Part 11 (2/2)
”Quite right, Matterson,” assented Revell ”They'd jaw about taking the law into our own hands, and what did the Colony keep up an expensive Police Force for, and so on Fat lot you'd see of your oxen by the time you put that machinery to work Why, the Kafirs'd have scoffed the whole span long before and started out to rake in more”
Now, all this was no more than the bare truth The unrest and bold and predatory propensities of our turbulent neighbours of late had been the cause of a growing uneasiness on the frontier, and more than one armed collision between settlers and the natives had occurred--arising out of just such provocation as had brought us hither One indeed, quite recently, had been sonation of the presiding judge a frontier jury had unhesitatingly and obstinately refused to convict certain individuals of their own class and colour who had used fire-arms with fatal effect, but beyond all doubt in defence of their own lives
”We ht place, or we may not,”
pronounced Brian, e had discussed the whole position fore and aft
”If we do we ment, and on no account loose off a shot unless we are absolutely and unequivocally obliged Is that understood, you fellows?”
”Certainly,” was the answer on the part of myself and Revell But Trask was not so unanimous
”Do you er cut er on him? Because if so, I'm lowed if I do, and that's all about it,” he said
There was a queer look in Brian's face as he answered--
”I s considered, Trask, perhaps you'll oblige hten out this worry Now do We shall get on so much better that way”
”What the very devil do you mean, Matterson?” blustered Trask
”What I say--no ed to you for volunteering, but if you think you've got a better plan than et on That's all”
”Oh, blazes,you like,”
answered Trask, after a ht the row o back now--notordinary and sound judgh of your help on those terht, old chap Say no more about it,” conceded the other with a sort of bluff, would-be good-natured growl--and the difference thus patched up, we resumed our way
But I, in h with it, for ininto the nest of fierce and truculent barbarians which was our objective, it see ourselves between the very sharp horns of a bad dile in the immunity which a paternal Government would be sure to extend to theht incontinentlyourselves any of our eneht have to stand our trial for murder But the third solution of the difficulty, that we should return hole skins and clean hands, and that for which we had come out, viz, the recovered stock, seeood to be hoped for
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHECKED
For some hours we held on without difficulty It became very hot The sun's rays poured down into the close, shut-in kloofs as frolass; and the atle puff of wind The horses were in a bath of perspiration, and it became evident they must be off-saddled, wherefore a halt was called in a cool, shady place, where they could enjoy to the full a much-needed rest It was a bushy secluded spot beneath an overhanging cliff, from whose face a whole cloud of spreuws flashed hither and thither, whistling in lively alarm, but, best of all, it contained a cool clear water-hole, albeit the liquid was slightly brackish
”Tired, Holt?” asked Brian good-naturedly, as having knee-haltered the horses, ere discussing so ”Have a drop of grog”
”To the first I answer 'No,' to the second, 'Yes,' e the flask which he chucked across tocapacity
”Well, this sort of forcedpromenade,” cut in Trask ”After you, Holt”
We had a tot all round and a sain Once a check occurred, where the thieves had manifestly separated their spoil, but the device was only a blind, and soon solved by such experienced frontiersht a farmhouse, with its cultivated strip ofin some bushy hollow, but such we purposely avoided, for news travels on winged feet a Kafirs, and the arrival of an armed party at one of these homesteads would be extreers-on there to their brethren of thefastnesses which now began to rise not far in front Nor was there any need to ask for information, for the spoor was as plain as plain could be, and soon, after leading us up a steep hillside, it suddenly left the bush, and, cresting the ridge, struck out into an open plain, where, a few hundred yards in front stood a large native kraal, the dark for the beehive-shaped huts
But the simultaneous yell and rush of a lot of curs promptly turned the attention of the said inhabitants upon us It looked as if our appearance had been provocative of more than ordinary excitement