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He shrugged his shoulders and I handed her the parcel； which was
neatly sewn up。 Somebody produced scissors and the stitches were cut。
Within the linen was a necklace of beautiful red stones； oval…shaped
like amber beads and of the size of a robin's egg。 They were roughly
polished and threaded on what I recognized at once to be hair from an
elephant's tail。 From certain indications I judged these stones； which
might have been spinels or carbuncles； or even rubies； to be very
ancient。 Possibly they had once hung round the neck of some lady in
old Egypt。 Indeed a beautiful little statuette； also of red stone；
which was suspended from the centre of the necklace； suggested that
this was so； for it may well have been a likeness of one of the great
gods of the Egyptians； the infant Horus； the son of Isis。
〃That is the necklace I saw which the Ivory Child gave me in my
dream；〃 said Miss Holmes quietly。
Then with much deliberation she clasped it round her throat。
CHAPTER V
THE PLOT
The sequel to the events of this evening may be told very briefly and
of it the reader can form his own judgment。 I narrate it as it
happened。
That night I did not sleep at all well。 It may have been because of
the excitement of the great shoot in which I found myself in
competition with another man whom I disliked and who had defrauded me
in the past； to say nothing of its physical strain in cold and heavy
weather。 Or it may have been that my imagination was stirred by the
arrival of that strange pair； Har？t and Mar？t； apparently in search of
myself； seven thousand miles away from any place where they can have
known aught of an insignificant individual with a purely local repute。
Or it may have been that the pictures which they showed me when under
the influence of the fumes of their 〃tobacco〃or of their hypnotism
took an undue possession of my brain。
Or lastly； the strange coincidence that the beautiful betrothed of my
host should have related to me a tale of her childhood of which she
declared she had never spoken before； and that within an hour the two
principal actors in that tale should have appeared before my eyes and
hers （for I may state that from the beginning I had no doubt that they
were the same men）； moved me and filled me with quite natural
foreboding。 Or all these things together may have tended to a
concomitant effect。 At any rate the issue was that I could not sleep。
For hour after hour I lay thinking and in an irritated way listening
for the chimes of the Ragnall stable…clock which once had adorned the
tower of the church and struck the quarters with a damnable
reiteration。 I concluded that Messrs。 Har？t and Mar？t were a couple of
common Arab rogues such as I had seen performing at the African ports。
Then a quarter struck and I concluded that the elephants' cemetery
which I beheld in the smoke undoubtedly existed and that I meant to
collar those thousands of pounds' worth of ivory before I died。 Then
after another quarter I concluded that there was no elephants'
cemeteryalthough by the way my old friend； Dogeetah or Brother John；
had mentioned such a thing to mebut that probably there was a tribe；
as he had also mentioned； called the Kendah； who worshipped a baby； or
rather its effigy。
Well now； as had already occurred to me； the old Egyptians； of whom I
was always fond of reading when I got a chance； also worshipped a
child； Horus the Saviour。 And that child had a mother called Isis
symbolized in the crescent moon； the great Nature goddess； the
mistress of mysteries to whose cult ten thousand priests were sworn
do not Herodotus and others； especially Apuleius； tell us all about
her？ And by a queer coincidence Miss Holmes had the mark of a crescent
moon upon her breast。 And when she was a child those two men； or
others very like them； had pointed out that mark to each other。 And I
had seen them staring hard at it that night。 And in her vapour…invoked
dream the 〃Heavenly Child；〃 /alias/ Horus； or the double of Horus； the
/Ka/； I think the Egyptians called it； had awakened at the sight of
her and kissed her and given her the necklace of the goddess； andall
the rest。 What did it mean？
I went to sleep at last wondering what on earth it /could/ mean； till
presently that confounded clock woke me up again and I must go through
the whole business once more。
By degrees； this was towards dawn； I became aware that all hope of
rest had vanished from me utterly； that I was most painfully awake；
and what is more； oppressed by a curious fear to the effect that
something was going to happen to Miss Holmes。 So vivid did this fear
become that at length I arose； lit a candle and dressed myself。 As it
happened I knew where Miss Holmes slept。 Her room； which I had seen
her enter； was on the same corridor as mine though at the other end of
it near the head of a stair that ran I knew not whither。 In my
portmanteau that had been sent over from Miss Manners's house； amongst
other things was a small double…barrelled pistol which from long habit
I always carried with me loaded； except for the caps that were in a
little leather case with some spare ammunition attached to the pistol
belt。 I took it out； capped it and thrust it into my pocket。 Then I
slipped from the room and stood behind a tall clock in the corridor；
watching Miss Holmes's door and reflecting what a fool I should look
if anyone chanced to find me。
Half an hour or so later by the light of the setting moon which
struggled through a window； I saw the door open and Miss Holmes emerge
in a kind of dressing…gown and still wearing the necklace which Har？t
and Mar？t had given her。 Of this I was sure for the light gleamed upon
the red stones。
Also it shone upon her face and showed me without doubt that she was
walking in her sleep。
Gliding as silently as a ghost she crossed the corridor and vanished。
I followed and saw that she had descended an ancient； twisting
stairway which I had noted in the castle wall。 I went after her； my
stockinged feet making no noise； feeling my way carefully in the
darkness of the stair； for I did not dare to strike a match。 Beneath
me I heard a noise as of someone fumbling with bolts。 Then a door
creaked on its hinges and there was some light。 When I reached the
doorway I caught sight of the figure of Miss Holmes flitting across a
hollow garden that was laid out in the bottom of the castle moat which
had been drained。 The garden； as I had observed when we walked through
it on the previous day on our way to the first covert that we shot；
was bordered by a shrubbery through which ran paths that led to the
back drive of the castle。
Across the garden glided the figure of Miss Holmes and after it went
I； crouching and taking cover behind every bush as though I were
stalking big game； which indeed I was。 She entered the shrubbery；
moving much more swiftly now； for as she went she seemed to gather
speed； like a stone which is rolled down a hill。 It was as though
whatever might be attracting her； for I felt sure that she was being
drawn by something； acted more strongly upon her sleeping will as she
drew nearer to it。 For a while I lost sight of her in the shadow of
the tall trees。 Then suddenly I saw her again； standing quite still in
an opening caused by the blowing down in the gale of one of the avenue
of elms that bordered the back drive。 But now she was no longer alone；
for advancing towards her were two cloaked figures in whom I
recognized Har？t and Mar？t。
There she stood with outstretched arms； and towards her； stealthily as
lions stalking a buck； came Har？t and Mar？t。 Moreover； between the
naked boughs of the fallen elm I caught sight of what looked like the
outline of a closed carriage standing upon the drive。 Also I heard a
horse stamp upon the frosty ground。 Round the edge of the little glade
I ran； keeping in the dark shadow； as I went cocking the pistol that
was in my pocket。 Then suddenly I darted out and stood between Har？t
and Mar？t and Miss Holmes。
Not a word passed between us。 I think that all three of us
subconsciously were anxious not to awake the sleeping woman； knowing
that if we did so there would be a terrible scene。 Only after
motioning to me to stand aside； of course in vain； Har？t and Mar？t
drew from their robes curved and cruel…looking knives and bowed； for
even now their politeness did not forsake them。 I bowed back and when
I straightened myself those enterprising Easterns found that I was
covering the heart of Har？t with my pistol。 Then with that perception
which is part of the mental outfit of the great； they saw that the
game was up since I could have shot them both before a knife touched
me。
〃You have won this time； O Watcher…by…Night；〃 whispered Har？t softly；
〃but another time you will lose。 That beautiful lady belongs to us and
the People of the White Kendah； for