"And the other ten cartridges, those in thy bag, Nanzicele? Give them to me, for I have a better revenge, here, ready at thy hand, and a safer one." "_Au_! They were to have been thine, my father; I was but keeping them to the last," replied the ex-police sergeant, shamefacedly and utterly mendaciously, as he placed the packet in the wizard's outstretched hand. "And now, what is this vengeance?" Shiminya rose, and, beckoning the other to follow, opened and crept through the door of the hut behind him. A hollow groan rose from the inside. Nanzicele, halfway in, made an instinctive move to draw back. Then he recovered himself. "It is not a good omen to draw back when half through a doorway," said Shiminya, as they both stood upright in the darkness. "Yet--look." He had struck a match, and lighted a piece of candle. Nanzicele looked down, and a start of surprise leapt through his frame. "_Whau_!" he cried. "It is Nompiza!" "And--thy vengeance," murmured the wizard at his side. But the sufferer heard it, and began to wail aloud-- "Thy promise, Great _Innyanga_! Thy promise. Give me not over to this man, for I fear him. Thou didst swear I should be allowed to depart hence; on the head of Umzilikazi thou didst swear it. Thy promise, O Great _Innyanga_!" "It shall be kept, sister," said Shiminya, softly, his eyes fairly scintillating with devilish glee. "I swore to thee that thou shouldst be _taken_ hence, and thou shalt, for this man and I will take thee." The wretched creature broke into fresh outcries, which were partly drowned, for already they were dragging her, still lashed to the pole, outside. "Ha, Nompiza!" jeered Nanzicele, bending down and peering into her face as she lay in the moonlight. "Dost remember how I was driven from thy father's kraal with jeers? Ha! Whose jeers were the loudest? Whose mockeries the most biting? Thine. And now Kulula will have to buy another wife. Thou hadst better have been the wife of Nanzicele than of death. Of death, is it not, my father?" turning to Shiminya, who glared a mirthless smile. Wrought up to a pitch of frenzy by the recollection of the insults he had then received, the vindictive savage continued to taunt and terrify the wretched creature as she lay. Then he went over to pick up his great knobstick. "Not thus, blunderer; not thus," said Shiminya, arresting his arm. "See now. Take that end of the pole while I take the other. Go thou first." Lifting the pole with its helpless human burden, these bloodthirsty miscreants passed out of the kraal. Down the narrow way they hurried, for Shiminya though small was surprisingly wiry, and the powerful frame of the other felt it not, although their burden was no light one. Down through a steep winding path, and soon the thorns thinned out, giving way to forest trees.