mals had not been alarmed without cause, for coming forward at a
rapid pace were a party of dark men, who Hans made out to be armed
Matabili. There were more than a hundred of them, and from all being
armed, from the rapid pace at which they advanced, and from their coming
exactly over the same ground that he had ridden forty-eight hours
previously, he concluded they were following his horses' footmarks.

The advance of such a party was not unexpected by Hans. Had he supposed
that he would not have been followed, he would have suggested that the
whole party should walk on towards his people's lager. With but one
horse the two girls might have ridden turn and turn about, and so have
lessened the fatigue of the journey, but even under these circumstances
the Matabili would be sure to overtake them, and so he decided that
hiding would be the safer plan.

He noticed that three or four men, probably the most experienced, led
the main body of the Matabili; these men succeeded each other in the
lead, and by acting as guides, often enabled the main body to make short
cuts, and thus to save themselves much walking, or rather running, for a
slow run seemed the pace that was adopted. Though the enemy followed
very accurately the spoor of the horses on which the rain had fallen,
and thus seemed capable of tracing him even under these disadvantageous
circumstances, yet Hans was in hopes that when the horses were no longer
used the Matabili would not be able to follow him. He had, however,
seen enough to render it advisable to descend at once from his position,
to give the alarm to his companions below, and to seek a place of
concealment from which he might observe all the movements of his
pursuers.

These arrangements were soon made, and Victor and Hans sat watching with
anxiety the approach of their enemies.

The Matabili followed the traces of Hans' party with the accuracy of
hounds on a hot scent, and when they spied some vultures sitting on the
trees near the carcases of the horses, their speed was increased, and
they hastened to examine what was the cause that attracted these carrion
feeders.

The nearly-consumed horses were immediately discovered, and shortly
afterwards the skull of the Matabili killed by the lion. The ground
around was searched by the various men, and the conclusion was soon
arrived at, that although the horses were all dead but one, yet their
late captives had by some means managed to escape. The