me across three of the enemy--one a Dutch
colonist, the other two Britons--off-saddled at a farm. As they did not
expect any Boers, their rifles were carelessly left outside the house.
Fouche was again the one to enter. Having disguised himself so as to
create no suspicion, he boldly walked in and shook hands with the party.
The Colonial, in a domineering tone, asked him the object of his visit.
"Come to see my young lady," was the reply. "Have you permission to
leave your farm?" "No," said Fouche. "We arrest you at once," said the
Colonial, "and will take you to Rouxville gaol. You shall have to walk
all the way [some 24 miles], and that will teach you not to go about
without a pass at this time of the night." "Well," said Fouche, "I
really did not know that I must have a pass to come and see my young
lady, and if you arrest me you must kindly allow me to get a horse at
home, for certainly I cannot walk all this distance." "Nonsense,"
replied the Colonial; "there is no time to go home now."

As Fouche was supplicating for grace the other two went to fetch their
horses. They were cordially received by the burghers outside. The
Colonial in the meantime questioned Fouche as to the whereabouts of the
Boers. The prisoner informed him that the notorious Commandant Fouche
was again in that district. "Why," asked Fouche, "don't you capture this
fellow with his raiding bands? They are the plague of the district. You
should protect us." The Colonial: "Just a few days longer and he will be
no more in the land of the living." At the same time he began to abuse
him, without being conscious in the least that he was at the very moment
speaking to that officer himself.

After some more talk he took Fouche by the arm and said, "Come along, we
must be off; you are my prisoner." "What," rejoined the latter--"your
prisoner! Don't you believe it. You are mine." So saying he took a
revolver out of his pocket and pointed it at the over-confident
Colonial, who thereupon looked several inches smaller.

* * * * *

LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, DUKE STREET,
STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND GREAT WINDMILL STREET, W.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of In the Shadow of Death
by P. H. Kritzinger and R. D. McDonald

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH ***

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