that," rejoined Dick. And then he thought no more
about it.

"I think we'll inspan and get on," said Greenoak. "I'll report the
affair at Komgha, and they'll send out some police, and the doctor, if
he isn't away over the Kei, that is. Well, Dick, we've started you with
the sight of a first-class row," he added.

"It just was a first-class one," answered Dick. "But the after effects
are a little beastly, eh? Some of these poor devils must be abominably
hurt."

"That, of course. But John Kafir, like other people, if he wants his
fun, has got to pay for it. Such of these fellows as the Police scoop
up as soon as they get right again will be put in the _tronk_ for their
share in to-day's racket."

"The mischief they will! Why? It was a fair fight."

"That's all right, Dick. But faction fights, however fair, are not
exactly allowed on British territory, which this is. Beyond the Kei
it's a different matter."

"We'll go on there, won't we?"

"Oh yes. The best way will be to join some Police patrol. Chambers,
the Inspector in command of A. Troop, is in camp at Komgha now, and
he'll work it for us if any one can. Mind you, although I'm no
scaremonger, it would be rather risky going far into the Gcaleka country
just now, just the two of us, and I'm responsible to your dad for your
safe return, you know, Dick."

"I say, old chap, suppose we stow that responsibility question for a
bit," laughed Dick. "Makes a fellow feel too much in leading-strings,
don't you know."

Harley Greenoak said nothing, and the cart being inspanned, they
reckoned with the hotel-keeper and took the road again.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE BIG GUN PRACTICE.

"Bang! Boom!"

Rock and frowning krantz rolled back the reverberations in swooping echo
as the first seven-pounder spoke, launching its whistling shrapnel
across the deep, thickly-bushed valley of the Tsolo River. Hardly had
the echoes died away than the second gun spoke.

Simultaneously with its roar, branches and stones were seen to split and
fly, on the opposite hillside, some six hundred yards away.
Simultaneously, too, a deep-chested ejaculation of wonderment broke from
the throats of more than double that number of human beings. But the
mere handful of brown-clad, helmeted men stood calm and alert, feeling
perhaps a little grim, as they marked the effect of the gun practice
upon the ochre-smeared groups which dotted the hillside hard by. More
and more Kafirs