Very cautiously I lifted myself a little and stared out into the
moonlight. There, seated about five paces from the open end of the hut
were the "spooks" sure enough, two white-robed figures squatting silent
and immovable on the ground. At first I was frightened. Then I bethought
me of thieves and felt for my Colt pistol under the rug that served me
as a pillow. As I got hold of the handle, however, a deep voice said:

"Is it your custom, O Macumazana, Watcher-by-Night, to receive guests
with bullets?"

Now thought I to myself, who is there in the world who could see a man
catch hold of the handle of a pistol in the recesses of a dark place and
under a blanket at night, except the owner of that voice which I seemed
to remember hearing in a certain drawing-room in England?

"Yes, Harût," I answered with an unconcerned yawn, "when the guests come
in such a doubtful fashion and in the middle of the night. But as you
are here at last, will you be so good as to tell us why you have kept us
waiting all this time? Is that your way of fulfilling an engagement?"

"O Lord Macumazana," answered Harût, for of course it was he, in quite a
perturbed tone, "I offer to you our humble apologies. The truth is
that when we heard of your arrival at Beza-Town we started, or tried to
start, from hundreds of miles away to keep our tryst with you here as
we promised we would do. But we are mortal, Macumazana, and accidents
intervened. Thus, when we had ascertained the weight of your baggage,
camels had to be collected to carry it, which were grazing at a
distance. Also it was necessary to send forward to dig out a certain
well in the desert where they must drink. Hence the delay. Still, you
will admit that we have arrived in time, five, or at any rate four hours