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At length the door of the hut opened, and a gigantic figure, with a splendid tiger-skin karross flung over its shoulders, stepped out, followed by the boy Scragga, and what appeared to us to be a withered-up monkey, wrapped in a fur cloak.
But he forgot the mail shirts that the king had given us, and which we wore beneath our clothing. The steel rebounded harmless, and before he could repeat the blow Curtis had snatched the spear from his hand and sent it straight through him. Scragga dropped dead.
"It was by chance, O Calf of the Black Cow," he murmured. "Then it is a chance for which thou must pay. Thou hast made me foolish; prepare for death." "I am the king's ox," was the low answer. "Scragga," roared the king, "let me see how thou canst use thy spear. Kill me this blundering fool." Scragga stepped forward with an ill-favoured grin, and lifted his spear.
Be careful, lest this chicken's fate overtake thee, and those with thee. How canst thou save her or thyself? Who art thou that thou settest thyself between me and my will? Back, I say. Scragga, kill her! Ho, guards! seize these men." At his cry armed men ran swiftly from behind the hut, where they had evidently been placed beforehand.
"Scragga, son of Twala, the great king Twala, husband of a thousand wives, chief and lord paramount of the Kukuanas, keeper of the great Road, terror of his enemies, student of the Black Arts, leader of a hundred thousand warriors, Twala the One-eyed, the Black, the Terrible." "So," said I superciliously, "lead us then to Twala. We do not talk with low people and underlings."
One in every ten shall die, the rest shall go free; but the white man Incubu, who slew Scragga my son, and the black man his servant, who pretends to my throne, and Infadoos my brother, who brews rebellion against me, these shall die by torture as an offering to the Silent Ones. Such are the merciful words of Twala."
To-day, two hours after sunset, Twala will send for my lords to witness the girls dance, and one hour after the dance begins the girl whom Twala thinks the fairest shall be killed by Scragga, the king's son, as a sacrifice to the Silent Ones, who sit and keep watch by the mountains yonder," and he pointed towards the three strange-looking peaks where Solomon's road was supposed to end.
"Nay," I answered; "we shed no blood of men except in just punishment; but if thou wilt see, bid thy servants drive in an ox through the kraal gates, and before he has run twenty paces I will strike him dead." "Nay," laughed the king, "kill me a man and I will believe." On hearing this suggestion Scragga uttered a sort of howl, and bolted into the hut.
What, have not these" pointing to Infadoos and Scragga, who, young villain that he was, was employed in cleaning the blood of the soldier off his spear "told thee what manner of men we are? Hast thou seen the like of us?" and I pointed to Good, feeling quite sure that he had never seen anybody before who looked in the least like him as he then appeared.
Dare to disobey, and ye shall taste of our magic." My threat produced an effect; the men halted, and Scragga stood still before us, his spear lifted. "Hear him! hear him!" piped Gagool; "hear the liar who says that he will put out the moon like a lamp. Let him do it, and the girl shall be speared. Yes, let him do it, or die by the girl, he and those with him."
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