"Come back to you, as the wild Kaffirs ahead would kill me if I went on
alone."

"Oh! But what would your father think?"

"He would think there was one boy the less, that's all, and be sorry for a
while. People often vanish in Africa where there are so many lions and
savages."

Rachel reflected a while, then finding the subject difficult, suggested
that he should find out what their own particular lions were doing. So
Richard went to look, and reported that the storm had ceased, and that by
the moonlight he could see no lions or any other animals, so he thought
that they must have gone away somewhere. The flood waters also appeared to
be running down. Comforted by this intelligence Rachel piled on the fire
nearly all the wood that remained to them. Then they sat down again side
by side, and tried to continue their conversation. By degrees it drooped,
however, and the end of it was that presently this pair were fast asleep
in each other's arms.



CHAPTER III

GOOD-BYE


Rachel was the first to wake, which she did, feeling cold, for the fire
had burnt almost out. She rose and walked from the cave. The dawn was
breaking quietly, for now no wind stirred, and no rain fell. So dense was