proficient in the English tongue than in the difficult and uncouth
language of which the Boer boasts, and as most of the latter who live in
the Transvaal towns can speak English more or less perfectly, the
conversation which followed was carried on so as to be perfectly
intelligible to Jack.

"Well, Hans," the big man who had first spoken said, addressing the
German, "so you have brought Oom Paul's groceries through quite safely,
and without raising the suspicions of those English fools. Ha, ha!
`Grapes, to be kept cool.' Tis a fine idea. But it would never do if
others than our own men handled them. They are too heavy, my friends,
too heavy by far, and so also is the sugar of which his honour is buying
such a large amount. It just shows what fools there are in the world,
and what money, liberally spent, can do."

"True, Oom Schalk," the German answered, with a chuckle, "there are some
fools indeed, as you say, and also there are wise men. Oom Paul is the
wise man of this land, and he is slim--ah! so slim that no one has yet
got the better of him. It was by his order that all this stuff here
came through openly, and labelled as it is. It is just the fact that we
make no attempt to hide it that ensures its reaching us in safety. Ah,
those English! Well, a time is coming, Oom, when we shall teach them
something. Bah! How I hate them! The very sight of one makes me ill."

"Well, well," Oom Schalk said with a smile, "you shall have a chance to
pay them out, my friend. But now, let us see that all the trucks are
right, and then we can leave them till the morning."

Holding the lantern well above his head, and followed by his four
comrades, the big Boer looked into the covered van, and then walked
along by the side of the trucks, climbing up and inspecting the contents
of each.

Now was Jack's chance to get away, and he took it at once. Scrambling
along on the concrete with which the vault was paved, he slowly passed
beneath the trucks till he reached the end of the van. Peeping out to
make sure that there was no one about, he stole along in the darkness,
and soon was out of the vault and in a large shed built against the
opening.

There seemed to be no one near, and the only sound was the grating of
the feet of those behind him and the faint hum of their voices.

Standing up, he listened for a few moments, and, hearing nothing
suspicious, ran across the shed towards the door. It was standing wide
ope