Here I looked up and glanced at old Indaba-zimbi, who was sitting near.  But it was not till afterwards that I told Stella of how her vision was brought about.

“At any rate,” she went on, “when I awoke I determined to act on my dream.  I took Hendrika’s hand, and pressed it.  She actually laughed in a wild kind of way with happiness, and laid her head upon my knee.  Then I made signs that I wanted food, and she threw wood on the fire, which I forgot to tell you was burning in the cave, and began to make some of the broth that she used to cook very well, and she did not seem to have forgotten all about it.  At any rate the broth was not bad, though neither Tota nor I could drink much of it.  Fright and weariness had taken away our appetites.

“After the meal was done—­and I prolonged it as much as possible—­I saw Hendrika was beginning to get jealous of Tota again.  She glared at her and then at the big knife which was tied round her own body.  I knew the knife again, it was the one with which she had tried to murder you, dear.  At last she went so far as to draw the knife.  I was paralyzed with fear, then suddenly I remembered that when she was our servant, and used to get out of temper and sulk, I could always calm her by singing to her.  So I began to sing hymns.  Instantly she forgot her jealousy and put the knife back into its sheath.  She knew the sound of the singing, and sat listening to it with a rapt face; the baboons, too, crowded in at the entrance of the cave to listen.  I must have sung for an hour or more, all the hymns that I could remember.  It was so very strange and dreadful sitting there singing to mad Hendrika and those hideous man-like apes that shut their eyes and nodded their great heads as I sang.  It was a horrible nightmare; but I believe that the baboons are almost as human as the Bushmen.

“Well, this went on for a long time till my voice was getting exhausted.  Then suddenly I heard the baboons outside raise a loud noise, as they do when they are angry.  Then, dear, I heard the boom of your elephant gun, and I think it was the sweetest sound that ever came to my ears.  Hendrika heard it too.  She sprang up, stood for a moment, then, to my horror, swept Tota into her arms and rushed down the cave.  Of course I could not stir to follow her, for my feet were tied.  Next instant I heard the sound of a rock being moved, and presently the lessening of the light in the cave told me that I was shut in.  Now the sound even of the elephant gun only reached me very faintly, and presently I could hear nothing more, straining my ears as I would.

“At last I heard a faint shouting that reached me through the wall of rock.  I answered as loud as I could.  You know the rest; and oh, my dear husband, thank God! thank God!” and she fell weeping into my arms.

CHAPTER XIV

FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER