Her sweet archness made me take a half angry, half possessing step forward, but a look stopped me.
“They are coming!” said she, and we hid.
The savages were more animated than before, and they wondered among themselves when the white man would be brought up from the settlement, and whether all or any of themselves would be relieved from guard duty, that they might witness the proceedings. It was clear that they had not missed the wood.
We slipped away. When we had come near our hut, Beela asked us to wait while she took Rawley to that hiding-place.
“Beelo,” I firmly said, “you don’t understand. That man and I cannot live together.”
She regarded me with a suspicious-looking sadness. “Enemies among yourselves, Choseph! Is this the best that wise men with so much at stake can do?” With a smile I took her hand. “Thank you, dear little brother,” I said. “I will do my part.”
Tears easily came to Beela’s eyes, and made them moist now.
“But you and Christopher are not to stay here any longer. Wouldn’t you like to be nearer the beautiful, the good, the angel Lentala?”
“Explain, lad.”
“Wait till I come back.”