r where they chose. These
men, after a short time, followed the same path as that which Katrine
had chosen, but they appeared merely idling, for occasionally they
stopped, sat down, and took snuff, whilst now and then one or two would
engage in a mimic fight, and, striking each others' shields, would
threaten with their spears as though engaged in a deadly combat. At
first these men scarcely attracted Hans' attention, so wholly was he
engaged in watching Katrine; but being accustomed to notice every thing,
however unimportant it might appear, he soon became interested in the
proceedings of these warriors. Katrine steadily advanced towards the
ravine, and was now distant scarcely half a mile; but behind her, and
within a quarter of a mile, were the armed Matabili, who Hans saw had
steadily followed her and her sister, although they seemed otherwise
engaged.

"Those men," at length said Hans to his companions, "are following
Katrine, and either do so as a means of watching that she does not
escape, or else they know we are near and mean to attack us; there are
but ten of them, and we can surely dispose of that number. Let us look
to our priming; but we should not fire a shot if we can escape without
doing so, for a gun discharged would alarm the whole country, and our
escape would be very difficult. See, the men are coming closer to
Katrine, and they are calling to her. Hear what they say, Victor,
`_Wena musa hamba kona_,' they speak to her in Kaffir, and say, `You
must not go there.'

"Cess! if they lay hand on her I'll try a bullet at them even from
here," said Hans, as he observed two of the Matabili run towards Katrine
and her sister.

The two Dutch girls were not, however, to be ordered like children.
They knew perfectly well what was said to them, but did not intend to
obey it. Taking advantage of the temporary concealment afforded by some
bushes behind which she walked, Katrine seized her sister's hand and ran
rapidly up the path into the ravine. Although unaware of this
proceeding, yet the Matabili had intended to prevent the two girls from
entering the ravine; and so the whole party ran forward in order to
bring the two maidens back.

The Matabili, as well as the other tribes of South Africa, used a
certain amount of courtesy towards young and handsome women, although
their wives are treated very much as are slaves. Thus these men
considered it rather a piece of coquetry that the girls should run aw