Her figure was too slight to serve the purpose of a shield. The poisoned arrow whizzed straight at the breast of Ashman, who had turned about, but instead of entering his body, the point, surcharged with venom, was imbedded in the snowy arm of Ariel herself!
The horrified Fred Ashman saw that the poisoned arrow, aimed at his own heart had buried itself in the fair arm of Ariel, as she clasped him about the neck anxious to shield him from harm at the expense of her own life.
She had saved him, but at what a fearful cost! The agonized lover realized it all, as he tenderly placed her on the rock beside which they were standing. Then, like the man who, knowing he has been fatally struck by the rattlesnake or cobra, turns to stamp the life out of the reptile, before looking after his own wound, he faced about and brought his rifle to his shoulder. The dusky miscreant cowered low, but he could not save himself, for the bullet which left the Winchester, entering at the skull, ranged through the length of his body, and he rolled off the ledge like a rotten log and went down the yawning abyss that afforded a fit sepulture for such as he.
King Haffgo was standing erect, as if defying the white man to fire at him. He had seen the result of the shot and he did not regret it.
"Die the death you deserve!" he called out in English; "for you are not the daughter of Haffgo!"
Then he turned about and moved along the ledge, while Ashman stood for an instant, with weapon levelled, feeling that the awful occurrence had absolved him from the pledge made a short time before.
He was aiming, when a faint voice at his side said:
Letting the rifle fall from his grasp, he wheeled around as if he had been shot himself.
The brave Ariel had drawn the arrow from her arm, and was sitting erect. In her right hand, was a small earthen bottle such as was in common use among the Murhapas.
"Great heaven! what does this mean?" demanded her lover, uncertain whether he was awake or dreaming.
"I feel a little faint, but the danger is past."
"But,--but,"--he added, "the arrow was poisoned!"
"Yes, but the poison has a remedy; it is in _that_," she added, holding up the bottle; "my parent always carried it; I brought it with me when I left home."