Then she heard dogs bark and saw lights.
The horse stopped and she slid from it, and as she was too exhausted to
walk, was supported or carried into a hut, as she thought by women who
seemed very much afraid of touching her, after which she seemed to sink
into blackness.
Rachel woke from her stupor to find herself lying on a bed in a great
Kaffir hut that was furnished like a European room, for in it were chairs
and a table, also rough window places closed with reed mats that took the
place of glass. Through the smoke-hole at the top of the hut struck a
straight ray of sunlight, by which she judged that it must be about
midday. She began to think, till by degrees everything came back to her,
and in that hour she nearly died of horror and of grief. Indeed she was
minded to die. There at her side lay a means of death--the assegai which
she had found by the body of the Zulu in Ramah, and none had taken from
her. She lifted it and felt its edge, then laid it down again. Into the
darkness of her despair some comfort seemed to creep. She was sure that
Richard lived, and if she died, he would die also. While he lived, why
should she die? Moreover, it would be a crime which she should only dare
when all hope had gone and she stood face to face with shame.
Pages:
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294