human
And where have you been all this fearful night?
gpt
Tied to a tree. Three times the light from your lantern fell upon me, and twice a hyaena came and stared at me. Ugh, the brute!
human
Tied to a tree? How did it happen, and that voice, did you hear it calling?
gpt
I heard it, he said,
human
Strange, she murmured.
gpt
I also thought it was your uncle calling, though I had never seen or heard him.
human
It struck me to the marrow, said Webster,
gpt
It is beyond me, said Hume wearily.
human
When I left you last night I expected to find some black, perhaps a woman, from the terror in the sound of her cry, fallen into the river, or caught by a crocodile, and I ran down to the bank, making noise enough to inform anyone of my whereabouts. On reaching the river I stood still, and without the slightest warning was felled to the ground. On recovering consciousness I found myself bound to a tree and gagged. It all happened within the space of ten minutes after leaving the waggon.
gpt
The cry was a decoy, then?
human
It must have been.
gpt
You saw no one?
human
No, nor heard the step of my assailant, though at the time I was listening intently.
gpt
His feet must have been naked, then?
human
Not necessarily, for he may have worn veldschoens, which give no sound. I examined the ground with Klaas before coming up, and we could see no spoor beyond that made by our party.
gpt
What possible object could he have had, mused Webster,
human
Impossible! Whoever did it must have watched us, and he could only have mistaken me for you. No one has a grudge against you.
gpt
I see it! cried Miss Anstrade, who had been looking with knitted brows into the fire.
human
Just before dusk we were talking of the Golden Rock. It was possible for an enemy to creep up undetected and to listen to our talk.
gpt
Yes,
human
That is it, she cried;
gpt
It is gone,
human
Baas, he said in a low voice.
gpt
Baas,
human
Well?
gpt
De ossa is gone.
human
What!
gpt
They were stampeded by lions,
human
Didn't I tell you to have them properly tied?
gpt
Yoh, my baas! But the rheims; someone cut them in the night. Come, see!
human
Good heavens! Can this be true?