“Well, it seems to come to much the same thing,
doesn’t it?” said Richard, “for
otherwise he would not have sent you to gather gooseberries
here with such a storm coming on.”
“Then why did your father send you to hunt lions
with such a storm coming on?” she asked.
“He didn’t send me. I came of myself;
I said that I wanted to shoot a buck, and finding
the spoor of a lion I followed it. The waggons
must be a long way ahead now, for when I left them
I returned to that kloof where I had seen the buck.
I don’t know how I shall overtake them again,
and certainly nobody will ever think of looking for
me here, as after this rain they can’t spoor
the horse.”
“Supposing you don’t find it—I
mean your horse—tomorrow, what shall you
do?” asked Rachel. “We haven’t
got any to lend you.”
“Walk and try to catch them up,” he replied.
“And if you can’t catch them up?”
“Come back to you, as the wild Kaffirs ahead
would kill me if I went on alone.”
“Oh! But what would your father think?”
“He would think there was one boy the less,
that’s all, and be sorry for a while. People
often vanish in Africa where there are so many lions
and savages.”
Rachel reflected a while, then finding the subject
difficult, suggested that he should find out what
their own particular lions were doing. So Richard
went to look, and reported that the storm had ceased,
and that by the moonlight he could see no lions or
any other animals, so he thought that they must have
gone away somewhere. The flood waters also appeared
to be running down. Comforted by this intelligence
Rachel piled on the fire nearly all the wood that
remained to them. Then they sat down again side
by side, and tried to continue their conversation.
By degrees it drooped, however, and the end of it
was that presently this pair were fast asleep in each
other’s arms.
GOOD-BYE
Rachel was the first to wake, which she did, feeling
cold, for the fire had burnt almost out. She
rose and walked from the cave. The dawn was breaking
quietly, for now no wind stirred, and no rain fell.
So dense was the mist which rose from the river and
sodden land, however, that she could not see two yards
in front of her, and fearing lest she should stumble
on the lions or some other animals, she did not dare
to wander far from the mouth of the cave. Near
to it was a large, hollow-surfaced rock, filled now
with water like a bath. From this she drank, then
washed and tidied herself as well as she could without
the aid of soap, comb or towels, which done, she returned
to the cave.
