nt us out to the ridge above the
drift. And there we lay in the long grass among the bushes
on our rifles, while the feldkornet crawled to and fro
behind us on his belly and cursed those who were talking. I
didn't talk--I know too much about war. But your man did. I
heard him, and the feldkornet swore at him in a whisper.'

"'What was he saying?' Anna asked quickly.

"'Oh, dreadful things. He called him a dirty takhaar with a
hair-hung tongue, and--'

"'No, no!' cried Anna impatiently. 'What did my husband
say, I mean? What was he talking about when the feldkornet
stopped him?'

"'Oh, he was just saying that it would be worth turning out
into the cold if only the Kafirs would come. And then he
cried out, 'What's that moving?' and the feldkornet crawled
up and cursed him.'

"'Go on about the fight,' said Anna, looking from him, that
he might not see what spoke in her eyes.

"'Yes. Well, I was just getting nicely to sleep, when
somebody down on my left began firing. Then I saw down the
hill, the flashes of guns, and soon I could hear great
lumps of pot-leg screaming through the air. They are firing
a lot of pot-leg, those Kafirs. I fired at a flash that
came out pretty regularly, and by and by it ceased to
flash. Then, as I rose on my knees, a great knob of pot-leg
hit me in the shoulder, and I cried out and fell down. Your
husband came to me and helped me to go back to the rocks,
and soon after all the shooting stopped. The Burghers found
three dead Kafirs in the morning, so we won.'

"'You were very brave,' said Anna.

"'Yes, wasn't I? And so was your husband, I believe,' said
the wounded man. 'I couldn't see him, but I've no doubt he
was. They'll try to rush the drift again tonight.'

"'What makes you think so?' Anna demanded, starting.

"'Oh, they've been gathering for some days,' answered the
other. 'It's what they are trying to do. You see there are
no farms to plunder on the other side of the river, so they
must cross.'

"'I see,' said Anna slowly.

"When he was ready, she helped the wounded man again to his
saddle, and saw him away, then turned, with the light of a
swift resolution in her eyes, to the task of getting ready
to go to Andreas. The river and the hills were but a short
six hours from her farm, and on a horse she could have
ridden it in less. But it was no wish of hers to bring any
slur upon her husband, so she prepared to go to him in a
cart, taking shirts and shoes and tobacco, li