s who first came up.

Well did the savages know the deadly nature of the white man's rifle,
although at that time they had not themselves become possessed of it.
When their comrades fell, and the two white men were seen to kneel and
take deliberate aim at those who followed, the whole party scattered
right and left and took refuge in the bush.

But the friends did not fire. These were not the days of
breech-loaders. Prudently reserving their fire, they made a rush
towards the stables, "saddled up" in a few seconds, and, mounting, rode
forth at a gallop straight back to the blood-stained hillock. To
rescue, if possible, some of the females was their object. Regardless
of several assagais that whizzed close to them, they galloped hither and
thither among the bushes, but without success.

"Let's try yonder hollow," cried Considine, pointing as he spoke.

The words had scarce left his lips when a host of some hundreds of
Kafirs, with the shields, assagais and feathers of savage warriors,
burst out of the hollow referred to. They had probably been attracted
by the two shots, and instantly rushed towards the white men.

Hans Marais dismounted, kneeled to take steadier aim, fired, and shot
the foremost warrior. Then, springing on his steed at a bound, he
galloped away, loading as he went, and closely followed by his friend.
Having reloaded, Hans pulled up and again leapt to the ground. This
time Considine, appreciating his plan, followed his example, and both
were about to kneel and fire when they perceived by a burst of smoke and
flame that the farm-buildings had been set on fire.

In a straight line beyond, two other columns of dense smoke indicated
the position of two neighbouring farms, and a third column, away to the
right, and further removed from the line of the frontier, suddenly
conveyed to the mind of Hans the fact that a general rising of the
Kafirs had taken place. Instead of firing, he rose and remounted,
exclaiming--

"Home, Charlie--home!"

At the moment a shout was heard in another direction. Turning round,
they observed a body of a dozen or so of mounted Kafirs making straight
towards them. To have killed two or four of these would have been easy
enough to first-rate shots armed with double-barrels, but they knew that
those unhurt would continue the chase. They therefore turned and fled
in the direction of their own home. Their steeds were good and fresh,
but their pursuers were evidently