“Hendrika,” said the lady presently, “they must not eat meat just yet.  Go look up the tree and see if there is any ripe fruit on it.”

The woman ran swiftly into the plain and obeyed.  Presently she returned.  “I see some ripe fruit,” she said, “but it is high, quite at the top.”

“Fetch it,” said the lady.

“Easier said than done,” I thought to myself; but I was much mistaken.  Suddenly the woman bounded at least three feet into the air and caught one of the spreading boughs in her large flat hands; then came a swing that would have filled an acrobat with envy—­and she was on it.

“Now there is an end,” I thought again, for the next bough was beyond her reach.  But again I was mistaken.  She stood up on the bough, gripping it with her bare feet, and once more sprang at the one above, caught it and swung herself into it.

I suppose that the lady saw my expression of astonishment.  “Do not wonder, sir,” she said, “Hendrika is not like other people.  She will not fall.”

I made no answer, but watched the progress of this extraordinary person with the most breathless interest.  On she went, swinging herself from bough to bough, and running along them like a monkey.  At last she reached the top, and began to swarm up a thin branch towards the ripe fruit.  When she was near enough she shook the branch violently.  There was a crack—­a crash—­it broke.  I shut my eyes, expecting to see her crushed on the ground before me.

“Don’t be afraid,” said the lady again, laughing gently.  “Look, she is quite safe.”

I looked, and so she was.  She had caught a bough as she fell, clung to it, and was now calmly dropping to another.  Old Indaba-zimbi had also watched this performance with interest, but it did not seem to astonish him over-much.  “Baboon-woman?” he said, as though such people were common, and then turned his attention to soothing Tota, who was moaning for more water.  Meanwhile Hendrika came down the tree with extraordinary rapidity, and swinging by one hand from a bough, dropped about eight feet to the ground.

In another two minutes we were all three sucking the pulpy fruit.  In an ordinary way we should have found it tasteless enough:  as it was I thought it the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.  After three days spent without food or water, in the desert, one is not particular.  While we were still eating the fruit, the lady of my vision set her companion to work to partially flay the oribe which her dogs had killed, and busied herself in making a fire of fallen boughs.  As soon as it burned brightly she took strips of the oribe flesh, toasted them, and gave them to us on leaves.  We ate, and now were allowed a little more water.  After that she took Tota to the spring and washed her, which she sadly needed, poor child!  Next came our turn to wash, and oh, the joy of it!

I came back to the tree, walking painfully, indeed, but a changed man.  There sat the beautiful girl with Tota on her knees.  She was lulling her to sleep, and held up her finger to me enjoining silence.  At last the child went off into a sound natural slumber—­an example that I should have been glad to follow had it not been for my burning curiosity.  Then I spoke.