n than that of being a
prisoner. When, moreover, it happens to a man of active and
enterprising habits, and when the captors are men who are bound by none
of those laws which possess an influence in civilisation, and where,
consequently, the prisoner may be put to death at any moment merely to
gratify the whim of a despot, a captive's condition is one not to be
envied.

As soon as Hans Sterk found that he had been fairly entrapped and made
prisoner by the Matabili, he blamed himself for his want of watchfulness
and caution: had he been one of the unskilled residents of the towns, he
could not have been more easily outwitted. He saw that his captors
looked at him with contempt and seemed to consider him quite a novice in
the art of bush warfare; and as they talked unreservedly of their
proceedings, he was enabled to find out how artful had been their plans.

The Matabili, he discovered, had crossed the spoor of his horses, and
saw at once that it led to the ravine in which he was concealed; they
believed that he must be with his companions concealed in that ravine,
but if they followed him at once he would, being provided with horses,
either escape by riding, or would fight and probably kill many of his
enemies before he was himself slain. They decided therefore to
ascertain first whether he was still in the ravine; and a young
keen-eyed boy was despatched to the far side, to see if there were any
spoor leading _out_; for if there were not, then the white men must be
concealed in the ravine.

As soon as this boy's report had been received, the Matabili chiefs
concluded that the men had come either to act as spies, which was
unlikely, or else for the purpose of rescuing the two girls. This
latter supposition was considered the more probable by the experienced
chiefs; and the ravine having been carefully surrounded by a large party
of the Matabili, who, to avoid suspicion, left the kraals in parties of
three or four only, a careful espionage was kept upon the two female
prisoners, and Hans' plot immediately discovered and guarded against,
and preparations made for his capture and for that of his companions.

The prisoners were conducted to the kraal from which Katrine and her
sister had escaped in the morning. The three men were placed in the
hut, the door of which was closed, their hands tied behind them, and
some half-dozen boys appointed to watch the hut from the exterior.

There are times when men of the grea