“Jeekie,” he said, “time’s up.  What am I to do?”

“Do, Major?” he replied with affected cheerfulness.  “Oh! that quite simple.  Jeekie arrange everything.  You marry Asika and by and by, when you master here and tired of her, you give her slip.  Very interesting experience; no white man ever have such luck before.  Asika not half bad, if she fond of you; she like little girl in song, when she good, she very, very good.  At any rate, nothing else to do.  Marry Asika or spiflicate, which mean, Major, that Jeekie spiflicate too, and,” he added, shaking his white head sadly, “he no like that.  One or two little things on his mind that no get time to square up yet.  Daren’t pray like Christian here, ’cause afraid of Bonsas, and Bonsas come even with him by and by, ’cause he been Christian, so poor Jeekie fall down bump between two stools.  ’Postles kick him out of heaven and Bonsas kick him out of hell, and where Jeekie go to then?”

“Don’t know, I am sure,” answered Alan, smiling a little in spite of his sorrow, “but I think the Bonsas might find a corner for you somewhere.  Look here, Jeekie, you old scamp, I am sorry for you, for you have been a good friend to me and we are fond of each other.  But just understand this, I am not going to marry that woman if I can help it.  It’s against my principles.  So I shall wait till to-morrow and then I shall walk out of this place.  If the guards try to stop me I shall shoot them while I have any cartridges.  Then I shall go on until they kill me.”

“Oh!  But Major, they not kill you—­never; they chuck blanket over your head and take you back to Asika.  It Jeekie they kill, skin him alive-o, and all the rest of it.”

“Hope not, Jeekie, because they think we shall die the same day.  But if so, I can’t help it.  To-morrow morning I shall walk out, and now that’s settled.  I am tired and going to sleep,” and he threw himself down upon the bed and, being worn out with weariness and anxiety, soon fell fast asleep.

But Jeekie did not sleep, although he too lay down upon his bed.  On the contrary, he remained wide awake and reflected, more deeply perhaps than he had ever done before, being sure the superstition as to the dependence of Alan’s life upon his own was now worn very thin, and that his hour was at hand.  He thought of making Alan’s wild attempt to depart impossible by the simple method of warning the Asika, but, notwithstanding his native selfishness, was too loyal to let that idea take root in his mind.  No, there was nothing to be done; if the Major wished to start, the Major must start, and he, Jeekie, must pay the price.  Well, he deserved it, who had been fool enough to listen to the secret promptings of Little Bonsa and conduct him to Asiki-land.

Thus he passed several hours, for the most part in melancholy speculations as to the exact fashion of his end, until at length weariness overcame him also and, shutting his eyes, Jeekie began to doze.  Suddenly he grew aware of the presence of some other person in the room, but thinking that it was only the Asika prowling about in her uncanny fashion, or perhaps her spirit, for how her body entered the place he could not guess, he did not stir, but lay breathing heavily and watching out of the corner of his eye.