d frontiersmen all,
well mounted, well armed; in fact, a thoroughly serviceable looking
corps all round. There was the usual complement of spectators seeing
them off--the usual amount of cheering and hat-waving. On the outskirts
of the crowd was a sprinkling of natives, representing divers races and
colours.

"_Au_!" exclaimed a tall Gaika, as the crowd dispersed. "_That_ will be
a hard stone for Kreli to try and crush. If it was the _Amapolise_
[Police] he could knock them to pieces with a stick. Mere boys!"

"What's that you say, Johnny?" said a hard-fisted individual, turning
threateningly upon the speaker.

"Nothing. I only made a remark to my comrade," replied the man in his
own language.

"Did you?" said the other walking up to the Kafir and looking him
straight in the eye. "Then just keep your damned remarks to yourself,
Johnny, or we shall quarrel. D'you hear?"

But the Kafir never quailed, never moved. He was a tall, powerful
native and carried his head grandly. The white man, though shorter,
looked tough and wiry as whip cord. The crowd, which had been
scattering, gathered round the pair with the celerity of a mob of London
street-cads round a fallen cab-horse.

"What's the row? A cheeky nigger? Give him fits, Mister! Knock him
into the middle of next week!" were some of the cries that burst from
the group of angry and excited men.

"I have committed no offence," said the Kafir. "I made a remark to a
comrade, saying what a fine lot of men those were."

"Oh, yes? Very likely!" shouted several ironically.

"See here now. You get out of this," said the first man. "Do you hear,
get out. Don't say another word--or--"

He did not finish. Stung by a contemptuous look in the Kafir's eyes, he
dashed his fist full into his face.

It was a crushing blow--but the native did not fall. Like lightning he
aimed a blow at his assailant's head with his heavy kerrie--a blow which
would have shattered the skull like an egg shell. But the other threw
up his arm in time, receiving nearly the full force of the blow on that
member, which dropped to his side completely paralysed. Without
attempting to follow up his success the savage sprang back, whirling his
kerrie round his head. The crowd, taken by surprise, scattered before
him.

Only for a moment, though. Like a pack of hounds pressed back by a stag
at bay they gave way but to close up again. In a trice the man's kerrie
was struck from hi