In safety shall they pass, they
and all that is theirs, without toll taken. Remember the oath of Maduna,
Lady, in the hour of your need, and do you, my brother, bear witness to
it among our people."
Then, straightening themselves as well as they were able, these two
sorely hurt men lifted their right arms and gave Benita the salute
due to a chieftainess. This done, taking no note of any other creature
there, they limped away to the gate that had been opened for them, and
vanished beyond the wall.
All this while Meyer had stood silent; now he spoke with a bitter smile.
"Charity, Miss Clifford, said a certain Paul, as reported in your New
Testament, covers a multitude of sins. I hope very much that it will
serve to cover our remains from the aasvogels, after we have met our
deaths in some such fashion as that brute promised us," and he pointed
to the dead man.
Benita looked at her father in question.
"Mr. Meyer means, my dear, that you have done a foolish thing in begging
the lives of those Matabele. It would have been safer for us if they
were dead, who, as it is, have gone off burning for revenge. Of course,
I understand it was natural enough, but----" and he hesitated and
stopped.
"The chief did not say so," broke in Benita with agitation; "besides, if
he had, I should not have cared.
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