"Poor devil! They've made short work
of him, anyhow."

"H'm! I don't wonder at it," said Shelton. "It must be deuced rough to
be sold by one of your own men. Still, if that chap's story was true he
was the aggrieved party. However, let's get on. We've got our work all
before us still."

They had. It was no easy matter to drive such an enormous herd through
the thick bush. Many of the animals were very wild, besides being
thoroughly scared with all the hustling to and fro they had had--and
began to branch off from the main body, drawing a goodly number after
them. These had to be out-manoeuvred, yet it would never do for the men
to straggle, for the Kafirs would hardly let such a prize go without
straining every effort to retain it. Certain it was that the savages
were following them in the thick bush as near as they dared, keenly
watching an opportunity to retrieve--or partially retrieve--the disaster
of the day.

Cautiously, then, the party retreated with their spoil, seeking a
favourable outlet by which they could drive their unwieldy capture into
the open country; for on all sides the way out of the valley was steep,
broken, and bushy. Suddenly a shout of warning and of consternation
went up from a man on the left of the advance. All eyes were turned on
him--and from him upon the point to which he signalled.

What they saw there was enough to send the blood back to every heart.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE LAST CARTRIDGE.

This is what they saw.

Over the brow of the high ridge, about a mile in their rear, a dark mass
was advancing. It was like a disturbed ants' nest--on they came, those
dark forms, swarming over the hill--and the sun glinted on assegai
blades and gun-barrels as the savage host poured down the steep slope,
glancing from bush to bush, rapidly and in silence.

"I'm afraid we shall have to give up the cattle, lads, and fight our way
out," said Shelton, as he took in the full strength of the advancing
Kafirs. "Those chaps mean business, and there are too many of them and
too few of us."

"We'll make it hot for 'em, all the same," said Carhayes, with a scowl.
"I have just put two more nicks on my gun-stock--not sure I oughtn't to
have had four or five, but am only certain of two--Hallo! That's near."

It was. A bullet had swept his hat off, whirling it away a dozen yards.
At the same time puffs of smoke began to issue from the hillside, and
the twigs of the bushes beyond wer