up his horses, and
sent them flying down the road.

Jack meanwhile had turned to the left and then ridden back, well away
from the road, till he was on a level with the cart. Then he turned
towards it and pulled up. As he did so a second flash showed Wilfred
standing up and using his whip freely, while two mounted Boers were
galloping along on either side of the leaders, vainly endeavouring to
pull them up. At last, however, finding themselves unsuccessful, and
stung to madness by Wilfred's whip, one of them lifted his rifle and
fired at the near leader, bringing the animal to the ground like a
stone. The others stopped at once, almost throwing Mrs Hunter and
Wilfred out of the cart.

Seeing that there was likely to be trouble, Jack at once reached over
and unstrapped his rifle. Then he galloped up to the cart, to find that
Mrs Hunter had been roughly dragged on to the road, while the second
Boer was hastily lashing Wilfred to the wheel of the cart. What his
intentions were was evident, for at that moment he completed the
lashing, strode away a few paces, and lifted his rifle to his shoulder.

"Stop that!" shouted Jack, pulling up close to him. "We are refugees
and deserve fair treatment!"

In an instant the Boer, who was a fierce young fellow, swung round and
fired point-blank at him, the bullet cutting a streak from the brim of
his hat.

Jack's answer was even more rapid. His rifle spoke out, and the Boer
dropped prone on the road. Then he swung round just in time to duck and
escape a second bullet from the other Boer, and before the latter could
load again, Jack's Mauser pistol had safely reached his hand beneath the
mackintosh, and the muzzle of it just showed at the edge in front,
directed straight for the man's head.

"Drop your rifle!" he said sternly. "That's it! Now take off your
cartridge-belt! That will do! Stand over there in the road! Now,
Wilfred," he said, turning to his friend, "as soon as Mrs Hunter has
set you loose, back the cart away from the leader and cut the harness.
Then drive on, and I will catch you up."

"Move on up the road in front of me," he continued, addressing the Boer,
"and if you attempt any tricks I'll put a bullet through you!"

The young Boer evidently understood every word, for with a downcast air
he set out along the road in the direction of Johannesburg, with Jack a
couple of yards behind him. A mile farther on, when the storm seemed to
have reached its h