Also, Jacob swore that unless you
were brought back he would kill me. Now you understand why I believe
that he is mad."
"Why, why?" gasped Benita again.
"God knows," he answered with a groan; "but I think that he is sure that
we shall never find the gold without you, since the Molimo has told him
that it is for you and you alone, and he says the old man has second
sight, or something of the sort. Well, he would have murdered me--I saw
it in his eye--so I thought it better to give in rather than that you
should be left here sick and alone. Of course there was one way----" and
he paused.
She looked at him and asked:
"What way?"
"To shoot him before he shot me," he answered in a whisper, "for your
sake, dear--but I could not bring myself to do it."
"No," she said with a shudder, "not that--not that. Better that we
should die than that his blood should be upon our hands. Now I will get
up and try to show no fear. I am sure that is best, and perhaps we shall
be able to escape somehow. Meanwhile, let us humour him, and pretend to
go on looking for this horrible treasure."
So Benita rose to discover that, save for her stiffness, she was but
little the worse, and finding all things placed in readiness, set to
work with her father's help to cook the evening meal as usual.
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