fearlessness of the other two was beginning to
infect him. "And--er, Lamont, I think I'll have another peg, if I may."

The hot afternoon drowsed on, and the assailants, or besiegers rather,
after the first few volleys made no further sign. It was clear that
Lamont had accurately sized up their programme. Once, Peters had
thought to descry the head of a savage peering round a bush, and had
promptly sent a bullet where he judged the body should be, but there was
nothing to tell with what success or not. Clearly they were playing a
waiting game, for they made no attempt to occupy the cattle kraal, and
rake the house from there. Those awful magazine rifles had established
within them a wholesome fear.

But they had no idea of abandoning their plan, for all that. That house
would be worth plundering. Its owner was known as one of the well-to-do
settlers, and there would be stores of all kinds, and ammunition and
firearms--good ones too. For the rest, they had already lost several
warriors and thirsted for revenge.

During the hours of daylight the occupants were not idle. The position
being menaced from one side only, they need only give cursory vigilance
to the other, where the ground was too open for any wily savage to
venture to risk his skin. So, while one watched, the other was busy
putting up in portable packets a sufficiency of provisions to last for
some days at a pinch, likewise as much ammunition as could be carried.

"Now we'll have a feed," said Lamont. "That'll last us the night
through, and spare our supplies for the road. They're bound to burn
this shack down in any case. Aren't they, Peters?"

"Cert."

"All right then. Now for the trap."

And Ancram looked on with mystified eyes, while Lamont was arranging
what seemed like a dummy parcel on a beam over the centre of the room,
and connecting it by a string to a cross string, fastened about half a
yard above the ground. This anybody exploring the room was bound to
trip over, and then--down came the dummy parcel, hard and violently upon
the table. Having tested it several times, he untied it from the string
and chucked it into a corner.

"That'll be all right. There'll be some vacant places in kingdom come
filled up before sunrise," he said. And to Ancram's inquiries as to
what sort of booby trap they were concocting, the answers of both men
were dark.

The sun dipped to the far horizon, throwing out his long sweeping rays
of gold