straight ahead of us, and called to Anscombe to flog up the
weary horses.

We reached the river just before the dawn. To my horror it was
very full, so full that the drift looked dangerous, for it had
been swollen by the thunder-rain of the previous night. Indeed
some wandering Swazis on the further bank shouted to us that we
should be drowned if we tried to cross.

"Which means that the only thing to do is to stay until the water
runs down," I said to Anscombe, for the two women, tired out,
were asleep.

"I suppose so," he answered, "unless those Basutos--"

I looked back up the long slope down which we had come and saw no
one. Then I raised myself in my stirrups and looked along
another track that joined the road just here, leading from the
bush-veld, as ours led from the high-veld. The sun was rising
now, dispersing the mist that hung about the trees after the wet.
Searching among these with my eyes, presently I perceived the
light gleaming upon what I knew must be the points of spears
projecting above the level of the ground vapour.

"Those devils are after us by the lower road," I said to
Anscombe, adding, "I heard them pass the old cattle kraal last
night. They followed our spoor over the edge of the hill, but in
the dark lost it among the stones."

He whistled and asked what was to be done.

"That is for you to decide," I answered. "For my part I'd rather
risk the river than the Basutos," and I looked at the slumbering
Heda.

"Can we bolt back the way we came, Allan?"

"The horses are very spent and we might meet more Basutos," and
again I looked at Heda.

"A hard choice, Allan. It is wonderful how women complicate
everything in life, because they are life, I suppose." He
thought a moment and went on, "Let's try the river. If we fail,
it will be soon over, and it is better to drown than be speared."

"Or be kept alive by savages who hate us," I exclaimed, with my
eyes still fixed upon Heda.

Then I got to business. There were hide riems on the bridles of
the leaders. I undid these and knotted their loose ends firmly
together. To them I made fast the riem of my own mare, slipping
a loop I tied in it, over my right hand and saying--

"Now I will go first, leading the horses. Do you drive after me
for all you are worth, even if they are swept off their feet. I
can trust my beast to swim straight, and being a mare, I hope
that the horses will follow her as they have done all night.
W