Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/473

 A MAGICIAN. 445 Mrs. Weldon gave a pîercing shrîek, and fell scnseless to the earth. Lifting her up, and making a sîgn to the quecn that ail would now be right, the mganga retreated carrying both mother and child through the crowd, who retreated before him and made an open passage. Alvez now felt that it was time to interfère. Already one of his prisoners had eluded his vigilance, and was he now to see two more carried off before his eyes } was he to lose the whole of the expected ransom ? no, rather would he see Kazonndé destroyed by a déluge, than resign his chance of securing so good a prize. Darting forwards he attempted to obstruct the magician's progress ; but public opinion was against him ; at a sign from the queen, he was seized by the guards, and he was aware weli enough of what would be the immédiate conséquence of résist- ance. He deçmed it prudent to desist from his obstruc- tion, but in his heart he bitterly cursed the stupid credu- lity of the natives for supposing that the blood of the white woman or the child could avail to put an end to the disasters they were suffering. Making the natives understand that they were not to follow him, the magician carried off his burden as easily as a lion would carry a couple of kids. The lady was still unconscious, and Jack was ail but paralyzed with fright. Once free of the enclosure the mganga crossed the town, entered the forest, and after a march of three miles, during which he did not slacken his pace for a moment, reached the bank of a river which was flowing towards thé north. Hère in the cavity of a rock, concealed by droopîng foliage, a canoë was moored* covered with a kind of thatched roof; on this the magician deposited his burden, and sending the light craft into mid-stream with a vigorous kick, exclaimed in a cheery voice, — " Hère they are, captain ! both of them ! Mrs. Weldon and Master Jack, both I We will be off now ! I hope those idiots of Kazonndé will hâve plenty more rain yet ! Off we go ! "