was so dark that scarcely any thing was visible; but no sooner had
Hans stood up and stretched out his arm, to feel the side of the hut,
than his hand came in contact with the arm of a human being. In an
instant his hand closed on this arm with a grip which indicated his
knowledge that life or death depended now on every trivial circumstance;
but before he could grasp the throat of whoever it was, a whispered
voice exclaimed, "Hans, it is I, here are your guns," and Katrine's
voice was immediately recognised by her lover. Bernhard and Victor had
by this time entered the doorway, and were first alarmed, then
delighted, to find Hans talking to some one in the hut. As soon as
Katrine had disengaged herself from her lover, who held her almost as
firmly as he would have held an enemy, she explained to him what she
believed to be their best chance of escape.

"We must leave this hut, and get out of the enclosure behind it," she
said; "we can creep through an opening in the palisades, and then go
round to the kraal where the horses are. It will be difficult to secure
them, for two Kaffirs are left in charge of them; but my sister is about
there, looking out, and will tell us what is best to be done. All of
you must put a blanket each over you, then, if you hide your hats, you
will not be known in the dark from Kaffirs, at least till you are seen
very close. Then we must lead the horses some distance before we ride
away, and we must ride northwards, away from the kloof near which we
were taken this morning. All the men have gone south, so we may miss
them. Do you see what to do, Hans?"

"Yes," whispered Hans, "we will go out now. Let me feel, are my
powder-horn and bullets here? Yes, they are untouched. Bernhard, you
take these and take my gun; I will help Katrine along: then I have a
plan."

The three men wrapped in blankets crept from the hut without being
observed; the occupants of the various huts being engaged inside,
cooking their evening meal. An opening large enough to allow of the
four passing through, was found behind the hut; and in a few minutes
Hans had conducted Katrine to a spot some fifty yards outside the
enclosure, where he stopped near a clump of bushes that offered
concealment. "Now for the most difficult part of the affair," said
Hans, "to procure the horses. Are the men old or young, Katrine, who
are watching them?"

"Young," said Katrine, "and inexperienced."

"Then I will try a bold