Now I saw that nothing could be done till Ralph and Jan returned, if they ever should return, so I prayed of Sihamba to tell me what had passed, for I saw that she could not live long, and desired to know the truth before she died.  And she told me, with many rests and at no great length indeed, but very clearly, and as I listened I marvelled more and more at this Kaffir woman’s love, faithfulness, and courage.  At last she came to the tale of how she had disguised Suzanne, and set up the corpse in her place in the chair of rock.

“Step but a few paces there to the right,” she said, “and you will see it.”

I did as she bade me, and then it was that on looking upwards I saw Ralph and Swart Piet struggling together.  They were so high above me that their shapes seemed small, but I could see the light flashing from the stabbing steel and I called out to Sihamba what I saw.

“Have no fear, lady,” she answered, “it will only end one way.”  So indeed it did as has been told, for presently Van Vooren and the corpse rushed downwards to vanish in the abyss, while Ralph remained standing by the empty chair of stone.

“It is finished,” I said, returning to Sihamba.

“I know it, lady,” she answered.  “Bull-Head’s last cry reached my ears, and do you give thanks to the Spirit you worship that he is dead.  You wished to know what happened after the Swallow and I parted.  Well, I went and stood by the body on the pinnacle of rock, and there, as I expected, came Bull-Head to seek his captive.  He commanded us to come down, but I refused, telling him that if he attempted to take the Swallow—­for he thought that the body wrapped in the white cloak was she—­she would certainly escape him by hurling herself from the cliff.  Thus I gained much time, for now from my height I could see her whom I knew to be the lady Swallow travelling across the plain towards the saw-edge rock, although I was puzzled because she seemed to carry a child upon her back; but perhaps it was a bundle.

“At last he grew impatient, and without warning lifted his gun and fired at me, aiming low, for he feared lest the ball should pierce my mistress.  The shot struck my leg where you see, and being unable to stop myself, although I broke my fall by clutching with my hands, I rolled down the rock to the ground beneath, but not over the edge of the precipice as I could have wished to do, for at the last I had intended to escape him by throwing myself from it.

“Leaving me unable to move he began to ascend the pinnacle, calling your daughter Swallow by sweet names as a man calls a shy horse which he fears will escape him.  I watched from below, and even in my pain I laughed, for now I knew what must come.  Since the Swallow did not answer, Bull-Head, wishing to be cunning, crept behind her in silence, and of a sudden seized the cloak and the arm beneath it, for he feared lest she should choose death and cheat him.