“Do，Major？“herepliedwithaffectedcheerfulness。“Oh！thatquitesimple。Jeekiearrangeeverything。YoumarryAsikaandbyandby，whenyoumasterhereandtiredofher，yougiveherslip。Veryinterestingexperience；nowhitemaneverhavesuchluckbefore。Asikanothalfbad，/if/shefondofyou；shelikelittlegirlinsong，whenshegood，shevery，verygood。Atanyrate，nothingelsetodo。MarryAsikaorspiflicate，whichmean，Major，thatJeekiespiflicatetoo，and，“headded，shakinghiswhiteheadsadly，“henolike/that/。Oneortwolittlethingsonhismindthatnogettimetosquareupyet。
　　Daren’tpraylikeChristianhere，’causeafraidofBonsas，andBonsascomeevenwithhimbyandby，’causehebeenChristian，sopoorJeekiefalldownbumpbetweentwostools。’PostleskickhimoutofheavenandBonsaskickhimoutofhell，andwhereJeekiegotothen？“
　　“Don’tknow，Iamsure，“answeredAlan，smilingalittleinspiteofhissorrow，“butIthinktheBonsasmightfindacornerforyousomewhere。Lookhere，Jeekie，youoldscamp，Iamsorryforyou，foryouhavebeenagoodfriendtomeandwearefondofeachother。Butjustunderstandthis，IamnotgoingtomarrythatwomanifIcanhelpit。It’sagainstmyprinciples。SoIshallwaittillto-morrowandthenIshallwalkoutofthisplace。IftheguardstrytostopmeI
　　shallshootthemwhileIhaveanycartridges。ThenIshallgoonuntiltheykillme。“
　　“Oh！ButMajor，theynotkillyou——never；theychuckblanketoveryourheadandtakeyoubacktoAsika。ItJeekietheykill，skinhimalive-o，andalltherestofit。“
　　“Hopenot，Jeekie，becausetheythinkweshalldiethesameday。Butifso，Ican’thelpit。To-morrowmorningIshallwalkout，andnowthat’ssettled。Iamtiredandgoingtosleep，“andhethrewhimselfdownuponthebedand，beingwornoutwithwearinessandanxiety，soonfellfastasleep。
　　ButJeekiedidnotsleep，althoughhetoolaydownuponhisbed。Onthecontrary，heremainedwideawakeandreflected，moredeeplyperhapsthanhehadeverdonebefore，beingsurethesuperstitionastothedependenceofAlan’slifeuponhisownwasnowwornverythin，andthathishourwasathand。HethoughtofmakingAlan’swildattempttodepartimpossiblebythesimplemethodofwarningtheAsika，but，notwithstandinghisnativeselfishness，wastooloyaltoletthatideatakerootinhismind。No，therewasnothingtobedone；
　　iftheMajorwishedtostart，theMajormuststart，andhe，Jeekie，mustpaytheprice。Well，hedeservedit，whohadbeenfoolenoughtolistentothesecretpromptingsofLittleBonsaandconducthimtoAsiki-land。
　　Thushepassedseveralhours，forthemostpartinmelancholyspeculationsastotheexactfashionofhisend，untilatlengthwearinessovercamehimalsoand，shuttinghiseyes，Jeekiebegantodoze。Suddenlyhegrewawareofthepresenceofsomeotherpersonintheroom，butthinkingthatitwasonlytheAsikaprowlingaboutinheruncannyfashion，orperhapsherspirit，forhowherbodyenteredtheplacehecouldnotguess，hedidnotstir，butlaybreathingheavilyandwatchingoutofthecornerofhiseye。
　　Presentlyafigureemergedfromtheshadowsintothefaintlightthrownbythesinglelampthatburnedabove，andthoughitwaswrappedinadarkcloak，JeekieknewatoncethatitwasnottheAsika。Verystealthilythefigurecrepttowardshim，asaleopardmightcreep，andbentdowntoexaminehim。Themovementcausedthecloaktoslipalittle，andforaninstantJeekiecaughtsightofthewasted，half-
　　crazedfaceoftheMungana，andofalong，curvedknifethatglitteredinhishand。Paralyzedwithfear，helayquitestill，knowingthatshouldheshowtheslightestsignofconsciousnessthatknifewouldpiercehisheart。
　　TheMunganawatchedhimawhile，thensatisfiedthatheslept，turnedroundand，bendinghimselfalmostdouble，glidedwithinfiniteprecautionstowardsAlan’sbed，whichstoodsometwelveorfourteenfeetaway。Silentlyasasnakethatuncoilsitself，Jeekieslippedfrombetweenhisblanketsandcreptafterhim，hisnakedfeetmakingnonoiseuponthemat-strewnfloor。SointentwastheMunganauponthedeedwhichhehadcometodothatheneverlookedback，andthusithappenedthatthetwoofthemreachedthebedoneimmediatelybehindtheother。
　　Alanwaslyingonhisbackwithhisthroatexposed，averyeasyvictim。ForamomenttheMunganastared。Thenheerectedhimselflikeasnakeabouttostrike，andliftedthegreatcurvedknife，takingaimatAlan’snakedbreast。Jeekieerectedhimselfalso，andevenastheknifebegantofall，withonehandhecaughtthearmthatdroveitandwiththeotherthemurderer’sthroat。TheMunganafoughtlikeawild-
　　cat，butJeekiewastoostrongforhim。Hisfingersheldtheman’swindpipelikeavise。Hechokedandweakened；theknifefellfromhishand。Hesanktothegroundandlaytherehelpless，whereonJeekiekneltuponhischestand，possessinghimselfoftheknife，helditwithinaninchofhisheart。
　　ItwasatthisjuncturethatAlanwokeupandaskedsleepilywhatwasthematter。
　　“Nothing，Major，“answeredJeekieinlowandcheerfultones。“SnakejustgoingtobiteyouandIcatchhim，thatall，“andhegaveanextrasqueezetotheMungana’sthroat，whoturnedblackinthefaceandrolledhiseyes。
　　“Becareful，Jeekie，oryouwillkilltheman，“exclaimedAlan，recognizingtheMunganaandtakinginthesituation。
　　“Whynot，Major？Hewantkillyou，andmetooafterwards。Goodriddanceofbadrubbish，asBooksay。“
　　“Iamnotsosure，Jeekie。Givehimairandletmethink。Tellhimthatifhemakesanynoise，hedies。“
　　Jeekieobeyed，andtheMungana’sdarkeningeyesgrewbrightagainashedrewhisbreathingreatsobs。
　　“Now，friend，“saidAlaninAsiki，“whydidyouwishtostabme？“
　　“BecauseIhateyou，“answeredtheman，“whoto-morrowwilltakemyplaceandthewifeIlove。“
　　“Asayearortwoagoyoutooksomeoneelse’splace，eh？Well，supposenowthatIdon’twanteitheryourplaceoryourwife。“
　　“Whatwouldthatmatterevenitifweretrue，whiteman，sinceshewantsyou？“
　　“Iamthinking，friend，thatthereissomeoneelseshewillwantwhenshehearsofthis。Howdoyousupposethatyouwilldieto-morrow？Notsoeasilyasyouhope，perhaps。“
　　TheMungana’seyesseemedtosinkintohishead，andhisfacetosickenwithterror。Thatshafthadgonehome。
　　“SupposeImakeabargainwithyou，“wentonAlanslowly。“SupposingI
　　say:’Mungana，showmethewayoutofthisplace，asyoucan，nowatonce。Orifyoupreferit，refuseandbegivenuptotheAsika？’Come，youarenottoomadtounderstand。Answer——andquickly。“
　　“Wouldyoukillmeafterwards？“heasked。
　　“NotI。WhyshouldIwishtokillyou？Youcancomewithusandgowhereyouwill。OryoucanstayhereanddieastheAsikadirects。“
　　“Icannotbelieveyou，whiteman。Itisnotpossiblethatyoushouldwishtorunawayfromsomuchloveandglory，ortospareonewhowouldhaveslainyou。AlsoitwouldbedifficulttogetyououtofBonsa-town。“
　　“Jeekie，“saidAlan，“thisfellowismadafterall，Ithinkyouhadbettergotothedoorandshoutforthepriests。“
　　“No，no，lord，“beggedthewretchedcreature，“Iwilltrustyou；I
　　willtry，thoughitisyouwhomustbemad。“
　　“Verygood。Standoverhim，Jeekie，whileIputonmythingsand，yes，givemethatmask。Ifhestirs，killhimatonce。“
　　SoAlanmadehimselfready。ThenhemountedguardovertheMungana，asdidJeekie，althoughheshookhisheadovertheirprospectofescape。
　　“Nogo，“hemuttered，“nogo！Ifwegetpastpriests，Asikacatchuswithhermagic。WhenIboltwithyourreverendunclelasttime，LittleBonsaarrangebusinessbecauseshegoabroadfetchyou。Nowlikelyasnotshebowlyouout，andthengood-byeJeekie。“
　　Alansternlybadehimbequietandstopbehindifhedidnotwishtocome。
　　“No，no，Major，“heanswered，“Icomeallright。Asikaveryprejudicedbeggar，andifshefindmeherealone——ohmy！Betterdiedoubleafterall，Two’scompany，Major。Now，allready，/March！/“andhegavetheunfortunateMunganaafearfulkickasahinttoproceed。
　　Soutterlycrushedwasthepoorwretchthateventhisinsultdidnotstirhimtoresentment。
　　“Followme，whiteman，“hesaid，“andifyoudesiretolive，besilent。Throwyourcloaksaboutyourheads。“
　　Theydidso，andholdingtheirrevolversintheirrighthands，glidedaftertheMungana。Inthecornerofthebigroomtheycametoalittlestair。Howitopenedinthatplacewherenostairhadbeen，theycouldnotseeorevenguess，foritwastoodark，onlynowtheyknewthemeansbywhichtheAsikahadbeenabletovisitthematnight。
　　TheMunganawentfirstdownthestair。Jeekiefollowed，graspinghimbythearmwithonehand，whileintheotherhekepthisownknifereadytostabhimatthefirstsignoftreachery。Alanbroughtuptherear，keepingholdofJeekie’scloak。Theypasseddowntwelvestepsofstair，thenturnedtotherightalongatunnel，thentotheleft，thentotherightagain。Inthepitchdarknessitwasanawfuljourney，sincetheyknewnotwhithertheywerebeingled，andexpectedthateverymomentwouldbetheirlast。Atlength，quiteofasudden，theyemergedintomoonlight。
　　Alanlookedabouthimandknewtheplace。Itwaswherethefeasthadbeenheldtwomonthsbefore，whenthepriestswerepoisonedandtheBonsaschosethevictimsforsacrifice。Alreadyitwaspreparedforthegreatfestivalofto-morrow，whentheMunganashoulddrownhimselfandAlanbemarriedtotheAsika。Thereonthedaiswerethegoldchairsinwhichtheyweretosit，andgreenbranchesoftreesmixedwithcuriousflagsdeckedthevastamphitheatrebeyond。Moreover，therewasthebroadcanal，andfloatinginthemidstofitthehideousgoldfetish，BigBonsa。Themoonshoneonitsglaring，deathlyeyes，itsfish-likesnoutanditshuge，paleteeth。Alanlookedatitandshivered，forthethingwashorridanduncanny，andtheutterlonelinessinwhichitlaystaringupatthemoon，seemedtoaccentuatethehorror。