here on my land has stolen my cattle
and hid them away in a secret kloof. It has been proved against her by
ample evidence. There are the cattle yonder mixed up with her own. I, as
Veld-Cornet of the district, have tried the case according to law, and
the woman having been found guilty must die according to law."

"Indeed, myn Heer," said Suzanne, "then if I understand you right, you
are both accuser and judge, and the law which permits this is one that
I never heard of. Oh!" she went on angrily, "no wonder that the English
sing a loud song about us Boers and our cruelty to the natives when such
a thing as this can happen. It is not justice, myn Heer; it is a
crime for which, if you escape the hand of man, God will bring you to
account."

Then for the first time Sihamba spoke in a very quiet voice, which
showed no sign of fear.

"You are right, lady," she said; "it is not justice, it is a crime born
of revenge, and my life must pay forfeit for his wickedness. I am a free
woman, and I have harmed none and have bewitched none. I have cured sick
people and sick creatures, that is all. The Heer says that I live upon
his land, but I am not his slave; I pay him rent to live here. I never
stole his cattle; they were mixed up with mine by his servants in a
far-off kloof in order to trump up a charge against me, and he knows it,
for he gave orders that the thing should be done, so that afterwards he
might have the joy of hanging me to this tree, because he wishes to be
avenged upon me for other matters, private matters between me and him.
But, lady, do not trouble yourself about the fate of such a poor
black creature as I am. Go away and tell the story if you will, but go
quickly, for these sights of death are not fit for young eyes like yours
to see."

"I will not go," exclaimed Suzanne, "or if I go, it shall be to bring
down upon you, Swart Piet, the weight of the law which you have broken.
Ah! would that my father were at home; he does not love Kaffirs but he
does love justice."

Now when they heard Suzanne speaking such bold words and saw the fire
in her eyes, Swart Piet and those with him began to grow afraid. The
hanging of a witch-doctoress after a formal trial upon the charge of
theft of cattle was no great matter in those days, for such thefts
were common and a cause of much trouble to out-lying farmers, nor would
anyone in these half-settled regions be likely to look too closely into
the rights and wrongs of an e