Between Snow and Fire — page 206: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The desperate pluck of the man bore him up even then. He scowled contemptuously upon the lines of dark and oe faces, then turned erect and fearless towards the chief. For a few moments they confronted each other thus in Silence. The Englishman, somewhat weak and unsteady from exhaustion and ill-treatment, could still look the arbiter of his fate straight in the eyes without blenching. They might do their worst and be d—d, he said to himself. He, Tom Carhayes, was not going to whine for mercy to any nigger—even if that “nigger” was the Chief Paramount of all the Amaxosa tribes. The latter, for his part, was not without respect for the white man’s intrepidity, but he had no intention of sparing him forall that. He had been debating with his chiefs and councillors, and they had decided that Carhayes ought tobe sacrificed as an uncompromising and determined enemy of their race. The other it might be expedient to keep a little longer and see how events would turn, “What have you to say, wmléingu?” said Kreli at length. “Nothing. Not a damn thing,” broke in Carhayes, ina loud, harsh tone. “Tom, for God’s sake don’t be such a fool,” whispered Eustace, who was near enough to be heard. ‘ Can’t you be civil for once?” “No, I can’t; not to any infernal black scoundrel,” roared the other savagely. “It’s different with you, Eustace,” changing his tone toa bitter sneer. “D—n it, man, you’re about half a Kafir already. Why don’t you ask old Kreli for a couple of his daughters and set up a kraal here among them, eh?” A sounding whack across the ear with the haft of an asse- gai choked the words in his throat. He stood, literally foaming with fury. ‘Attend, thou white dog,” cried a great deep-toned voice. “ Attend when the Great Chief is talking tothee. Au/”’ An infuriated mastiff straining at his chain is a pretty good exemplification of impotent wrath, but even he is noth- ing to the aspect and demeanour of Carhayes as he turned to the perpetrator of this indignity. The veins rolled in his forehead as if they would burst. The muscles stood out upon his neck like cords as he strove by a superhuman effort to burst his bonds. But Hlangani only sneered. Gomilcboo eS ee ee ee Te eee ee oe ee ee fe ee : ef -* 5 ; _—_ =" ’ ? 198 'TWEEN SNOW AND FIRE, cS Gol