“You are spies of Simba’s, the smell of Jana is upon you” (this may have been true enough), they yelled, adding:  “We will kill you, white-faced goat.  We will kill you, little yellow monkey, for none who are not enemies come here from the land of the Black Kendah.”

“Kill us then,” I answered, “and bring the curse of the Child upon you.  Bring famine, bring hail, bring war!”

These words were, I think, well chosen; at any rate they induced a pause in their murderous intentions.  For a while they hesitated, all talking together at once.  At last the advocates of violence appeared to get the upper hand, and once more a number of the men began to dance about us, waving their spears and crying out that we must die who came from the Black Kendah.

I sat down upon the ground, for I was so exhausted that at the time I did not greatly care whether I died or lived, while Hans drew his knife and stood over me, cursing them as he had cursed at Jana.  By slow degrees they drew nearer and nearer.  I watched them with a kind of idle curiosity, believing that the moment when they came within actual spear-thrust would be our last, but, as I have said, not greatly caring because of my mental and physical exhaustion.

I had already closed my eyes that I might not see the flash of the falling steel, when an exclamation from Hans caused me to open them again.  Following the line of the knife with which he pointed, I perceived a troop of men on camels emerging from the gates of the village at full speed.  In front of these, his white garments fluttering on the wind, rode a bearded and dignified person in whom I recognized Harut, Harut himself, waving a spear and shouting as he came.  Our assailants heard and saw him also, then flung down their weapons as though in dismay either at his appearance or his words, which I could not catch.  Harut guided his rushing camel straight at the man who I presume was their leader, and struck at him with his spear, as though in fury, wounding him in the shoulder and causing him to fall to the ground.  As he struck he called out: 

“Dog!  Would you harm the guests of the Child?”

Then I heard no more because I fainted away.

CHAPTER XV

THE DWELLER IN THE CAVE

After this it seemed to me that I dreamed a long and very troubled dream concerning all sorts of curious things which I cannot remember.  At last I opened my eyes and observed that I lay on a low bed raised about three inches above the floor, in an Eastern-looking room, large and cool.  It had window-places in it but no windows, only grass mats hung upon a rod which, I noted inconsequently, worked on a rough, wooden hinge, or rather pin, that enabled the curtain to be turned back against the wall.

Through one of these window-places I saw at a little distance the slope of the forest-covered hill, which reminded me of something to do with a child—­for the life of me I could not remember what.  As I lay wondering over the matter I heard a shuffling step which I recognized, and, turning, saw Hans twiddling a new hat made of straw in his fingers.