well, I'll like to hear something of them at
home, if only to help me to forget that beastly thing. Let's see what
the old lady says."

He read me out bits of the letter as he went on--just ordinary bits of
home talk, but there was no word bearing upon the mystery set forth in
his cousin's letter. Suddenly he looked up.

"Hallo Glanton! So Aida has been favouring you, I find."

"Yes. A letter from your cousin came at the same time as this."

"I say though, but you kept it devilish dark," he said, nastily. In
fact, his tone reminded me of the earlier days of our acquaintance.

"I don't know what you mean by `devilish dark,' Sewin, but I'm quite
sure I don't like the ex