free her from it, and she closed her eyes to wipe away a tear.



When Dorcas opened them again something very strange seemed to have
happened. She felt wide awake, and yet knew that she must be dreaming
because the room had disappeared. There was nothing in sight except the
bare rock upon which the house stood. For instance, she could see the
gorge behind as it used to be before they made it into a garden, for she
recognised some of the very trees that they had cut down. Moreover,
from one of the caves at the end of it issued a procession, a horrible
procession of fierce-looking, savage warriors, with spears and
knobkerries, who between them half dragged, half carried a young woman
and an elderly man.

They advanced. They passed within a few feet of her, and observing
the condition of the woman and the man, she saw that these must be led
because for a certain reason they could not see where to go,--oh! never
mind what she saw.

The procession reached the edge of the rock where the railing was, only
now the railing had gone like the house. Then for the first time Dorcas
heard, for hitherto all had seemed to happen in silence.

"Die, _Umtakati!_ Die, you wizard, as the King commands, and feed the
river-dwellers," said a deep voice.

There followed a struggle, a horrible twisting of shapes, and the
elderly man vanished over the cliff, while a moment later from below
came the noise of a great splash.