ff
across the main road running north, and then on over the rolling veldt,
which was just beginning to send forth a few blades of fresh green
grass.

Alternately cantering and walking, and changing from one pony to the
other, he kept steadily on, the unshod hoofs of his animals making no
sound, so that Jack had the advantage of being able to hear anyone
approaching. Five hours later he stumbled upon the road from Kimberley
to Hoopstad, and at once off-saddled to rest himself and his ponies for
an hour.

During that time no one passed, and having eaten a good meal of biscuit
and hard-boiled eggs, he started again, riding along just by the side of
the road, and turning on to it now and again, when the veldt was so
strewn with boulders or cut up by nullahs and deep water-courses as to
make it difficult for him to pick his way.

About half an hour later he heard a low, murmuring sound in the
distance, and in a few moments could plainly distinguish galloping
hoofs. Instantly he turned on to the veldt, and made for a steep kopje
a hundred yards off, amongst the boulders of which he quickly hid both
himself and the animals.

He was not a moment too soon, for just as he got Vic and Prince prone on
the ground, and had seated himself on the quarters of one of them, a
couple of horsemen came spurring up alongside the road, while three more
at that moment galloped round from the farther side of the kopje on
which he was hiding, looking ghostly and white in the faint rays of the
moon. They all pulled up within a few yards of Jack, and one of them,
whom he recognised at once as Hans Schloss, the fat and vindictive
little German, turning in his saddle pointed to the top of the hill, and
cried out: "Ha, my friends, there is the flag, and here we shall all
gather before riding on to kill those pigs of Englishmen in Kimberley!"

"That's so," another voice broke in. "That's the flag kopje, and your
friends the Transvaal burghers will be joining us at midnight. They are
coming through from Bloemhof, and should be here in good time. Then,
Hans, my boy, we shall ride for Kimberley, but as for killing the
Rooineks, that is another matter. We shall not catch them napping.
They are ready, but if the good Lord will give us strength we shall
drive them out. Then, Hans, you shall kill them, and they shall be
filled with fear at the sight of you. Ha, ha! you will frighten them
out of their lives, my brave comrade!"

The Boer chuckl