Boer leader at this moment. "Do you hear? Get away with you! Now,
Miss--what's your name, play `God Save the Queen!' You'll not have many
opportunities of doing so after this, for England's going to the wall,
and that old tune will soon be forgotten. Now then, strike up, and let
it be sharp and merry."

The spy gave vent to a coarse laugh, shouted once more at the trembling
girl, and gulped down a glass of spirit which "Tim" placed close to his
hand at that moment.

But, like her father, this delicate English girl was loyal-hearted and
true to her beloved queen and country. Her head, which had drooped
before this, was now held proudly erect in the air; she faced her
tormentors steadily, and in a voice which scarcely quivered, refused to
play any more for them.

"No," she said firmly, "I will not play our national anthem for you.
You would only jeer at it, like the cowards you are. One of these days
you and all your countrymen shall be proud to call yourselves subjects
of our queen, and will sing in all earnestness that sacred song you now
ask me to play!"

"None of your threats! Do as you're told!" snarled the Boer leader
angrily. "It will be many a long year before your queen claims a single
one of us as a subject; but let me tell you, miss, it will be only a
very few minutes before this ugly-looking thing does you a mischief, if
you refuse to play `God Save the Queen'!"

As he spoke the villain snatched a Mauser pistol from his belt and held
it pointed at Eileen's head.

Jack's teeth ground together, and, quickly slipping a cartridge into his
rifle, he covered the Boer leader, and was on the point of pressing the
trigger when Tim, the gallant Zulu boy, his eyes glaring with rage,
rushed at the man and struck him from his chair. He was seized at once,
and held in front of the villain who had dared to threaten Eileen, who
again lifted his Mauser, placed the muzzle against the poor fellow's
head, and held it there a moment, so as to prolong the agony of fear,
ere he pressed the trigger and sent Tim to his last account.

That pause proved the latter's salvation, while to the Boer it meant a
sudden death. Jack, who had kept him covered, thrust the end of his
rifle through the glass and fired, dropping the villain in his tracks.
Then shouting: "Give it to them, boys!" he opened his magazine and
poured a hail of shot into the house, taking care to miss Tim and Eileen
Russel.

Startled by the shot and al