“No, no, lord,” begged the wretched creature, “I will trust you; I will try, though it is you who must be mad.”
“Very good. Stand over him, Jeekie, while I put on my things and, yes, give me that mask. If he stirs, kill him at once.”
So Alan made himself ready. Then he mounted guard over the Mungana, as did Jeekie, although he shook his head over their prospect of escape.
“No go,” he muttered, “no go! If we get past priests, Asika catch us with her magic. When I bolt with your reverend uncle last time, Little Bonsa arrange business because she go abroad fetch you. Now likely as not she bowl you out, and then good-bye Jeekie.”
Alan sternly bade him be quiet and stop behind if he did not wish to come.
“No, no, Major,” he answered, “I come all right. Asika very prejudiced beggar, and if she find me here alone—oh my! Better die double after all, Two’s company, Major. Now, all ready, March!” and he gave the unfortunate Mungana a fearful kick as a hint to proceed, adding reflectively “Everything come square in end, Major. You ’member once this chap bump Jeekie’s head at feast of Little Bonsa. Well, now I bump his tail,” and he kicked him again.
So utterly crushed was the poor wretch that even this insult did not stir him to resentment.
“Follow me, white man,” he said, “and if you desire to live, be silent. Throw your cloaks about your heads.”
They did so, and holding their revolvers in their right hands, glided after the Mungana. In the corner of the big room they came to a little stair. How it opened in that place where no stair had been, they could not see or even guess, for it was too dark, only now they knew the means by which the Asika had been able to visit them at night.
The Mungana went first down the stair. Jeekie followed, grasping him by the arm with one hand, while in the other he kept his own knife ready to stab him at the first sign of treachery. Alan brought up the rear, keeping hold of Jeekie’s cloak. They passed down twelve steps of stair, then turned to the right along a tunnel, then to the left, then to the right again. In the pitch darkness it was an awful journey, since they knew not whither they were being led, and expected that every moment would be their last. At length, quite of a sudden, they emerged into moonlight.