“Trek back to the stead as swiftly as you may, one of you sitting in the waggon to watch the Baas Kenzie and to comfort him should he wake out of his swoon.  Say to the father and mother of Swallow that I have taken the horses to follow Swart Piet and to rescue her by cunning if so I can, for as will be plain to them, this is a business that must not wait; also that I have taken with me Zinti, since he alone knows the path to Bull-Head’s secret hiding-place in the mountains.  Of that road Zinti will tell you all he can and you will tell it to the Baas Botmar, who must gather together such men as he is able, and start to-morrow to follow it and rescue us, remembering what sort of peril it is in which his daughter stands.  If by any means I can free the Swallow, we will come to meet him; if not, who knows?  Then he must act according to his judgment and to what he learns.  But let him be sure of this, and let her husband be sure also, that while I have life in me I will not cease from my efforts to save her, and that if she dies—­for I know her spirit and no worse harm than death will overtake her—­then if may be, I will die with her or to avenge her, and I have many ways of vengeance.  Lastly, let them not believe that we are dead until they have certain knowledge of it, for it may chance that we cannot return to the stead, but must lie hid in the mountains or among the Kaffirs.  Now hear what Zinti has to say as to the path of Bull-Head’s den and begone, forgetting no one of my words, for if you linger or forget, when I come again I, Sihamba, will blind your eyes and shrivel your livers with a spell.”

“We hear you,” they answered, “and remember every word of your message.  In three hours the Baas shall know it.”

Five minutes later they trekked away and so swiftly did they drive and so good were the oxen, that in less than the three hours we were awakened by the barking of the dogs and one knocking on our door, and ran out to learn all the dreadful tidings and to find Ralph bleeding and still senseless, stretched upon that cartel where we thought him sleeping happily with his bride.

Oh! the terror and the agony of that hour, never may I forget them!  Never may I forget the look that sprang into Ralph’s eyes when at last he awoke and, turning them to seek Suzanne, remembered all.

“Why am I here and not dead?” he asked hoarsely.

“Sihamba saved you and you have been brought back in the waggon,” I answered.

“Where then is Suzanne?” he asked again.

“Sihamba has ridden to save her also, and Jan starts presently to follow her, and with him others.”

“Sihamba!” he groaned.  “What can one woman do against Piet Van Vooren and his murderers, and for the rest they will be too late.  Oh! my God, my God, what have we done that such a thing should fall upon us?  Think of it, think of her in the hands of Piet Van Vooren.  Oh! my God, my God, I shall go mad!”