ross our path, but otherwise sign of life was there none.
Somehow we felt that we must be very close upon the marauders, who might
number ten or a hundred. Every moment had become one of tense
excitement and expectation.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

AN OVERHAUL.

"Magtig!" exclaimed Revell, "I swear I smell something roasting."

"S-s-s-h!" warned Brian, crouching low on his horse's neck. "Dismount,
every one."

A few hundred yards beneath we now saw a kraal. It lay in a deep
natural basin, walled in with rugged rocks and thick bush; but so shut
in was it on all sides that this seemed the only way in or out. A curl
of smoke rose into the still evening air, and the sound of several deep
voices in conversation was plainly audible; and with it, the strong
smell of roasting meat confirmed us in the certainty that we had at
length reached the object of our quest; for Kafirs very rarely kill
their own cattle, and this circumstance combined with the freshness of
the spoor, left no further doubt in our minds.

And now, before we could formulate a plan, we heard a sound of
trampling, and a number of oxen emerged from the thick bush beyond the
kraal, urged forward by a single Kafir, who was driving them down to the
gate of the thorn enclosure. There was no mistaking the large fine
animals, white, but speckled all over with bluish black. It was
Septimus Matterson's fine span.

"Wait--wait--wait!" whispered Brian, his voice in a tremble with
excitement. "Let the devils bring them in--they are driving them right
into our hands--and when I give the word, up and at them. We must
charge right bang into them if there are five or five hundred. Down--
keep down, Trask; they'll see your hat, man."

With straining eyes we watched the savages--for three or four more had
joined the single driver--as they urged the stolen beasts down to the
gate and stood on each side to pass them in. The animals having been
driven fast and far that day, were disposed to give no trouble, but
entered the enclosure quietly, one with another.

"Fifteen! They've killed one--and, by Jove! they are going to kill
another," whispered Brian, as the Kafirs, shutting the kraal gate behind
them, advanced towards one of the largest oxen with _reims_ in their
hands. "Now, are you all ready. We'll capture the fellows inside.
Don't shout or anything but--up and at them!"

With a headlong rush we charged down upon the kraal, but the Kafirs had
seen us. A l