the hill was of some altitude and commanded a considerable
view of the surrounding country. But the whole of the latter was lit up
by a dull and lurid glow. At intervals apart burned what looked like
several huge and distant bonfires.

"They mean business this time," said Eustace, reining in a moment to
breathe his horses on the brow of the rise. "Look. There goes Hoste's
place. That's Bradfield's over there--and beyond that must be
Oesthuisen's. Look at them all blazing merrily; and--by jingo--there
goes Draaibosch!"

Far and wide for many a mile the country was aglow with blazing
homesteads. Evidently it was the result of preconcerted action on the
part of the savages. The wild yelling chorus of the barbarous
incendiaries, executing their fierce war-dances around their work of
destruction, was borne distinctly upon the night.

"The sooner we get into Komgha the better now," he went on, sending the
buggy spinning down the long declivity which lay in front. At the
bottom of this the road was intersected by a dry water course, fringed
with bush; otherwise the _veldt_ was for the most part open, dotted with
straggling clumps of mimosa.

Down went the buggy into the dry sandy drift. Suddenly the horses shied
violently, then stopped short with a jerk which nearly upset the
vehicle. A dark firm, springing panther-like, apparently from the
ground, had seized the reins.

Instinctively Eustace recognised that this was no time for parleying.
Quick as thought he drew his revolver and fired. The assailant relaxed
his hold, staggered, spun round, then fell heavily to the earth. The
horses, thus released, tore wildly onward, mad with terror.

A roar and a red, sheeting flash split the darkness behind. The
missiles hummed overhead, one of them tearing a hole in the wide brim of
Eanswyth's hat. This aroused all the demon in the blood of her
companion. Standing up in his seat, regardless of prudence, he pointed
his revolver at the black onrushing mass discernible in the starlight,
and fired three shots in rapid succession. A horrible, shrill, piercing
scream, showed that they had told with widespread and deadly effect.

"Ha! _Bulala abelungu_!" [Death to the whites] howled the exasperated
barbarians. And dropping flat on the ground they poured another volley
into the retiring vehicle.

But the latter had gained some distance now. The horses, panic-stricken
and well-nigh unmanageable, were tearing up the h