The Ghost Kings | Page 9

the same clear grey eyes, and the same well-cut features; indeed
seen together, most people would have thought them brother and sister,
and remarked upon their family likeness. Rachel spoke the first.
"Who are you?" she shouted into his ear in one of the intervals of
darkness, "and why did you come here?"
"My name is Richard Darrien," he answered at the top of his voice,
"and I don't know why I came. I suppose something sent me to save
you."
"Yes," she replied with conviction, "something sent you. If you had not
come I should be dead, shouldn't I? In glory, as my father says."
"I don't know about glory, or what it is," he remarked, after thinking
this saying over, "but you would have been rolling out to sea in the
flood water, like that buffalo, with not a whole bone in you, which isn't
my idea of glory."
"That's because your father isn't a missionary," said Rachel.
"No, he is an officer, naval officer, or at least he was, now he trades
and hunts. We are coming down from Natal. But what's your name?"
"Rachel Dove."
"Well, Rachel Dove--that's very pretty, Rachel Dove, as you would be
if you were cleaner--it is going to rain presently. Is there any place
where we can shelter here?"
"I am as clean as you are," she answered indignantly. "The river
muddied me, that's all. You can go and shelter, I will stop and let the
rain wash me."

"And die of the cold or be struck by lightning. Of course I knew you
weren't dirty really. Is there any, place?"
She nodded, mollified.
"I think I know one. Come," and she stretched out her hand.
He took it, and thus hand in hand they made their way to the highest
point of the island where the trees grew, for here the rocks piled up
together made a kind of cave in which Rachel and her mother had sat
for a little while when they visited the place. As they groped their way
towards it the lightning blazed out and they saw a great jagged flash
strike the tallest tree and shatter it, causing some wild beast that had
sheltered there to rush past them snorting.
"That doesn't look very safe," said Richard halting, "but come on, it
isn't likely to hit the same spot twice."
"Hadn't you better leave your gun?" she suggested, for all this while
that weapon had been slung to his back and she knew that lightning has
an affinity for iron.
"Certainly not," he answered, "it is a new one which my father gave me,
and I won't be parted from it."
Then they went on and reached the little cave just as the rain broke over
them in earnest. As it chanced the place was dry, being so situated that
all water ran away from it. They crouched in it shivering, trying to
cover themselves with dead sticks and brushwood that had lodged here
in the wet season when the whole island was under water.
"It would be nice enough if only we had a fire," said Rachel, her teeth
chattering as she spoke.
The lad Richard thought a while. Then he opened a leather case that
hung on his rifle sling and took from it a powder flask and flint and
steel and some tinder. Pouring a little powder on the damp tinder, he
struck the flint until at length a spark caught and fired the powder. The

tinder caught also, though reluctantly, and while Rachel blew on it, he
felt round for dead leaves and little sticks, some of which were coaxed
into flame.
After this things were easy since fuel lay about in abundance, so that
soon they had a splendid fire burning in the mouth of the cave whence
the smoke escaped. Now they were able to warm and dry themselves,
and as the heat entered into their chilled bodies, their spirits rose.
Indeed the contrast between this snug hiding place and blazing fire of
drift wood and the roaring tempest without, conduced to cheerfulness
in young people who had just narrowly escaped from drowning.
"I am so hungry," said Rachel, presently.
Again Richard began to search, and this time produced from the pocket
of his coat a long and thick strip of sun-dried meat.
"Can you eat biltong?" he asked.
"Of course," she answered eagerly.
"Then you must cut it up," he said, giving her the meat and his knife.
"My arm hurts me, I can't."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "how selfish I am. I forgot about that stick
striking you. Let me see the place."
He took off his coat and knelt down while she stood over him and
examined his wound by the light of the fire, to find that the