and secondly for fear lest she
should bring about the death of Hans, to whom the story would certainly
be traced.

As he was the solitary witness to the plot, it seemed to her that
he would scarcely be allowed to escape to repeat it far and wide.
Especially was this so, as the unexplained death of a Hottentot,
suspected of treachery like his master, was not a matter that would have
been thought worth notice in those rough and bloody times. She may have
been right, or she may have been wrong, but in weighing her decision it
must always be borne in mind that she was, and until the end remained,
in utter ignorance of Marie's heroic design to go to her death in place
of me.

So the two women and the Hottentot proceeded to mature the plans which I
have outlined. One other alternative, however, Hans did suggest. It was
that they should try to drug the guards with some of the medicated drink
that was meant for me, and that then Marie, I and he should slip away
and get down to the river, there to hide in the weeds. Thence, perhaps,
we might escape to Port Natal where lived Englishmen who would protect
us.

Of course this idea was hopeless from the first. The moonlight was
almost as bright as day, and the veld quite open for a long way round,
so that we should certainly have been seen and re-captured, which of
course would have meant instant death. Further, as it happened, the
guards had been warned against touching liquor of any sort since it was
thought probable that an attempt would be made to intoxicate them. Still
the women determined to try this scheme if they could find a chance. At
least it was a second string to their bow.

Meanwhile they made their preparations. Hans went away for a little and
returned with a supply of his sleep-producing drug, though whether he
got this from the Kaffirs or gathered it himself, I do not remember, if
I ever heard. At any rate it was boiled up in the water with which they
made the coffee that I was to drink, though not in that which Marie
proposed to drink with me, the strong taste and black hue of the coffee
effectually hiding any flavour or colour that there might be in the
herb. Also the vrouw cooked some food which she gave to Hans to carry.
First, however, he went to investigate the old mealie-pit which was
within a few paces of the back door of the Prinsloos' house. He reported
that it would do well to hide a man in, especially as tall grass and
bushes grew about its mouth.