limax to the weirdly absurd performance, the black warrior
proceeded to finish off with the slaying of about a dozen invisible
enemies around him. Bang went his stabbing assagai against his shield,
and then _stab, stab, stab_, when he turned upon his feet as if upon a
pivot, darting his weapon as if he were some fierce creature armed with
a terrible sting. I seemed to see in imagination an enemy go down at
every thrust; a strange thrill of horror ran through me, and an awful
kind of fascination held me seated there on my horse, as the black
warrior stabbed away till his back was completely turned to me and he
delivered a tremendous thrust, uttering a horrible yell. Then I burst
out into a hysterical peal of laughter, and nearly fell out of the
saddle.

Why? Because never was anything more absurd. The warrior's face was
averted, and the long elliptically-shaped shield no longer covered the
greater part of his person; and though I had failed in recognition
before, I knew him now by the tremendously cut-down trousers he wore.

"Go on, Sandho," I said, and my horse walked gently forward, while the
actor gave three or four more thrusts to kill the rest of the dozen
invisible enemies, bringing himself face to face with me; and after
leaping high in the air, uttering a triumphant yell, he grinned at me
from ear to ear, as he breathlessly cried:

"'At's a way kill um all, Boss Val."

For it was Joeboy on the war-path, ready in his own opinion to slay all
the Boers in the state.

CHAPTER NINE.

THE FRIEND IN NEED.

"Why, Joeboy," I cried, wiping my eyes, "you're splendid. But where's
Echo Nek?"

"Dah!" he said, pointing behind him with the dangerous-looking assagai
he carried.

"Did you see me coming?"

He nodded, it being one of his habits to say as little in English as he
could.

"Tell me: have you got anything to eat?" I said. "I'm starving."

He darted back to the other side of the ridge, and came back with the
strap of a big canvas satchel over his shoulder, the bag-part looking
bulky in the extreme.

"Um Tant Jenny," he said, frowning, as he shook the satchel, and then
proceeded to scrape off with the blade of his stabbing-assagai the large
ants which had scented the contents and were swarming to the attack.
"Is there any water near?" I asked.

"Um," said Joeboy, pointing towards the other side of the ridge.

"Then there will be grass too," I said. "Go on, and show the way.
Quick!"

The