ll told that he had not missed his mark. At
the same moment his companion observed part of a Kafir's form opposite
to him, and, firing, brought him to the ground.

Seeing this the other savages made a rush at the mound, supposing
probably that both guns were empty. They had either forgotten about or
were ignorant of double-barrelled weapons. Two more shots killed the
two leading Kafirs, and the rest turned to fly, but a gigantic fellow
shouted to them fiercely to come on, and at the same moment leaped on
Charlie Considine with such force that, although the latter struck him
heavily with the butt of his rifle, he was borne to the ground. The
triumph however was momentary. Next instant Hans Marais seized him,
stabbed him in the throat, and hurled him back among his comrades, a
lifeless corpse. Charlie, recovering himself, pointed his unloaded gun
at the savages, who recoiled, turned, and fled back to the cover of the
opposite bush.

"Now is our time," said Hans, dragging his wife from the place of
shelter. "Mount and make a dash before they recover."

While speaking Hans was acting. In another moment Gertie was in her old
place, Considine in the saddle, and the two men made a bold push for
life.

It turned out as the Dutchman had conjectured. The Kafirs had left all
parts of the surrounding jungle to join in the assault on the mound, and
when the fugitives made a dash through them, only a few had presence of
mind to throw their assagais, and these missed their mark. A few bounds
carried Hans and Charlie once more in advance of their enemies, but the
clatter of hoofs immediately afterwards told that they were hotly
pursued.

There is no saying how the chase might have ended, if they had not met
with a piece of good fortune immediately afterwards. On emerging from
the other end of the pass, they almost ran into a small patrol of Cape
Mounted Rifles, who, attracted by the shots and cries in the pass, were
galloping to the rescue.

They did not halt to ask questions, but, with a hearty cheer and a
friendly wave of the hand from the officer in command, dashed into the
pass and met the pursuing savages in the very teeth.

Of course the latter turned and fled, leaving, however, several of their
comrades dead on the ground.

During this early period of the war the whole defending force of the
frontier consisted of only between seven and eight hundred men, composed
of Cape Mounted Rifles and the 75th regiment,