e it. You see, they know the immense advantage our rifles have over
their bows and arrows, and our presence would enable them to effect
their purpose with certainty."

"Well, I suppose you will refuse, Charles, won't you? You don't want us
to become mercenary cutthroats for the benefit of these savages?"

"That is putting it rather strong," observed Gilbert. "These fellows
have attempted murder--murder of the most cruel kind, and deserve
punishment--remember that."

"They have done us no wrong, at all events," said Warley; "it cannot be
our business to punish them. Besides, shooting these unhappy savages
down is not the way to teach them better."

"You are right, Ernest," said Lavie. "I, for one, will have nothing to
do with any attack upon them. They may oblige us to accompany them, to
prevent our escape, but I will take no part in the fighting."

"Nor I," said Frank, "I am not going to kill these poor helpless
wretches to please any one."

"Very good," added Nick; "I have no wish to do it, either."

"Well, then," said Lavie, "we are agreed. We will stay quietly here
until the answer comes from the Cape. Five to one our fellows have
thrashed these Dutchmen as soundly as they did before, and the colony is
ours again by this time; in which case Umboo will be our humble servant.
If the messenger doesn't return before the party set out to attack the
Bushmen, we will go with them, if required, but only as spectators. Is
that agreed?"

"Agreed, _nem. con._," said Frank. "And now, here, I suppose, comes
dinner. We are not to have the honour of seats at the royal table,
then!"

"No, that will be reserved for us when Umboo has learned of the defeat
of the Dutchmen," said Gilbert.

The food served up to them was better and more palatable than they had
expected. It consisted chiefly of the flesh of one of the koodoos, and
was partly broiled and partly sodden.

"Not bad this," exclaimed Gilbert, as a third slice was handed to him,
which he disposed of after the same fashion which prevailed in the time
of Adam and Eve, viz., by the help of his fingers and teeth. "They
haven't so bad an idea of cooking after all."

"And these figs and pomegranates are not to be despised either,"
observed Frank. "They would go down well at a West End dinner!"

"But whatever are these?" cried Nick, digging his hands into a basket of
what seemed to be burnt almonds, being a heap of oval substances, about
the size of a filb