inside of
their enclosure. Of course their flocks and herds, being most of them
outside, were at once driven away by a small party of the assailants,
while the larger proportion, with savage yells and war-cries, made a
furious attack on their position.

Closing round the circle, they endeavoured again and again to break
through the line or to clamber over the waggon-tilts, and never did
savage warriors earn a better title to the name of braves than on that
occasion. Even the bristling four and six-inch thorns of the
mimosa-bushes would not have been able to turn back their impetuous
onset if behind these the stout Dutchmen, fighting for wives and
children, had not stood manfully loading and firing volleys of slugs and
buckshot at arm's-length from them. The crowded ranks of the Kafirs
were ploughed as if by cannon, while hundreds of assagais were hurled
into the enclosure, but happily with little effect, though a few of the
defenders--exposing themselves recklessly--were wounded.

While Conrad Marais was standing close to the hind-wheels of one of the
waggons, watching for a good shot at a Kafir outside, who was dodging
about for the double purpose of baulking Conrad's intention and
thrusting an assagai into him, another active Kafir had clambered
unobserved on the tilt of the waggon and was in the very act of leaning
over to thrust his spear into the back of the Dutchman's neck when he
was observed by Stephen Orpin, who chanced to be reloading his gun at
the moment.

With a loud roar, very unlike his usual gentle tones, Orpin sprang
forward, seized a thick piece of wood like a four-foot rolling-pin, and
therewith felled the savage, who tumbled headlong into the enclosure.

"Oh, father!" exclaimed a terrified voice at that moment, while a light
touch was laid on Conrad's shoulder.

"What brings you here, Bertha?" said Conrad, with an impatient gesture.
"Don't you know--"

"Come, quick, to mother!" cried the girl, interrupting.

No more was needed. In a moment Conrad was in the central enclosure,
where, crowded under a rude erection of planks and boxes, were the women
and children. An assagai had penetrated an unguarded crevice, and,
passing under the arm of poor Mrs Marais, had pinned her to the family
trunk, against which she leaned.

"Bertha could not pull it out," said Mrs Marais, with a faint smile on
her pale face, "but I don't think I'm much hurt."

In a moment her husband had pulled out the spear