I was sayin', at that very
moment I spied a black fellow stealin' away in the direction of my 'oss.
He saw me too, but thought I didn't see _'im_. Up I jumps, an' run for
the 'oss. Up 'e jumps an' run likewise. But I was nearer than 'im, an'
a deal faster--though I don't mean to boast--"

"An' a deal frighteneder," suggested Junkie.

"P'raps, 'owever I got to the 'oss first. I didn't take time to mount,
but went leap-frog over 'is tail slap into the saddle, which gave the
hold 'oss such a skeer that 'e bolted! The Kafir 'e gave a yell an'
sent 'is assagai after me, an' by bad luck I looks round just as it went
past an' all but took off the point of my nose. Wasn't it unlucky?"

"Unlucky! you ungrateful man," growled Scholtz. "You should be ver'
glad de assagai did not stick you in de neck like von zow.--Is zat rain
vich I feels in ze back of mine head?"

"Like enough. There's plenty of it, anyhow," said Junkie, trying to
peer through the gloom in the direction of the tents occupied by a small
body of regular troops which accompanied them.

As he did so a sudden squall struck the tents, levelling two with the
ground, and entirely whisking off one, which, after making a wild circle
in the air, was launched over a precipice into thick darkness, and never
more seen!

Lying under another bush, not far distant, Considine and Hans lay
crouched together for the purpose at once of keeping each other warm and
presenting the smallest possible amount of surface to the weather. They
did not sleep at first, and being within earshot of the bush under which
the brothers Skyd had sheltered themselves, found sufficient
entertainment in listening to their conversation.

"We scarce counted on this sort of thing," said John Skyd, "when,
fifteen years ago, we left the shores of old England for `Afric's
southern wilds.'"

"That's true, Jack," was Bob Skyd's reply, "and I sometimes think it
would have been better if we had remained at home."

"Craven heart! what do you mean?" demanded James.

"Ay, what do you mean?" repeated Dobson; "will nothing convince you? It
is true we made a poor job of the farming, owing to our ignorance, but
since we took to merchandise have we not made a good thing of it--ain't
it improving every day, and won't we rise to the very pinnacle of
prosperity when this miserable war is over."

"Supposing that we are not killed in the mean-time," said Stephen Orpin,
who formed one of the group.

"Tha