Anscombe was soon lost in dreams, if he did dream, but I could not sleep well that night.  I was fearful of I knew not what, and so, I think, was Lost, for he fidgeted and kept poking me with his nose.  At last, I think it must have been about two hours after midnight, he began to growl.  I could hear nothing, although my ears are sharp, but as he went on growling I crept to the door-hole and drew aside the board.  Lost slipped out and vanished, while I waited, listening.  Presently I thought I heard a soft foot-fall and a whisper, also that I saw the shape of a woman which reminded me of Nombe, shown faintly by the starlight.  It vanished in a moment and Lost returned wagging his tail, as he might well have done if it were Nombe who was attached to the dog.  As nothing further happened I went back to bed, reflecting that I was probably mistaken, since Nombe had been sent away for some days by Zikali and would scarcely dare to return at once, even if she could do so.

Shortly before daylight Lost began to growl again in a subdued and thunderous fashion.  This time I got up and dressed myself more or less.  Then I went out.  The dawn was just breaking and by its light I saw a strange scene.  About fifty yards away in the narrow nek that ran over some boulders to the site of our huts, stood what seemed to be the goddess Nomkubulwana as I had seen her on the point of rock in the Vale of Bones.  She wore the same radiant dress and in the dim glow had all the appearance of a white woman.  I stood amazed, thinking that I dreamt, when from round the bend emerged a number of Zulus, creeping forward stealthily with raised spears.

They caught sight of the supernatural figure which barred their road, halted and whispered to each other.  Then they turned to fly, but before they went one of them, as it seemed to me through sheer terror, hurled his assegai at the figure which remained still and unmoved.

In thirty seconds they were gone; in sixty their footsteps had died away.  Then the figure wheeled slowly round and by the strengthening light I perceived that a spear transfixed its breast.

As it sank to the ground I ran up to it.  It was Nombe with her face and arms whitened and her life-blood running down the glittering feather robe.

CHAPTER XXII

THE MADNESS OF NOMBE

The dog reached Nombe first and began to lick her face, its tongue removing patches of the white which had not had time to dry.  She was lying, her back supported by one of the boulders.  With her left hand she patted the dog’s head feebly and with her right drew out the assegai from her body, letting it fall upon the ground.  Recognizing me she smiled in her usual mysterious fashion and said—­

“All is well, Macumazahn, all is very well.  I have deserved to die and I do not die in vain.”

“Don’t talk, let me see your wound,” I exclaimed.