ked up, and there at the garden gate saw Anscombe's driver,
Footsack, the man whom I had despatched to Pretoria to fetch his
oxen. I noted that he looked frightened and was breathless, for
his eyes started out of his head. Also his hat was gone and he
bled a little from his face.

Seeing us he ran up the path and sat down as though he were
tired.

"Where are the oxen?" I asked.

"Oh! Baas," he answered, "the Basutos have got them. We heard
from an old black woman that Sekukuni had an impi out, so we
waited on the top of that hill about an hour's ride away to see
if it was true. Then suddenly the doctor Baas appeared riding,
and I ran out and asked him if it were safe to go on. He knew me
again and answered--

"'Yes, quite safe, for have I not just ridden this road without
meeting so much as a black child. Go on, man; your masters will
be glad to have their oxen, as they wish to trek, or will by
nightfall.' Then he laughed and rode away.

"So we went on, driving the oxen. But when we came to the belt
of thorns at the bottom of the hill, we found that the doctor
Baas had either lied to us or he had not seen. For there
suddenly the tall grass on either side of the path grew spears;
yes, everywhere were spears. In a minute the two voorloopers
were assegaied. As for me, I ran forward, not back, since the
Kaffirs were behind me, across the path, Baas, driving off the
oxen. They sprang at me, but I jumped this way and that way and
avoided them. Then they threw assegais--see, one of them cut my
cheek, but the rest missed. They had guns in their hands also,
but none shot. I think they did not wish to make a noise. Only
one of them shouted after me--

"'Tell Macumazahn that we are going to call on him tonight when
he cannot see to shoot. We have a message for him from our
brothers whom he killed at the drift of the Oliphant's River.'

"Then I ran on here without stopping, but I saw no more Kaffirs.
That is all, Baas."

Now I did not delay to cross-examine the man or to sift the true
from the false in his story, since it was clear to me that he had
run into a company of Basutos, or rather been beguiled thereto by
Rodd, and lost our cattle, also his companions, who were either
killed as he said, or had escaped some other way.

"Listen, man," I said. "I am going to fetch some horses. Do you
stay here and help the Missie to pack the cart and make the
harness ready. If you disobey me or run away, then