Presently she seemed to understand, and I saw her slowly lift her hand towards her head.

Then I knew her purpose.
"Now, there is a certain deadly poison, White Man, of which I have the secret, and that secret I taught long ago to my mistress.

It is so deadly that a piece of it no larger than the smallest ant can kill a man--yes, the instant after it touches his tongue he will be dead.
Living alone as she does in the wilds, it is the custom of my mistress to carry a portion of this poison hidden in her hair, since a time might come when she must use it to save herself from worse than death.

Now it seemed to her that this hour was upon her, and I knew that she was about to take the poison.

Then in my fear I whispered to her through the crack in the wall, speaking in an ancient tongue which I have taught her, the tongue of my own people, White Man, and saying: 'Hold your hand, Shepherdess; while you live you may escape, but from death there is no escape.