“Bring him and the white man. Hasten, thou——” She pointed with her spear at a youngster, who, terrified, turned and ran towards the men’s quarters.
“My amulet for a death in battle, against thine for many sons amongst thy children,” whispered the Patriarch, “that the lad finds neither the blind one, nor the dumb one, nor the white man?”
The gamblers slipped their amulets from about their necks.
“Thinkest thou that they have escaped, O Father?”
“Nay, that I know not, but the bitch that so hateth our woman ruler turned from her meat and howled thrice at the moon! Naught but death can follow the sign! From fear of disaster amongst the dogs, she has been separated from her companions and placed by herself for the night in the small kennel amongst the rocks.”
“Aï, Aï!” whispered his companion, spreading his fingers against disaster. “Behold! the lad returneth with a face like troubled waters.”
The lad flung himself at Zarah’s feet, speechless from terror.
“Speak! Where are they?”
Zarah kicked him as he lay, and turned and half raised her spear in the direction from which had come a murmuring.
“The dwelling of the white man is empty, O mistress! Neither is the blind one nor the dumb one to be found for the searching.”