Between Snow and Fire — page 226: what you’re looking at

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

218 ‘TWEEN SNOW AND FIRE. is alive again, and is beside her—they two fleeing together through the night. “ Darling,” she whispered at last, nestling up closer to him. ‘“ Why did they try to kill me by telling me you were dead ?” “They had every reason to suppose so. Now, what do you think stood between me and certain death?” What?” * Your love—not once, but twice. The silver box. See. Here it is, where it has ever been—over my heart. Twice it turned the point of the assegai.”’ “Eustace !”’ “It isas I say. Your love preserved me for yourself.” “Oh, my darling, surely then it cannot be so wicked—so unlawful!” she exclaimed with a quiver in her voice. “IT never believed it could,” he replied. Up till then, poor Tom’s name had not been mentioned. Both seemed to avoid allusion to it. Now, however, that Eustace had to narrate his adventures and escape, it could not well be avoided. But in describing the strange im- promtu duel between the Gcaléka warrior and his unfortu- nate cousin, he purposely omitted any reference to the latter’s probable hideous fate, leaving Eanswyth to suppose he had been slain then and there. It was impossible that she should have been otherwise than deeply moved. “He died fighting bravely, at any rate,” she said at last. “Yes. Want of courage was never one of poor Tom’s failings. All the time we were out he was keener on a fight than all the rest of the command put together.”’ There was silence after this. Then at last: “How did you escape, Eustace, my darling? You have not told me.”’ | “Through paying ransom to that same Hlangani and paying pretty stiffly too. Four hundred and fifty head of good cattle was the figure. Such a haggle as it was, too. It would have been impolitic toagree too quickly. ‘Then, I had to square this witch-doctress, and I daresay old Kreli himself will come in for some of the pickings. From motives of policy we had to carry out the escape as if it was a genu- ine escape and not a put-up job—but they managed it all right—took me across the river on some pretext or other and then gave me the opportunity of leg-bail. As soon as Gomiichdoo Ss) (E(o) m