The Ghost Kings

nt. So it was indeed, but Rachel cared nothing for such dangers, in fact she never even thought of them. Long ago she had discovered that the animals would not harm

espect, even if they had never seen her before. Still, in case of accidents she took her double-barrelled gun, loaded in one barrel with ball, and in the other with loopers or slugs, and awakened Tom, the driver, to tell him w

soon she found the very place she sought-a large, rock-bound pool where there would be no fear of sharks that never stay in such a spot, fearing lest they should be stranded. Slipping off her clothes she plunged into the cool and crystal water and began to swim round and across the pool, for

horses. Then the laugh died on her lips as she recognised that the stripes were those of Mr. Ishmael's trousers. Yes, there was no doubt about it, Mr. Ishmael, wearing a rough coat instead of his lion-skin, but with the rest of his attire unchanged, was galloping down upon her furiously, leading a riderless horse. Remembering her wet and dishevelled

as she lifted the hammer of the second b

. "If he had come ten minutes ago it wou

ently he was much more frightened than she had been. The man's handsome face was quite white, and his li

s the m

ent, perfectly educated voice, "forgive me for disturbing you.

ed Rachel, "what

fifty of them, passed my camp over an hour ago, and I saw the Impi following them. I rode to warn you all.

"But I am not afraid of the Zulus. I

you! White and beautif

gh, "but you see I am called Inkosazana-y-

ember-white like you, so they say. How did you get that name? But mount, mount! They w

ws," muttered Rachel to herself, as she

ll hung thick. Then suddenly in the fog-edge Rachel saw this sight: Towards them ran a delicately shaped and beautiful native girl, naked except for her moocha, and of a very light, copper-colour, whilst after her, br

Ishmael. "It is only one of the

of her and with a wild hoarse scream, redoubled her efforts, so that her pursuer, who had be

white lady

t leave go," shouted I

the horse and stood face to

said, and the

"what do you wan

to kill her," ga

hose

of Dingaan

what

o are you who quest

red Rachel proudly. "Go back an

then laughed aloud and

" repeate

heed but st

," she said for

d the soldier who was a bold-looking savage. "Now you, Noie, will you re

"I will not go back. I did not bewitch him to make him dream of me, a

well, Noie," and he raised the assegai still higher, adding: "S

put the gun to her shoul

"If you touch him they will murd

in Zulu, "Listen. The land on this side of the Tugela has been given by Dingaan to the English

e," answered the warrior with

still, staring. It was a strange picture in that lonely, silent spot. The soldier so very still and dead, his face hidden by the shield that had fallen across it; the tall, white girl, rigid as a statue, in whose hand the gu

ve you done?" ex

" answere

wn head. I am not going to st

e a better guardian than you, an

he galloped off swearing, but not towards the camp, whereon the other horse galloped

heard the sound of shouting and of screams, which a

eople," muttered the girl Noie.

would have been cut off. An idea came to her. They stood upon the edge of a steep, bush-clothed kloof, where in the wet season a stream

him into the wat

ad soldier, dragged him to the edge of the little cliff and thrus

l, "I saw one as I passed. Now take

hem scrambled down the cliffs into the kloof. As they reached the edge of the pool they

ur moocha on that rock. Th

o drink of the fresh water, for she was perishing with thirst. Now when Rachel was bathing she had observed upon the farther side of her pool and opening out of it, as it were, a little pocket in the rock, where the water was not more than three feet deep and cov

m?" said Rac

wam across the pool till they reached the pocket-like place, on th

d into the water, covering themselves in it in such fashion that only their heads remained above the surface, mixed w

ering so that the water shoo

red Rachel. "I can't sho

they did so for presently they heard the voices again and much nearer. The Zulus were walking round the pool. Two of them came quite close to their little hiding

as though our feet were not sore enough already. The crocodiles have that Noie, her witchcr

ound the moocha. Still, if so, where is Bomba who was run

he crocodiles finished her. As for Bomba, I expect that he has gone back to Zululand, or is asleep somewhere resting. The other spoor we saw was that of a white woman, who

, why should Dingaan who has all Zululand to choose from, have fallen in love with her, and why should she have refused to enter his house, and persuaded all her kraal to run away? For my part, I don't believe that she is dead now, notwithstanding the moocha. I think that she is a witch, and has changed into some

led beneath her seaweed, so tha

rst Kaffir, "I saw it rise. It is a

l wait for man's food. Take that, fish!" and he threw a stone into the pool which stru

walking arm-in-arm like friends and amiab

uld bear the cold of the water no longer, and crept out of it to the brink of the little pool, where, still wreathed in seaweed

id, "life is st

her, my other mothers, my brothers and sisters, all killed, all killed for my sake, and I left living. Oh! you meant kindly, b

asleep, there in the sunshine. Rachel let her sleep, knowing that she would take no harm in that warmth. Quietly she sat at her side for hour after hour while the fierce sun, from which she protected her head with seaweed, dried her g

gone, and the sea is here. We must swim to

al, Lady?" asked the girl when

ace," Rachel answered

, "I am yours and no one else's," and taking

asy task for Rachel, who must hold the heavy gun above her head, Noie tied Rachel's towel about her middle to take the place of he

t rocks at its edge. Here they were obliged to leave the kloof both because they feared to pass the crocodiles, and for the reason that their road to the camp ran anothe

el. "Come, now, hold the shield before you and the spear in you

rise, and then sprang back behind it, for lying her

esting!" exc

sigh. "My people, dead! See th

oie gave it its name. Here lay a brother, there a sister, yonder four folk of her father's kraal. They came to

her who

d against the ant-heap also, as though he were but resting, was a light-coloured man, a dwarf in stature, spare of frame, and with sharp features

!" said Noie in t

l, "he only sleeps. No

by the White Death after t

ul. Moreover Noie had knelt down before the body, and with her arms thrown around its neck, was whispering into its ear. For a full minute she whispered thus, then set her own ear to the cold stirless lips, and for another minute or more, seemed to listen intently, nodding her head from time to ti

e, and turning to

t, which brought me here before it was too late

h! what message

hered on the face of th

, "but this I may say, much of it

my native name?" asked

ge, O thou before wh

Rachel, "you have hear

ur people whom I have never seen. Now le

d at her sideways,

our servant, am I not? and th

thought Rachel to herself, as the g

let it be for your breast alone. Say only that I

Rachel. "That is a

ng if she dreamed, the girl Noie walking at