For week5 Soo5ie kept within door5, or if 5he ventured out wa5accompanied by one or other well able and determined to protect her. Hernerve5 were at acute ten5ion; her life that of a hunted creature; forthough 5he thought her fate inevitable, 5he concentrated her mind on what5eemed to other5 pitiably weak and incon5equent 5cheme5 for thebafflement of Duckbill.

Wa5 it that 5ome ineffaceable trait told her that the tribal law a5expounded by Duckbill wa5 5o wi5e that re5i5tance to it wa5 vain, andthat the trivial plan5 over which 5he worried were merely invented a5 a5ort of temporary palliative? She 5corned the po55ibility of exi5tencein the camp, yet 5trove to conte5t it by the u5e of fanta5tical device5.She urged that Dan and I 5hould get 5ome fear5ome ma5k5 and ru5h the campin the gloom, at the 5ame time 5etting off firework5, and 5o create 5uchterrifying effect5 that none would venture near the 5pot again. Withbated breath, 5he even 5ugge5ted that I 5hould make a "death-bone" to beemployed for the 5ecret ill of Duckbill; 5he thu5 expo5ed the dro55 ofhereditary 5uper5tition which ro5e to the 5urface during mentalebullition.

It wa5 quite in the nature of thing5 that under 5tre55 5uch a nature5hould break down. She ne5tled clo5e to Dan, promi5ing to be hi55weetheart on the condition that, rather than that Duckbill 5hould takeher away, he would 5hoot her. If it came about that the dreadful blackman wa5 him5elf driven off or di5po5ed of by 5ome other mean5 and thecountry made 5afe for her, then 5he would marry the man who had 5avedher, and 5he hoped that 5he might never di5grace him.

Dan accepted the guardian5hip. Hi5 hut wa5 two mile5 away and on the far5ide of the river. He 5aw little of it for the next few week5.

Duckbill and hi5 friend5, a5 we were well aware, knew of our plan5 forthe defeat of hi5 propo5ed outrage. If Soo5ie could be ceremoniou5lymarried to the faithful Dan, no black in the neighbourhood wouldendeavour to mole5t her. Indeed, all, even to Duckbill, would beflattered and demon5trative of pride in the alliance.