is mysterious apparition
was that they spent a miserable night, waiting in the fog and wet--for
it had come on to rain, or rather drizzle--for an enemy who, to their
intense relief, never appeared.

But the inward and spiritual consequences were much greater, for now
they knew that Soa spoke truth and that the legend of the bushmen as to
"great men covered with hair" was no mere savage invention.

At length the morning came. It was damp and wretched, and they were
all half starved with cold and oppressed by fears. Indeed some of
the Settlement men were so terrified that they openly lamented
having suffered their sense of shame and loyalty to overcome their
determination to retreat. Now they could not do so, for the malcontents
among them did not dare to retrace their steps alone; moreover, Leonard
spoke plainly on the matter, telling them that he would drive away the
first man who attempted any insubordination.

Soaked through, shivering, and miserable, they pursued their march
across the unknown plain, Soa, who seemed to grow hourly grimmer now
that she was in her own country, stalking ahead of them as guide. It
was warmer walking than sitting still, and in one respect their lot was
bettered, for a little wind stirring the mist from time to time revealed
gleams of the watery sun. All that day they journeyed on, seeing no
more of the man who had shot the arrow, or his fellows, till at length
darkness drew near again.

Then they halted, and Leonard and Otter walked to and fro searching
for a suitable place to make the camp and pitch their solitary tent.
Presently Otter shouted aloud. Leonard ran towards him, and found him
staring into the mist at something that loomed largely about a hundred
yards away.

"Look, Baas," he said, "there is a house, a house of stone with grass
growing on the roof."

"Nonsense," said Leonard, "it must be some more boulders. However, we
can soon find out."

They crept cautiously towards the object, that, as soon became evident,
was a house or a very good apology for one, built of huge undressed
boulders, bedded in turf by way of mortar, and roofed with the trunks
of small trees and a thick thatch of sods whereon the grass grew green.
This building may have measured forty feet in length by twenty in depth,
and seventeen from the ground-line to the wall-plate. Also it had
a doorway of remarkable height and two window-places, but all these
openings were unclosed, except by curtains of hi