owed as they best could. They were now
nearing the huts. At length, making a desperate effort, the Colonel
dashed close up to the chief. Having now no weapon, he seized him by
the collar of his kaross, or cloak, and, with a violent effort, hurled
him to the ground. Both horses were going at racing speed. The
Colonel, unable to check his, passed on, but before he was beyond reach
the agile savage had leaped to his feet, drawn another assagai from the
bundle which he carried, and hurled it after his enemy. So good was the
aim that the weapon passed within a few inches of the Colonel's body.

The act afforded time to those behind to come up. Although Hintza
turned aside instantly and ran down the steep bank of the Xabecca, the
foremost of the guides--named Southey--got within gun-shot and shouted
in the Kafir tongue to the chief to stop. No attention being paid to
the order, he fired, and Hintza fell, wounded in the left leg. Leaping
up in a moment, he resumed his flight, when Southey fired again, and
once more the chief was hit and pitched forward, but rose instantly and
gained the cover of the thicket which lined the bank of the river.
Southey leaped off his horse and gave chase, closely followed by
Lieutenant Balfour of the 72nd regiment. The former kept up, and the
latter down, the stream.

They had proceeded thus in opposite directions some distance when
Southey was startled by an assagai striking the cliff on which he was
climbing. Turning sharply, he saw Hintza's head and his uplifted arm
among the bushes within a few feet of him. The savage was in the act of
hurling another assagai. Quick as thought the guide levelled his gun
and fired. The shot completely shattered the upper part of Hintza's
skull, and next instant a mangled corpse was all that remained of the
paramount chief of Kafirland.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

THE RESULTS OF WAR.

"Peace at last!" said Edwin Brook to George Dally, on arriving at his
ravaged and herdless farm in the Zuurveld, whither George had preceded
him.

"Peace is it, sir? Ah, that's well. It's about time too, for we've got
a deal to do--haven't we, sir?"

George spoke quite cheerily, under the impression that his master
required comforting.

"You see, sir, we've got to go back pretty well to where we was in 1820,
and begin it all over again. It _is_ somewhat aggrawatin'! Might have
been avoided, too, if they'd kep' a few more troops on the frontier."

"Wel