m caught
hold of the end of the rope which hung over the bough, and began to
pull, dragging the light form of Sihamba upwards till only the tips of
her big toes touched the ground.

"Doesn't she dance prettily?" said Swart Piet with a brutal laugh, at
the same time motioning to the men to keep her thus a while.

Now Suzanne looked at the blackening lips and the little form convulsed
in its death struggle, and could bear the sight no more.

"Let her down!" she cried, and, springing from the saddle, for all this
while she had been seated upon her horse, she walked up to Piet, saying,
"Take what you seek, but oh! for your sake I wish to God that my lips
were poison."

"No, no," gasped Sihamba, who now was lying half choked upon the ground.

"That is not our bargain, dear," said Piet; "it is that you should kiss
me, not I you."

Again Suzanne shrank back, and again at his signal the men began to
pull upon the rope. Then seeing it, with her face as pale as death, she
learned forward and touched his lips with hers, whereon he seized her
round the middle, and, drawing her to him, covered her with kisses till
even the brutes with him called to him not to push his jest too far and
to let the girl go. This he did, uttering words which I will not repeat,
and so weak was Suzanne with shame that when his arms were taken from
her she fell to the ground, and lay there till the old Hottentot, her
servant, ran to her, cursing and weeping with rage, and helped her to
her feet. For a while she stood saying nothing, only wiping her face, as
though filth had bespattered it, with the sun _kapje_ which had fallen
from her head, and her face was whiter than the white cap. At last she
spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Loose that woman," she said, "who has cost me my honour."

They obeyed her, and snatching up her skin rug Sihamba turned and fled
swiftly down the valley. Then Suzanne went to her horse, but before she
mounted it she looked Swart Piet straight in the eyes. At the time
he was following her, begging her not to be angry at a joke, for his
madness was satisfied for a while and had left him. But she only looked
in answer, and there was something so terrible to him in the dark eyes
of this young unfriended girl that he shrank back, seeing in them,
perhaps, the shadow of fate to come. Then Suzanne rode away, and Swart
Piet, having commanded his ruffians to fire the huts of Sihamba, and to
collect her people, goods, and cattle, went awa