that I made--that I would not kill you--and should you attempt further
harm or insult towards Suzanne Botmar, kill you I will, Piet van
Vooren."

At first Swart Piet did not seem to feel the blows, but presently he
awoke, as it were, and touched his cheeks where the sjambock had struck
him as though to assure himself that he was not dreaming some evil
dream. Then he spoke in a hollow, unnatural voice. "You have won for
this time, Ralph Kenzie," he said, "or, rather, Fate fighting for you
has won. But it would have been better for you and your dear also, if
you had never struck those blows, for I tell you, Ralph Kenzie, that as
your whip touched me something broke in my brain, and now I think that I
am mad."

"Mad or bad, it is all one to me," replied Ralph. "You have had your
warning, and you had best keep sane enough to remember it." Then turning
he went to his horse, which was standing close by, mounted and rode
away, the other answering him nothing.

Still Ralph did not get home without another adventure, for when he had
gone a little way he came to a stream that ran from a hillside which was
thick with trees, and here he stopped to doctor his hurts and bruises,
since he did not wish to appear at the house covered with blood. Now
this was a foolish enough thing to do, seeing the sort of man with
whom he had to deal, and that there was bush where anyone could hide
to within a hundred and twenty yards of his washing place. So it proved
indeed, for just as Ralph had mounted his horse and was about to ride
on, he felt a sharp stinging pain across his shoulders, as though
someone had hit him on the back with a stick, and heard the sound of
a gunshot fired from the cover of the bush, for there above the green