earch to the south. One was the brother of Mynheer
Van Ormon, the other was his brother-in-law. They were men who had for
many years been living on the borders of the colony,--part of their time
engaged in fighting Kaffirs and Griquas, and robbing them of their
cattle, the other part in trading with the natives for ostrich-feathers
and ivory. They had lately returned from an unsuccessful expedition to
the north, the object of which had been to procure two young giraffes,
in order to obtain the reward or price offered for them by the consul of
the Netherlands. On seeing within the kraal of their kinsman Mynheer
Van Ormon, the very animals they had sacrificed so much time in vainly
searching for, they could not resist the opportunity of appropriating
them. Their idea was, to conceal the animals for a few weeks among the
hills, until those to whom they properly belonged, giving them up as
lost, should return to their homes. The giraffes might then be taken to
Cape Town, and disposed of, without the original owners ever knowing
anything of the trick that had been played upon them.

Unfortunately for Congo, they had that morning been in search of
something for food, and had returned just in time to see him playing spy
upon their camp.

"This is the villain who pretended to quarrel with his master and leave
him," said the man who had knocked the Kaffir down. "I told Van Ormon
to send him off with the others, but he was sure the fellow did not wish
to assist them, and could not if he would. By his folly our game has
been nearly lost. We've just been in time; but what are we to do with
the black brute, now that we've caught him?"

"Kill him!" replied the other, who was the brother of Van Ormon. "He
mus never got to de white mens. Dey would come and rob us all."

"Very likely. Some people are bad enough to do anything; but I have
half killed this fellow already,--you may do your share, and finish him,
if you like."

"No Shames; as you pegins this little job, it is besh you finish it
yourself."

Bad as were the two ruffians into whose hands Congo had fallen, neither
of them liked to give him the _coup de grace_, and, undecided what else
to do with him, they tied his hands behind his back.

He was then assisted to his feet, and, reeling like a drunken man, was
led towards their camp.

Congo soon began to recover from the effects of the blow, and became
sensible of the danger he was in. By their talk, he could