Between Snow and Fire — page 247: what you’re looking at

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

ae, I ae a: ety 8S eon Eas CAN we ; eee ad tats ie, eee ye ‘ee : Peat as - “IT IS THE VOICE OF AN ORACLE.” —- 239 It was even as he said. Had the blade been driven with a powerful hammer it could not have been more firmly wedged within the metal. “ That was the blow I received during the fight,” he went on. “ The dent at the side of it was done when I stood up to the witch-doctress. It did not penetrate much that time ; not that the blow wasn’t hard enough, for it nearly knocked me down, but the assegai was a rotten one and made of soft iron, and the point flattened out likea Snider bullet. Heavens! but that was an ordeal—something of a nerve-tickler! ”’ he added, with a grave and meditative look in his eyes, as if he were:mentally re-enacting that trying and critical scene. Eanswyth shuddered, but said nothing. She nestled rather closer to his side, as he continued : “Now to open the box—a thing I haven’t done since, partly from superstitious motives—partly that I intended we should do so together—if we ever were to be again together, that is.” He pressed the spring, but it was out of order. It needed the wrench of a strong knife blade before the lid flew open. . “Look at that. The assegai point is so firmly wedged that it would take a hammer to drive it out—but I propose to leave it in—use it as a ‘charm’ next war perhaps. Now for the letter. It has gone throughand through it—through the photograph too—and has just dinted the bottom of the box.” He spread out the letter. Those last tender, loving words, direct from her overflowing heart, were pierced and lacerated by the point of the murderous weapon. “Tf this is not an oracle, there never was such a thing,” he wenton. “Look at this”—reading— “‘. .. Z darenot say “‘ God bless you.” Coming from me tt would entail Gi xey rather than a blessing .. .’ The point has cut clean through the words ‘a curse ’—Mfulini’s assegai has made short work of that malediction, Is not that the voice of an oracle?” She made no reply. She was watching the development of the investigation with rapt, eager attention. “Here again— . . . Were anything to befall you—were you never to come back to me WrRAzerewould be broken...’ AS the paper is folded it has cut through the word ‘heart’ —And—by Jove, this is more thana coincidence! Here (ECO palicelexexey <3 com