take their trial for escaping from
durance, and further acts of robbery committed or attempted, including
their attack upon Sunningdale; while the remaining four were sentenced
to death. Which sentence was carried out in the town of the district
wherein the murder had taken place, and the cutthroats were duly
hanged--all except the Kafir, Booi, that is, who being recommended to
mercy on the consideration above given, his capital sentence was
commuted to one of hard labour for life.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

AFTER THE STORM.

Several days went by before things at Sunningdale settled down into
their normal calm. The excitement of the night attack had left its mark
upon all concerned; moreover, the presence of the two prisoners was
productive of an uneasy feeling among the weaker members of the
household, for apart from it being a continual reminder of a scene they
would fain forget, there was always a haunting fear lest the desperate
scoundrels might once more effect their escape. To Violet especially
did this apply, and she would wake in the night screaming wildly, and
declaring she could see the savage faces of the prisoners glaring in at
the window. In fact, for some days she lay in a complete state of
nervous prostration.

A policeman had been sent out from Fort Lamport at Renshaw's request, to
take charge of the two convicts. Their wounds had been attended to by
the district surgeon. Those received by the Bushman were of a shocking
nature, and would probably have proved fatal to a white man, while it
was found necessary to amputate the Kafir's leg. The rope, however, was
not to be cheated of its prey, as we have already shown.

Now Sunningdale, though a charming spot, was a decidedly out-of-the-way
one, notwithstanding which, however, as soon as the news of the conflict
got wind, it was beset with visitors from far and near, all eager to
hear the story at first hand; all fired with curiosity to see two such
desperate and now notorious villains as Klaas Baartman and his
confederate. We fear the latter emotion was productive of transient
advantage to the two scoundrels, in the shape of chunks of tobacco, for
apart from an involuntary feeling of compunction for a human creature,
however hardened a criminal, whose days are as surely numbered as those
of a sheep in a slaughterhouse pen, there was the idea that these two
wretches being on show, it was only fair that they should derive some
small benefit theref