can　refuse　to　come　out　of　the　house　to…morrow　morning　until　you　are
  quite　sure。　　And　now　let　us　eat　some　supper；　for　we　shall　not　make
  matters　better　by　going　hungry。　　Hans；　bring　the　food。〃
  So　we　ate；　or　made　pretence　to　eat；　and　I；　being　thirsty；　drank　two　cups
  of　the　black　coffee　dashed　with　spirit　to　serve　as　milk。　　After　this　I
  grew　strangely　sleepy。　　The　last　thing　I　remember　was　Marie　looking　at
  me　with　her　beautiful　eyes；　that　were　fullah！　so　full　of　tender　love；
  and　kissing　me　again　and　again　upon　the　lips。
  I　dreamed　all　sorts　of　dreams；　rather　pleasant　dreams　on　the　whole。
  Then　I　woke　up　by　degrees　to　find　myself　in　an　earthen　pit　shaped　like　a
  bottle　and　having　the　remains　of　polished　sides　to　it。　　It　made　me　think
  of　Joseph　who　was　let　down　by　his　brethren　into　a　well　in　the　desert。
  Now；　who　on　earth　could　have　let　me　down　into　a　well；　especially　as　I
  had　no　brethren？　　Perhaps　I　was　not　really　in　a　well。　　Perhaps　this　was
  a　nightmare。　　Or　I　might　be　dead。　　I　began　to　remember　that　there　were
  certain　good　reasons　why　I　should　be　dead。　　Only；　onlywhy　should　they
  have　buried　me　in　woman's　clothes　as　I　seemed　to　wear？
  And　what　was　that　noise　that　had　wakened　me？
  It　could　not　be　the　trump　of　doom；　unless　the　trumping　of　doom　went　off
  like　a　double…barrelled　gun。
  I　began　to　try　to　climb　out　of　my　hole；　but　as　it　was　nine　feet　deep　and
  bottle…shaped；　which　the　light　flowing　in　from　the　neck　showed；　I　found
  this　impossible。　　Just　as　I　was　giving　up　the　attempt；　a　yellow　face
  appeared　in　that　neck；　which　looked　to　me　like　the　face　of　Hans；　and　an
  arm　was　projected　downwards。
  〃Jump；　if　you　are　awake；　baas；〃　said　a　voicesurely　it　was　the　voice　of
  Hans〃and　I　will　pull　you　out。〃
  So　I　jumped；　and　caught　the　arm　above　the　wrist。　　Then　the　owner　of　the
  arm　pulled　desperately；　and　the　end　of　it　was　that　I　succeeded　in
  gripping　the　edge　of　the　bottle…like　hole；　and；　with　the　help　of　the
  arm；　in　dragging　myself　out。
  〃Now；　baas；〃　said　Hans；　for　it　_was_　Hans；　〃run；　run　before　the　Boers
  catch　you。〃
  〃What　Boers？〃　I　asked；　sleepily；　〃and　how　can　I　run　with　these　things
  flapping　about　my　legs？〃
  Then　I　looked　about　me；　and；　although　the　dawn　was　only　just　breaking；
  began　to　recognise　my　surroundings。　　Surely　this　was　the　Prinsloos'
  house　to　my　right；　and　that；　faintly　seen　through　the　mist　about　a
  hundred　paces　away；　was　Marie's　and　my　own。　　There　seemed　to　be
  something　going　on　yonder　which　excited　my　awakening　curiosity。　　I　could
  see　figures　moving　in　an　unusual　manner；　and　desired　to　know　what　they
  were　doing。　　I　began　to　walk　towards　them；　and　Hans；　for　his　part；　began
  to　try　to　drag　me　in　an　opposite　direction；　uttering　all　sorts　of
  gibberish　as　to　the　necessity　of　my　running　away。　　But　I　would　not　be
  dragged；　indeed；　I　struck　at　him；　until　at　last；　with　an　exclamation　of
  despair；　he　let　go　of　me　and　vanished。
  So　I　went　on　alone。　　I　came　to　my　house；　or　what　I　thought　resembled　it；
  and　there　saw　a　figure　lying　on　its　face　on　the　ground　some　ten　or
  fifteen　yards　to　the　right　of　the　doorway；　and　noted　abstractedly　that
  it　was　dressed　in　my　clothes。　　The　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　in　her　absurd　night
  garments；　was　waddling　towards　the　figure；　and　a　little　way　off　stood
  Hernan　Pereira；　apparently　in　the　act　of　reloading　a　double…barrelled
  gun。　　Beyond；　staring　at　him；　stood　the　lantern…faced　Henri　Marais；
  pulling　at　his　long　beard　with　one　hand　and　holding　a　rifle　in　the
  other。　　Behind　were　two　saddled　horses　in　the　charge　of　a　raw　Kaffir；
  who　looked　on　stupidly。
  The　Vrouw　Prinsloo　reached　the　body　that　lay　upon　the　ground　dressed　in
  what　resembled　my　clothes；　and　bending　down　her　stout　shape　with　an
  effort；　turned　it　over。　　She　glared　into　its　face　and　then　began　to
  shriek。
  〃Come　here；　Henri　Marais；〃　she　shrieked；　〃come；　see　what　your　beloved
  nephew　has　done！　　You　had　a　daughter　who　was　all　your　life　to　you；　Henri
  Marais。　　Well；　come；　look　at　her　after　your　beloved　nephew　has　finished
  his　work　with　her！〃
  Henri　Marais　advanced　slowly　like　one　who　does　not　understand。　　He　stood
  over　the　body　on　the　ground；　and　looked　down　upon　it　through　the　morning
  mists。
  Then　suddenly　he　went　mad。　　His　broad　hat　fell　from　his　head；　and　his
  long　hair　seemed　to　stand　up。　　Also　his　beard　grew　big　and　bristled　like
  the　feathers　of　a　bird　in　frosty　weather。　　He　turned　on　Hernan　Pereira。
  〃You　devil！〃　he　shouted；　and　his　voice　sounded　like　the　roar　of　a　wild
  beast；　〃you　devil；　you　have　murdered　my　daughter！　　Because　you　could　not
  get　Marie　for　yourself；　you　have　murdered　her。　　Well；　I　will　pay　you
  back！〃
  Without　more　ado　he　lifted　his　gun　and　fired　straight　at　Hernan　Pereira；
  who　sank　slowly　to　the　ground　and　lay　there　groaning。
  Just　then　I　grew　aware　that　horsemen　were　advancing　upon　us；　a　great
  number　of　horsemen；　though　whence　they　came　at　that　time　I　did　not　know。
  One　of　these　I　recognised　even　in　my　half…drunken　state；　for　he　had
  impressed　himself　very　vividly　upon　my　mind。　　He　was　the　dark…browed
  commandant　who　had　tried　and　condemned　me　to　death。　　He　dismounted；　and；
  staring　at　the　two　figures　that　lay　upon　the　ground；　said　in　a　loud　and
  terrible　voice：
  〃What　is　this？　　Who　are　these　men；　and　why　are　they　shot？　　Explain；
  Henri　Marais。〃
  〃Men！〃　wailed　Henri　Marais；　〃they　are　not　men。　　One　is　a　womanmy　only
  child；　and　the　other　is　a　devil；　who；　being　a　devil；　will　not　die。　　See！
  he　will　not　die。　　Give　me　another　gun　that　I　may　make　him　die。〃
  The　commandant　looked　about　him　wildly；　and　his　eye　fell　upon　the　Vrouw
  Prinsloo。
  〃What　has　chanced；　vrouw？〃　he　asked。
  〃Only　this；〃　she　replied　in　a　voice　of　unnatural　calm。　　〃Your　murderers
  whom　you　set　on　in　the　name　of　law　and　justice　have　made　a　mistake。　　You
  told　them　to　murder　Allan　Quatermain　for　reasons　of　your　own。　　Well；
  they　have　murdered　his　wife　instead。〃
  Now　the　commandant　struck　his　hand　upon　his　forehead　and　groaned；　and　I；
  half　awakened　at　last；　ran　forward；　shaking　my　fists　and　gibbering。
  〃Who　is　that？〃　asked　the　commandant。　　〃Is　it　a　man　or　a　woman？〃
  〃It　is　a　man　in　woman's　clothing；　it　is　Allan　Quatermain；〃　answered　the
  vrouw；　〃whom　we　drugged　and　tried　to　hide　from　your　butchers。〃
  〃God　above　us！〃　exclaimed　the　commandant；　〃is　this　earth　or　hell？〃
  Then　the　wounded　Pereira　raised　himself　upon　one　hand。
  〃I　am　dying；〃　he　cried；　〃my　life　is　bleeding　away；　but　before　I　die　I
  must　speak。　　All　that　story　I　told　against　the　Englishman　is　false。　　He
  never　plotted　with　Dingaan　against　the　Boers。　　It　was　I　who　plotted　with
  Dingaan。　　Although　I　hated　him　because　he　found　me　out；　I　did　not　wish
  Retief　and　our　people　to　be　killed。　　But　I　did　wish　Allan　Quatermain　to
  be　killed；　because　he　had　won　her　whom　I　loved；　though；　as　it　happened；
  all　the　others　were　slain；　and　he　alone　escaped。　　Then　I　came　here　and
  learned　that　Marie　was　his　wifeyes；　his　wife　indeedand　grew　mad　with
  hate　and　jealousy。　　So　I　bore　false　witness　against　him；　and；　you　fools；
  you　believed　me　and　ordered　me　to　shoot　him　who　is　innocent　before　God
  and　man。　　Then　things　went　wrong。　　The　woman　tricked　me　againfor　the
  last　time。　　She　dressed　herself　as　the　man；　and　in　the　dawnlight　I　was
  deceived。　　I　killed　her；　her　whom　I　love　alone；　and　now　her　father；　who
  loved　her　also；　has　killed　me。〃
  By　this　time　I　understood　all；　for　my　drugged　brain　had　awakened　at
  last。　　I　ran　to　the　brute　upon　the　ground；　grotesque　in　my　woman's
  garments　all　awry；　I　leaped　on　him　and　stamped　out　the　last　of　his　life。
  Then；　standing　over　his　dead　body；　I　shook　my　fists　and　cried：
  〃Men；　see　what　you　have　done。　　May　God　pay　you　back　all　you　owe　her　and
  me！〃
  They　dismounted；　they　came　round　me；　they　protested；　they　even　wept。
  And　I；　I　raved　at　them　upon　the　one　side；　while　the　mad　Henri　Marais
  raved　upon　the　other；　and　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo；　waving　her　big　arms；
  called　down　the　curse　of　God　and　the　blood　of　the　innocent　upon　their
  heads　and　those　of　their　children　for　ever。
  Then　I　remember　no　more。
  When　I　came　to　myself　two　weeks　afterwards；　for　I　had　been　very　ill　and
  in　delirium；　I　was　lying　in　the　house　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　alone。　　The
  Boers　had　all　gone；　east　and　west　and　north　and　south；　and　the　dead　were
  long　buried。　　They　had　taken　Henri　Marais　with　them；　so　I　was　told；
  dragging　him　away　in　a　bullock　cart；　to　which　he　was　tied；　for　he　was
  raving　mad。　　Afterwards　he　became　quieter；　and；　indeed；　lived　for　years；
  walking　about　and　asking　all　whom　he　met　if　they　could　lead　him　to
  Marie。　　But　enough　of　himpoor　man；　poor　man！
  The　tale　which　got　about　was　that　Pereira　had　murdered　Marie　out　of
  jealousy；　and　been　shot　by　her　father。　　But　there　were　so　many　tragic
  histories　in　those　days　of　war　and　massacre　that　this　particular　one　was
  soon　quite　forgotten；　especially　as　those　concerned　in　it　for　one　reason
  and　another　did　not　talk　overmuch　of