t then somehow. I went into the house,
slung on a heavy revolver, and crammed a handful of cartridges into my
pocket. Then I remounted, Kendrew doing likewise, and so we took our
way down that rocky bush path at a pace that was neither wise nor safe.

"Is that all they have to go upon?" I said presently, as soon as I had
recovered my voice.

"That's all--I gather from the old man's note. I say, Glanton, what can
be behind it all? It seems on all fours with my old uncle taking
himself off. I'm beginning to think now there's some infernal foul play
going on among the niggers round us."

I was thinking the same. At first a thought of Dolf Norbury had crossed
my mind, but I dismissed it. Ukozi was behind this, somewhere. The
proximity to the waterhole associated him in my mind with the outrage.
His beastly performance with the snake!--was he training it to seize
human beings, in the furtherance of some devilish form of native
superstition? Oh, good Heavens no! That wouldn't bear thinking about.
But Aida--my love--had disappeared--had disappeared even as Hensley had.
He had never been found; the mystery of his disappearance had never
been solved. And she! Had she been hideously and secretly done to
death? Oh God! I shall go mad!

When we arrived, the Major and Falkner had just returned, and their
horses were simply reeking. They had scoured the whole farm, but
utterly without result. As for Mrs Sewin and Edith their grief was
pitiable--would have been only it was nothing by the side of mine.

"How was the dog killed?" was my first question, ignoring all greeting.
I had resolved to waste no time in grief. I had now pulled myself
together, and was going to do all that man was capable of to find my
loved one again.

"That's the strange part of it," said Falkner gruffly. "There's no
wound of any kind about the beast, and he hasn't even been hit on the
head, for his skull is quite smooth and unbroken. But, there he is--as
dead as the traditional herring."

"You didn't move him, did you?"

"No. He's there still."

"Well let's go there. I may light on a clue."

"You'd better not come, uncle," said Falkner. "You're played out, for
one thing, and there ought to be one man on the place with all this
devilish mystery going about."

"Played out be damned, sir," retorted the Major fiercely. "I'd tire you
any day. I'm going."

The dead dog was lying right in the path, just beyond where we had found