shed blood, and that unnecessarily.

But out of the mist leapt two figures, and down went Snyman under the
mighty fist of the Police corporal who was with Harley Greenoak.
Disarmed, and rendered powerless for further mischief, he was brought
back to the escort. When the nature of his misdoing got abroad, it was
all Ladell could do to keep his men from lynching him. But now he was
almost as anxious to get his prisoner safe to camp as he was the
ammunition; and indeed he succeeded in doing both by the following
midday.

"So Jacob's as good a chap as ever lived--eh, Dick?" said Harley
Greenoak, drily, when that consummation had been attained.

"By Jingo! he'd have done for me if you fellows hadn't turned up,"
laughed Dick.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

THE TRAITOR.

The Commandant was nothing if not thorough, and as it came home to him
what a marvellous escape the ammunition escort had had, and the direful
effects that would have resulted from the carrying out of the attempt--
not only to the force under his command, but in consequence to many
lives along the frontier--his first impulse was to order the traitor to
be shot, right out of hand. Two considerations, however, moved him from
his purpose, or at any rate to the postponement of it. One was that he
was a man of judicial mind, and deemed it only fair that the culprit
should have an opportunity of making what defence he could; the other a
secret appreciation of the latter's calm courage. For Jacob Snyman had
uttered no prayer for mercy, nor had he put on the swagger of bravado.
To one of the Commandant's temperament this appealed powerfully. In
fact, on thinking further, he was by no means eager to order the Kafir's
execution, and probably he was the only man in the camp wearing the
Police uniform of whom this could be said. So Jacob Snyman--otherwise
Manyelo--was brought before a sort of court-martial consisting of the
Commandant and the commissioned officers, and was asked what he had to
say.

He had nothing to say--what could he have? Then Harley Greenoak came
forward, and told how he had found the fuse and the tinder in among the
ammunition boxes, all ready fired. Told, too, how he had known the
prisoner before and--well, had thought it right to keep an eye on his
doings, and in the result had defeated his daring attempt to desert to
the enemy with one of the ammunition waggons.

The Kafir smiled slightly at this, and shook his head.

"That would have