CHAPTER XII
THE WHITE WITCH
I DESCENDED from the litter and told the others what the old fellow had said. Robertson did not want to come, and indeed refused to do so until I suggested to him that such conduct might prejudice a powerful person against us. Umslopogaas was indifferent, putting, as he remarked, no faith in a ruler who was a woman.
Only Hans, although he was so tired, acquiesced with some eagerness, the fact being that his brain was more alert and that he had all the curiosity of the monkey tribe which he so much resembled in appearance, and wanted to see this queen whom Zikali revered.
In the end we started, conducted by Billali and by men who carried torches whereof the light showed me that we were passing between houses, or at any rate walls that had been those of houses, and along what seemed to be a paved street.
Walking under what I took to be a great arch or portico, we came into a court that was full of towering pillars but unroofed, for I could see the stars above. At its end we entered a building of which the doorway was hung with mats, to find that it was lighted with lamps and that all down its length on either side guards with long spears stood at intervals.
Oh, Baas,
said Hans hesitatingly, this is the mouth of a trap,
while Umslopogaas glared about him suspiciously, fingering the handle of his great axe.
Be silent,
I answered. All this mountain is a trap, therefore another does not matter, and we have our pistols.
Walking forward between the double line of guards who stood immovable as statues, we came to some curtains hung at the end of a long narrow hall which, although I know little of such things, were, I noted, made of rich stuff embroidered
