But—­this was another thought—­if by any chance Lady Ragnall were still alive and a prisoner upon that mountain, what they had seen was no ghost, but a shadow or simulacrum of a living person projected consciously or unconsciously by that person for some unknown purpose.  What could the purpose be?  As it chanced the answer was not difficult, and to it the words she was reported to have uttered gave a cue.  Only a few hours ago, just before we turned in indeed, as I have said, we had been discussing matters.  What I have not said is that in the end we arrived at the conclusion that our quest here was wild and useless and that we should do well to try to escape from the place before we became involved in a war of extermination between two branches of an obscure tribe, one of which was quite and the other semi-savage.

Indeed, although Ragnall still hung back a little, it had been arranged that I should try to purchase camels in exchange for guns, unless I could get them for nothing which might be less suspicious, and that we should attempt such an escape under cover of an expedition to kill the elephant Jana.

Supposing such a vision to be possible, then might it not have come, or been sent to deter us from this plan?  It would seem so.

Thus reflecting I went to sleep worn out with useless wonderment, and did not wake again till breakfast time.  That morning, when we were alone together, Ragnall said to me: 

“I have been thinking over what happened, or seemed to happen last night.  I am not at all a superstitious man, or one given to vain imaginings, but I am sure that Savage and I really did see and hear the spirit or the shadow of my wife.  Her body it could not have been as you will admit, though how she could utter, or seem to utter, audible speech without one is more than I can tell.  Also I am sure that she is captive upon yonder mountain and came to call me to rescue her.  Under these circumstances I feel that it is my duty, as well as my desire, to give up any idea of leaving the country and try to find out the truth.”

“And how will you do that,” I asked, “seeing that no one will tell us anything?”

“By going to see for myself.”

“It is impossible, Ragnall.  I am too lame at present to walk half a mile, much less to climb precipices.”

“I know, and that is one of the reasons why I did not suggest that you should accompany me.  The other is that there is no object in all of us risking our lives.  I wished to face the thing alone, but that good fellow Savage says that he will go where I go, leaving you and Hans here to make further attempts if we do not return.  Our plan is to slip out of the town during the night, wearing white dresses like the Kendah, of which I have bought some for tobacco, and make the best of our way up the slope by starlight that is very bright now.  When dawn comes we will try to find the road through that precipice, or over it, and for the rest trust to Providence.”