"By Heaven!" he exclaimed to himself, "I have fallen in love with a greenbeauty at first sight--more in love than I have ever been before. It'sawkward, but there will be compensations. So much the worse forNahoon, or for Cetywayo, or for both of them. After all, I can alwaysget rid of her if she becomes a nuisance."

Then, in a fit of renewed weakness, brought about by the turmoil ofhis blood, he lay back upon the pillow of furs, watching Nanea's facewhile with a native salve of pounded leaves she busied herselfdressing the wounds that the leopard had made.