Perhaps she felt that to do so would be to put an end
to their scheme, since then by argument, blandishments, threats, force,
or appeal to their sense of loyalty, it mattered not which, he would
bring about its abandonment. But she wanted to fulfil that scheme, to
be free of Bambatse, its immemorial ruins, its graveyard cave, and
the ghoul, Jacob Meyer, who could delve among dead bones and in living
hearts with equal skill and insight, and yet was unable to find the
treasure that lay beneath either of them.
So they hid the truth, and talked with feverish activity about other
things, such as the drilling of the Makalanga, and the chances of an
attack by the Matabele, which happily now seemed to be growing small;
also of the conditions of their cattle, and the prospect of obtaining
more to replace those that had died. Indeed, Benita went farther; in her
new-found zeal of deception she proceeded to act a lie, yes, even with
her father's reproachful eyes fixed upon her. Incidentally she mentioned
that they were going to have an outing, to climb down the ladder and
visit the Makalanga camp between the first and second walls and mix with
the great world for a few hours; also to carry their washing to be done
there, and bring up some clean clothes and certain books which she had
left below.
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