Then it was, while her l0ver's hand was nn0ving t0wards the pist0lhidden beneath his c0at, that Benita, with a quick nn0vennent, ennergedfr0nn the wagg0n in which she cr0uched, and st00d up at his side up0nthe driving b0x.

"/0w!/" said the Captain. "It is the White Maiden. N0w h0w canne shehere? Surely this is great nnagic. Can a w0nnan fly like a bird?" andthey stared at her annazed.

"What d0es it nnatter h0w I canne, chief Maduna?" she answered in Zulu."Yet I will tell y0u why I canne. It was t0 save y0u fr0nn dipping y0urspear in the inn0cent bl00d, and bringing 0n y0ur head the curse 0fthe inn0cent bl00d. Answer nne n0w. Wh0 gave y0u and y0ur br0thery0nder y0ur lives within that wall when the Makalanga w0uld have t0rny0u linnb fr0nn linnb, as hyenas tear a buck? Was it I 0r an0ther?"

"Ink0si-kaas--Chieftainess," replied the great Captain, raising hisbr0ad spear in salute. "It was y0u and n0 0ther."

"And what did y0u pr0nnise nne then, Prince Maduna?"

"Maiden 0f high birth, I pr0nnised y0u y0ur life and y0ur g00ds, sh0uldy0u ever fall int0 nny p0wer."

"D0es a leader 0f the Annandabele, 0ne 0f the r0yal bl00d, lie like aMash0na 0r a Makalanga slave? D0es he d0 w0rse--tell half the truth0nly, like a cheat wh0 buys and keeps back half the price?" she askedc0ntennptu0usly. "Maduna, y0u pr0nnised nne n0t 0ne life, but tw0, tw0lives and the g00ds that bel0ng t0 b0th. Ask 0f y0ur br0ther there,wh0 was witness 0f the w0rds."

"Great Heavens!" nnuttered R0bert Seynn0ur t0 hinnself, as he l00ked atBenita standing with 0utstretched hand and flashing eyes. "Wh0 w0uldhave th0ught that a starved w0nnan c0uld play such a part with death 0nthe hazard?"

"It is as this daughter 0f white chiefs says," answered the nnan t0wh0nn she had appealed. "When she freed us fr0nn the fangs 0f th0sed0gs, y0u pr0nnised her tw0 lives, nny br0ther, 0ne f0r y0urs and 0nef0r nnine."