wild panic? What if it had rallied, and shown a sudden change of front
to its pursuers? What if the latter had straggled and been cut off in
detail by the vengeful savages; all of which reduced to detail meant:
What if one of them had?

"What do you think, Mr Wyndham?" she said suddenly. "Why are they so
long away?"

Wyndham was no fool, and apart from what he had heard hinted at--albeit
always in a kindly and good-natured way--would have had no difficulty in
putting two and two together.

"Don't you be anxious, Miss Vidal," he said. "Those men are a
hard-bitten lot, and not in the least likely to be led into any booby
trap."

"You think so?" she queried, speaking quickly.

"I'm sure of it. Ah--Look there. See? I was right. Here they come."

Her face lighted up in a way that cost poor Wyndham something of a pang.
It was even as he had said. Away over the nearly flat landscape
figures were moving--horsemen. As they drew nearer it could be seen
that they were split up in irregular groups, and were riding leisurely.

"Mr Wyndham, will you do me a very great favour?" she went on, speaking
quickly. "Do get me those binoculars some of you were looking through
yesterday."

"Certainly I will. Grunberger has a good pair."

He was back at her side in a minute. What horrible presentiment or
instinct was it that caused Clare's hands to tremble as she put the
glasses to her eyes, so that she could scarcely see anything through
them? With an effort she controlled her excitement. The horsemen were
much nearer now, and she could make out they were quite unconcerned, and
seemed to be chatting and laughing together. Clearly, then, nothing had
gone wrong, and there had been no casualties.

To that extent relieved she brought the glasses to bear upon group after
group, but still they failed to reveal--one.

"Where is he?" she repeated, speaking unconsciously half aloud.

"Let me look, Miss Vidal," said Wyndham, tactfully facing the situation.
Then, as she surrendered the glasses to him, a rapid, but careful
scrutiny convinced him that among those now approaching Lamont was not.

"Don't be anxious, Miss Vidal," he said. "There may be others coming on
behind. In fact, there are sure to be."

But as the mounted men drew near, the veldt between them and the
farthest line of vision spread undisturbed by other mounted figures--
no--nor did the widest scrutiny in any direction reveal any sight of
such. What did