n Boer Dutch, to test him.

"Um? Yes. Know what to say, like Boss Val know. Always talk like Boer
before Joeboy come and live with Boss Val."

"Of course," I whispered, with a feeling of relief.

"Um! Boss Val jump in wagon and say nothing. Go to sleep like. Doppie
coming."

He gave me a push towards the wagon and went forward at a trot.
Yielding to his influence, I climbed in at the front, past the driver,
and drew the curtains before me, only leaving a slit through which I
could hear what passed. I was not kept waiting long. As far as I could
judge, about a dozen mounted men cantered up, and a thrill ran through
me as a familiar, highly-pitched voice cried in English, with the
broadest of Irish accents:

"Whisht now, me sable son of your mother! What does this mane?"

"Moriarty," I said to myself; and, with my heart beating fast, and a
strange feeling of rage flushing up to my head, my right hand went to my
revolver and rested upon the butt as I strained my ears to listen for
every word. My thoughts, of course, flashed through my brain like
lightning; but the answer to the renegade captain's words came slowly,
Joeboy replying in deep guttural tones, using Boer Dutch, to say:

"I don't know what you mean, Boss?"

"Ugh! You soot-coloured, big-lipped baste!" snarled Moriarty; and then
in Boer Dutch, "Where are you taking the wagons?"

"Over yonder," replied Joeboy.

"Why? Who told you?"

"Big boss officer man," replied Joeboy calmly enough. "Say want more
mealies there. Make haste and be quick. Ought to have gone there last
night. Wake all up and say come along."

"Oh," said Moriarty thoughtfully; and then, as I waited with my
trepidation increasing, to my great surprise and relief he said a few
words to those with him, which I could not catch; then aloud, in Dutch,
"All right. Go on."

When he began speaking Moriarty did not stop the wagons, which had
crawled on in their slow and regular ox-pace, so that I was taken nearer
and nearer till I was in line with the group of horsemen, and then past
them; then the voices grew more indistinct. As the last words were
uttered the patrol or outpost, whichever it was, trotted off, leaving me
wondering what the broad-shouldered black just before me on the
wagon-box might be thinking about what had passed, and my peculiar
conduct in taking refuge inside. "A shout from him, if he is
suspicious, might bring them back," I mused; so, under the
circums