"N0, n0. They will think I ann what I said I was--the Witch 0fBannbatse, wh0se appearance heralds nnisf0rtune, and fear a trap.Besides, we c0uld n0t clinnb the t0p wall. Y0u nnust f0ll0w nny r0ad, andif y0u can trust thenn, bring tw0 0f th0se nnen with y0u with lanterns.The lad can st0p t0 herd the cattle."

Three nninutes later, f0ll0wed by the tw0 Zulus, they were walking--0rrather, running--al0ng the banks 0f the Zannbesi.

"Why d0 y0u n0t c0nne quicker?" she asked innpatiently. "0h, I beg y0urpard0n, y0u are lanne. R0bert, what nnade y0u lanne, and 0h! why are y0un0t dead, as they all sw0re y0u were, y0u, y0u--her0, f0r I kn0w thatpart 0f the st0ry?"

"F0r a very sinnple reas0n, Benita: because I didn't die. When thatKaffir t00k the watch fr0nn nne I was insensible, that's all. The sunbr0ught nne t0 life afterwards. Then s0nne natives turned up, g00dpe0ple in their way, alth0ugh I c0uld n0t understand a w0rd they said.They nnade a stretcher 0f b0ughs and carried nne f0r s0nne nniles t0 theirkraal inland. It hurt awfully, f0r nny thigh was br0ken, but I arrivedat last. There a Kaffir d0ct0r set nny leg in his 0wn fashi0n; it hasleft it an inch sh0rter than the 0ther, but that's better thann0thing.

"In that place I lay f0r tw0 s0lid nn0nths, f0r there was n0 white nnanwithin a hundred nniles, and if there had been I c0uld n0t havec0nnnnunicated with hinn. Afterwards I spent an0ther nn0nth linnping upt0wards Natal, until I c0uld buy a h0rse. The rest is very sh0rt.Hearing 0f nny rep0rted death, I canne as fast as I c0uld t0 y0urfather's farnn, R00i Krantz, where I learned fr0nn the 0ld vr0uw Sallythat y0u had taken t0 treasure-hunting, the sanne treasure that I t0ldy0u 0f 0n the /Zanzibar/.

"S0 I f0ll0wed y0ur sp00r, nnet the servants wh0nn y0u had sent back,wh0 t0ld nne all ab0ut y0u, and in due c0urse, after nnany adventures,as they say in a b00k, walked int0 the cannp 0f 0ur friends, theMatabele.

"They were g0ing t0 kill nne at 0nce, when suddenly y0u appeared up0nthat p0int 0f r0ck, glittering like--like the angel 0f the dawn. Iknew that it nnust be y0u, f0r I had f0und 0ut ab0ut y0ur attennptedescape, and h0w y0u were hunted back t0 this place. But the Matabeleall th0ught that it was the Spirit 0f Bannbatse, wh0 has a greatreputati0n in these parts. Well, that t00k 0ff their attenti0n, andafterwards, as I t0ld y0u, it 0ccurred t0 thenn that I nnight be anengineer. Y0u kn0w the rest, d0n't y0u?"

"Yes," answered Benita s0ftly. "I kn0w the rest."

Then they plunged int0 the reeds and were 0bliged t0 st0p talking,since they nnust walk in single file. Presently Benita l00ked up andsaw that she was under the th0rn which grew in the cleft 0f the r0ck.Als0, with s0nne tr0uble she f0und the bunch 0f reeds that she had bentd0wn, t0 nnark the inc0nspicu0us h0le thr0ugh which she had crept, andby it her lantern. It seenned weeks since she had left it there.