“Which is more than any others have done for many generations, Lord.  But doubtless as the beginning was, so shall the end be.  Jana, I think, is near his death and through you.”

“I don’t know,” I repeated.  “Who and what is Jana?”

“Have I not told you that he is an evil spirit who inhabits the body of a huge elephant?”

“Yes, and so did Marut; but I think that he is just a huge elephant with a very bad temper of his own.  Still, whatever he is, he will take some killing, and I don’t want to meet him again by that horrible lake.”

“Then you will meet him elsewhere, Lord.  For if you do not go to look for Jana, Jana will come to look for you who have hurt him so sorely.  Remember that henceforth, wherever you go in all this land, it may happen that you will meet Jana.”

“Do you mean to say that the brute comes into the territory of the White Kendah?”

“Yes, Macumazana, at times he comes, or a spirit wearing his shape comes; I know not which.  What I do know is that twice in my life I myself have seen him upon the Holy Mount, though how he came or how he went none can tell.”

“Why was he wandering there, Harut?”

“Who can say, Lord?  Tell me why evil wanders through the world and I will answer your question.  Only I repeat—­let those who have harmed Jana beware of Jana.”

“And let Jana beware of me if I can meet him with a decent gun in my hand, for I have a score to settle with the beast.  Now, Harut, there is another matter.  Just before he was killed Marut, your brother, began to tell me something about the wife of the Lord Ragnall.  I had no time to listen to the end of his words, though I thought he said that she was upon yonder Holy Mount.  Did I hear aright?”

Instantly Harut’s face became like that of a stone idol, impenetrable, impassive.

“Either you misunderstood, Lord,” he answered, “or my brother raved in his fear.  Wherever she may be, that beautiful lady is not upon the Holy Mount, unless there is another Holy Mount in the Land of Death.  Moreover, Lord, as we are speaking of this matter, let me tell you the forest upon that Mount must be trodden by none save the priest of the Child.  If others set foot there they die, for it is watched by a guardian more terrible even than Jana, nor is he the only one.  Ask me nothing of that guardian, for I will not answer, and, above all, if you or your comrades value life, let them not seek to look upon him.”

Understanding that it was quite useless to pursue this subject farther at the moment, I turned to another, remarking that the hailstorm which had smitten the country of the Black Kendah was the worst that I had ever experienced.

“Yes,” answered Harut, “so I have learned.  That was the first of the curses which the Child, through my mouth, promised to Simba and his people if they molested us upon our road.  The second, you will remember, was famine, which for them is near at hand, seeing that they have little corn in store and none left to gather, and that most of their cattle are dead of the hail.”