In obedience to his command three of the evil fellows with him caught
hold of the end of the rope which hung over the bough, and began to
pull, dragging the light form of Sihamba upwards till only the tips of
her big toes touched the ground.

"Doesn't she dance prettily?" said Swart Piet with a brutal laugh, at
the same time motioning to the men to keep her thus a while.

Now Suzanne looked at the blackening lips and the little form convulsed
in its death struggle, and could bear the sight no more.

"Let her down!" she cried, and, springing from the saddle, for all this
while she had been seated upon her horse, she walked up to Piet, saying,
"Take what you seek, but oh! for your sake I wish to God that my lips
were poison."

"No, no," gasped Sihamba, who now was lying half choked upon the ground.

"That is not our bargain, dear," said Piet; "it is that you should kiss
me, not I you."

Again Suzanne shrank back, and again at his signal the men began to
pull upon the rope. Then seeing it, with her face as pale as death, she
learned forward and touched his lips with hers, whereon he seized her
round the middle, and, drawing her to him, covered her with kisses till
even the brutes with him called to him not to push his jest too far and
to let the girl go. This he did, uttering words which I will not repeat,
and so weak was Suzanne with shame that when his arms were taken from
her she fell to the ground, and lay there till the old Hottentot, her