t and
fell from the wagon front.

It was all almost momentary, and then Dyke was leaning out through the
canvas, and fired twice at random.

"It won't hit, only frighten them," he thought; and then he turned cold,
for at the second report there was a yell, the sound of a fall, a
scuffling noise, and a series of cries almost such as would be uttered
by a dog, and growing more and more distant, as the boy listened,
feeling convinced that he had shot Duke.

Tanta Sal was of a different opinion.

"Dat Jack," she said, laughing softly. "Jack tief. No come kill Tant
now."

Dyke was silent for a few moments. He was thinking about what
cartridges he had placed in his gun, and remembered that they were
Number 6, which he had intended for the guinea-fowl.

"Those wouldn't kill him," he muttered, "and he was a long way off."

"No get mealies now," said the woman, interrupting the boy's musings.
"Baas Dyke go bed?"

"Stop! suppose they are waiting?" whispered Dyke.

"Wait? What for?" she replied. "No. All run away. No come now."

She climbed out on to the box and held the canvas aside for Dyke to
follow, which he did, and then tied the opening up again, and leaped
down to stand listening to the dog's barking within the house.

"Tant go sleep," said the woman; and she hurried off, while Dyke opened
the door for the dog to bound out growling, and ready to rush off at a
word, but Dyke called him in and shut the door, fastening it now; the
fact of the dog sleeping inside being, he thought, sufficient
protection--the coming of the woman not being noticed by Duke, who, of
course, set her down as a friend.

But Dyke did not lie down for some time after assuring himself that the
noise had not roused his brother from his heavy sleep. The boy was
uneasy about the woman. She had told him that Jack had threatened to
kill her. Suppose he came back now with his companions to take revenge
upon her for betraying their plans.

"She wouldn't know," he said to himself, after carefully weighing the
matter over in his mind, to decide that they would be afraid to come
again after such a reception.

So, concluding at last that the woman would be quite safe, Dyke reloaded
his gun, placed it ready, and lay down once more, conscious of the fact
now that the dog was awake and watchful.

Five minutes after he was asleep, and did not wake till the Kaffir woman
came and tapped at the door, to show him, with a look of triumph, four