with a few of the
Artillery and Engineers, and these had to be broken up into numerous
small companies, who were sent here and there where succour was most
needed.

With this little patrol, Hans, Gertie, and Considine bivouacked that
night, and, travelling with them, soon afterwards reached Grahamstown.

The sight of the country as they approached was a sad one. From all
quarters, men, women, children, vehicles, horses, cattle, and sheep,
were crowding into the town as a place of refuge. At first the settlers
nearest the eastern frontier, taken by surprise, fled to temporary
rallying-points. These, however, had to be abandoned for stronger
places of refuge. On entering the town they found that the greatest
confusion and excitement prevailed. The church had been set apart as an
asylum for the women and children, who had to put up, however, with the
undesirable accompaniments of fire-arms and gunpowder. Public meetings
were being held; picquets of armed citizens were being despatched to
watch the main roads. All the houses were thronged to suffocation with
refugees--white, brown, and black. The streets, squares, yards,
gardens, and other vacant places were crowded by night, and the
surrounding hills by day, with the flocks and herds that had been saved
from the invaders, while the lowing and bleating of these were mingled
with the sobs and wails of the widow and fatherless.

"What misery!" exclaimed Gertie, as she rode slowly through the crowds
by the side of her husband, mounted on a horse lent her by one of the
patrol, "Oh, how I dread to hear the news from home!"

Gertie referred to her father's home, about the condition of which she
knew nothing at the time.

"Where shall we go to seek for news?" she asked anxiously.

"To the barracks," replied Hans.

"You need not be anxious, I think," said Considine; "if anything very
serious had happened, it is likely the patrol who rescued us would have
heard some account of it before leaving Grahamstown.

"Don't you think?" he added, turning to Hans, "that we had better
inquire first at Dobson's place?"

At that moment they were passing a large store, over the door of which
was a blue board with the words "Dobson, Skyd, and Company" emblazoned
in large white letters thereon.

The store itself presented in its windows and interior an assortment of
dry goods, so extensive and miscellaneous as to suggest the idea of one
being able to procure anything in it--from