Part 3 (1/2)

Then ere aith fifteen miles to do and five-and-thirty minutes before the dawn

”Softly up the slope,” I said to Hans, ”till the beasts get their wind, and then ride as you never rode before”

Those first two ht we should never come to the end of them, and yet I dared not let the mare out lest she should bucket herself Happily she and her coh not so very swift--had stood idle for the last thirty hours, and, of course, had not eaten or drunk since sunset

Therefore being in fine fettle, they were keen for the business; also ere light weights

I held in the mare as she spurted up the rise, and the horse kept his pace to hers We reached its crest, and before us lay the great level plain, eleven miles of it, and then two miles down hill to Maraisfontein

”Now,” I said to Hans, shaking loose the reins, ”keep up if you can!”

Away sped thepast ood roan horse with the Hottentot monkey on its back Oh! what a ride was that!

Further I have gone for a like cause, but never at such speed, for I knew the strength of the beasts and how long it would last theht endure; more, and at this pace they ony ofthe ground like a tortoise

The roan was left behind, the sound of his foot-beats died away, and I was alone with the night and ain the starlight showed me a stone or the skeleton of some dead beast that I knew Once I dashed into a herd of trekking gabok, unable to stop itself, leapt right over me Once the mare put her foot in an ant-bear hole and nearly fell, but recovered herself--thanks be to God, unharmed--and I worked myself back into the saddle whence I had been almost shaken If I had fallen; oh! if I had fallen!

We were near the end of the flat, and she began to fail I had over-pressed her; the pace was too treallop as she faced the gentle rise that led to the brow

And now, behind me, once more I heard the sound of the hoofs of the roan The tireless beast was coe of the plateau he was quite near, not fifty yards behind, for I heard hi star was setting, the east grew grey with light Oh! could we get there before the dawn? Could we get there before the dawn? That is what my horse's hoofs beat out to me

Now I could see the mass of the trees about the stead And now I dashed into soh it, I did not know that it was a line of leamed upon the spear of one of them who had been overthrown!

So it was no lie! The Kaffirs were there! As I thought it, a fresh horror filledas already done and they were departing

The minute of suspense--or was it but seconds?--seemed an eternity But it ended at last Noas at the door in the high wall that enclosed the outbuildings at the back of the house, and there, by an inspiration, pulled up the --for it occurred to me that if I rode to the front I should very probably be assegaied and of no further use I tried the door, which was n, or accident, it had been left unbolted As I thrust it open Hans arrived with a rush, clinging to the roan with his face hidden in its mane The beast pulled up by the side of the ht I saw that an assegai was fixed in its flank

Five seconds later ere in the yard and locking and barring the door behind us Then, snatching the saddle-bags of a there, and I ran for the back entrance of the house, bidding Hans rouse the natives, who slept in the outbuildings, and folloith thens of treachery he was to shoot him at once I remember that as I went I tore the spear out of the stallion's flank and brought it aithupon the back door of the house, which I could not open After a pause that see, a as throide, and a voice--it was Marie's--asked in frightened tones as there

”I, Allan Quaterer; the Red Kaffirs are going to attack the house”

She flew to the door in her nightdress, and at length I was in the place

”Thank God! you are still safe,” I gasped ”Put on your clothes while I call Leblanc No, stay, do you call him; I must wait here for Hans and your slaves”

Away she sped without a word, and presently Hans arrived, bringing with hihtened men, who as yet scarcely knehether they slept or woke

”Is that all?” I asked ”Then bar the door and follow uns”

Just as we reached it, Leblanc entered, clad in his shi+rt and trousers, and was followed presently by Marie with a candle