"Is Miss Barbara alive?" said Alan to Jeekie in an agonized whisper, at
the same time nodding towards the grave that was so ominously short.
"Hope so, think so, these cards say so, but God He know alone," answered
Jeekie. "Go and look, that best way to find out."
So they advanced into the camp through a narrow gateway made of a
V-shaped piece of wood, to where the two tents were placed in its inner
division. Of these tents, the first, was open, whereas the second was
closed. As the open tent was obviously empty, they went to the second,
whereof Jeekie began to loosen the lashings of the flap. It was a long
business, for they seemed to have been carefully knotted inside; indeed
at last, growing impatient, Jeekie cut the cord, using the curved knife
with which the Mungana had tried to kill Alan.
Meanwhile Alan was suffering torments, being convinced that Barbara was
dead and buried in that new-made grave beneath the trees. He could not
speak, he could scarcely stand, and yet a picture began to form in his
numb mind. He saw himself seated in the dark in the Treasure-house at
Bonsa-Town; he saw a vision in the air before him.
Lo! the tent door opened and that vision reappeared.
Pages:
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385