ere thus constrained unwillingly to delay. At grey
dawn, however, they rode out of Grahamstown at the head of a small
party, consisting of the entire firm of Dobson and Skyd, inclusive of
Junkie, whose father granted him permission to go. His mother silently
acquiesced. Mrs Scholtz violently protested; and when she found that
her protests were useless, she changed them into pathetic entreaties
that Junkie would on no account whatever go to sleep in camp with wet
feet.

As soon as the invasion took place, an express had been sent to
Capetown, and the able Governor, Sir Benjamin D'Urban, took instant and
energetic measures to undo, as far as possible, the mischief done by his
predecessors. Colonel (afterwards Sir Harry) Smith was despatched to
the frontier, and rode the distance--six hundred miles--in six days.

Arriving in Grahamstown, he took command with a firm hand, organised the
whole male population into a warlike garrison, built barricades across
the streets, planted cannon in commanding positions, cleared the town of
flocks and herds, which were breeding a nuisance, sent them to the open
country with a cattle guard, and prepared not only to defend the
capital, but to carry war into the enemy's country. In short, he
breathed into the people much of his own energy, and soon brought order
out of confusion.

The state of affairs in the colony had indeed reached a terrible pass.
From all sides news came in of murder and pillage. The unfortunate
traders in Kafirland fared ill at that time. One of these, Rodgers, was
murdered in the presence of his three children. A man named Cramer was
savagely butchered while driving a few cattle along the road. Another,
named Mahony, with his wife and son-in-law, were intercepted while
trying to escape to the military post of Kafir Drift, and Mahony was
stretched a corpse at his wife's feet, then the son-in-law was murdered,
but Mrs Mahony escaped into the bush with two of her children and a
Hottentot female servant, and, after many hardships, reached
Grahamstown. A mounted patrol scouring the country fell in with a
farm-house where three Dutchmen, in a thick clump of bushes, were
defending themselves against three hundred Kafirs. Of course the latter
were put to flight, and the three heroes--two of them badly wounded--
were rescued. Nearly everywhere the settlers, outnumbered, had to fly,
and many were slain while defending their homes, but at the little
village of Sal