Nada the Lily

at was I to do? Now I was a jackal without a hole. If I went back to my people, certainly they would kill me, whom they thought a thief. My blood would be given for

he Endwande, and he had sworn that he would stamp the Endwande flat, so that nobody could find them any more. Now I remembered how this Chaka promised that he would make me great, and that I should grow fat in his shadow; and I thought to myself that I would arise and go to him. Perhaps he would kill me; well, what did it matter? Certainly I should be killed if I staye

e me outside the ring of the firelight, and I wanted to hear what they said. As I guessed, they were talking of me and called me many names. They said that I should bring ill-luck on the tribe by having killed so great a witch-doctor as Noma; also that the people of the headman would demand payment for the assault on him. I learned, moreover, that my father had ordered out all the men of the tribe to hunt for me on the morrow and to

n was taking snuff and did not like to move. "Let the dog go and see for himself," he

, a very good dog. Presently, as I lay not knowing what to do, he smelt my smell, stopped barking, and running rou

irst man. "Is he bewitched, that he stops

the other, rising,

k snake glided between the men and went off towards the huts. They jumped aside in a great fright, then all of them turned to follow the snake, say

ie down outside, I stepped through boldly, reached the door of my hut, and listened. It was empty; there was not even a breath to be heard. So I crept in and began to search for my assegais, my water-gourd, and my wood pillow, which was so nicely carved that I did not like to leave it. Soon I found them. Then I felt about for my skin rug, and as I did so my hand touched something cold. I started, and felt again. It was a man's face-the face of a dead man, of Noma, whom I had killed and who had been laid in my hut to await burial. Oh! then I was frightened, for Noma dead and in the dark was worse than Noma alive. I made ready to fly, when suddenly I heard the voices of women talking outside the door of the hut. I knew the voices; they were those of Noma's two wives, and one of them said she was coming in to watch by her husband

said in Noma's voice. "Can you not let m

ckwards in fear, drew in h

in in Noma's voice; "then I must teach you silen

rew quiet for that time. For me, I snatched up the rug-afterwards I found it was Noma's best

ew on which side of the hut it was her custom to lie, and where her head would be. So I lay down on my side and gently, very gently, began to bore a hole in the grass covering of the hut. It took a long while, for the thatch was thick, but at last I was nearly through it. Then I stopped, for it came into my mind that Baleka mig

Mopo, am here. Say not a word, but rise. Com

would have done. No; she understood, and, after waiting awhi

she whispered, as we met.

d made. "Will you come with me?" I said, when I had done,

e, for I love you alone among our people, though I believe tha

o me. So we slipped away together, followed by the dog Koos, and soon we were