h over the mountain, saying that, as
things had turned out, he would not like it to be known that he had been
calling on an Englishman. "They might think that I was not loyal to the
'land,'" he added in explanation; "the land which we Boers bought with
our blood, and which we shall win back with our blood, whatever the
poor 'pack oxen' of _rooibaatjes_ try to do. Ah, those poor, poor
_rooibaatjes_, one Boer will drive away twenty of them and make them run
across the veldt, if they can run in those great knapsacks of theirs,
with the tin things hanging round them like the pots and kettles to the
bed-plank of a waggon. What says the Holy Book? 'One thousand shall flee
at the rebuke of one, and at the rebuke of five shall ye flee,' at least
I think that is it. The dear Lord knew what was coming when He wrote it.
He was thinking of the Boers and the poor _rooibaatjes_," and Coetzee
departed, shaking his head sadly.

"I am glad that the old gentleman has made tracks," said John, "for if
he had gone on much longer about the poor English soldiers he would have
fled 'at the rebuke of one,' I can tell him."

"John," said Silas Croft suddenly, "you must go up to Pretoria and fetch
Jess. Mark my words, the Boers will besiege Pretoria, and if we don't
get her down at once she will be shut up there."

"Oh no," cried Bessie, in sudden alarm, "I cannot let John go."

"I am sorry to hear you talk like that, Bessie, when your sister is in
danger," answered her uncle rather sternly; "but there, I dare say that
it is natural. I will go myself. Where is Jantje? I shall want the Cape
cart and the four grey horses."

"No, uncle dear, John shall go. I was not thinking what I was saying. It
seemed--a little hard at first."

"Of course I must go," said John. "Don't fret, dear, I shall be back in
five days. Those four horses can go sixty miles a day for that time, and
more. They are fat as butter, and there is lots of grass along the road
if I can't get forage for them. Besides, the cart will be nearly empty,
so I can carry a muid of mealies and fifty bundles of forage. I will
take that Zulu boy, Mouti, with me. He does not know very much about
horses, but he is a plucky fellow, and would stick by one at a pinch.
One can't rely on Jantje; he is always sneaking off somewhere, and would
be sure to get drunk just as one wanted him."

"Yes, yes, John, that's right, that's right," said the old man. "I will
go and see about having the horses go