y sort was in her mind now. The more of _his_ slayers
she could send to join him in the other world, the greater would be her
joy--the only joy left to her. She had declined Sub-Inspector Dering's
offer to clean the weapon for her on the ground that any sort of
occupation was better than none, and sleep was impossible.

By this time the whole Force was aware of the relationship existing
between her and the missing man, and all forbore or feared to intrude
upon her grief. Stony-eyed, silent, under this second blow, she stared
forth upon the enshrouding mist, as though to pierce its dark folds and
see--what? Her father was frankly snoring. It was characteristic of
that hardened up-country adventurer that nothing short of absolute
necessity should be allowed to interfere with the recuperating powers of
nature. The two officers in command, likewise the same number of
sergeants, were wide awake, and conversing in low tones.

It grew lighter and lighter, the mist notwithstanding. The sun must be
up. They thought of giving orders to saddle up. By the time the
process was accomplished, and Minton's miserable harness got into
working order by the agency of countless bits of string and _reimpje_,
it would be clear enough to march. But there was a guardian angel over
that camp after all.

Suddenly a shot rang out, then another. In an instant the whole camp
was astir. But no flurry, no fuss. As we have said, the whole escort
had slept under arms, and each trooper awoke in his place and ready.
Two more shots followed from the same quarter, but this time much
nearer, then a small volley from another vedette posted on the next face
of the camp.

A swirl of air cleft the mist. From the sides on which the shots were
fired the vedettes were now seen running in.

"Large impi close on us, sir," reported the first to arrive,
breathlessly. "Hardly six hundred yards now."

Inspector Bray issued but one short order. He had been prepared for
such a contingency, and everything had been prearranged on pitching
camp. Now, in a second, each man had built up what cover he could with
his saddle and blanket, and lay behind it, his rifle forward, alert and
ready. He had not long to wait.

Another swirl of air rolled back the mist, leaving a quarter of a mile
on that side exposed as by the raising of a curtain. It was as the
sentinels had said. In crescent formation the dense black cloud swept
on--in dead silence--a phalanx o