s as from the lens
of a gigantic burning-glass; and the atmosphere was unmoved by a single
puff of wind. The horses were in a bath of perspiration, and it became
evident they must be off-saddled, wherefore a halt was called in a cool,
shady place, where they could enjoy to the full a much-needed rest. It
was a bushy secluded spot beneath an overhanging cliff, from whose face
a whole cloud of spreuws flashed hither and thither, whistling in lively
alarm, but, best of all, it contained a cool clear water-hole, albeit
the liquid was slightly brackish.

"Tired, Holt?" asked Brian good-naturedly, as having knee-haltered the
horses, we were discussing some supplies which had been brought in a
saddle-bag. "Have a drop of grog."

"To the first I answer `No,' to the second, `Yes,' emphatically!" I
said, catching the flask which he chucked across to me. It was a roomy
metal one, with considerable carrying capacity.

"Well, this sort of forced march on an African summer day isn't a cool
and invigorating promenade," cut in Trask. "After you, Holt."

We had a tot all round and a smoke. Then it became time to move on
again. Once a check occurred, where the thieves had manifestly
separated their spoil, but the device was only a blind, and soon solved
by such experienced frontiersmen as Brian and Revell. Now and again we
would sight a farmhouse, with its cultivated strip of mealie land,
picturesquely nestling in some bushy hollow, but such we purposely
avoided, for news travels on winged feet among Kafirs, and the arrival
of an armed party at one of these homesteads would be extremely likely
to be notified by any of the hangers-on there to their brethren of the
marauding clans inhabiting the dark, frowning fastnesses which now began
to rise not far in front. Nor was there any need to ask for
information, for the spoor was as plain as plain could be, and soon,
after leading us up a steep hillside, it suddenly left the bush, and,
cresting the ridge, struck out into an open plain, where, a few hundred
yards in front stood a large native kraal, the dark forms of whose
inhabitants we could see moving about among the beehive-shaped huts.
But the simultaneous yell and rush of a lot of curs promptly turned the
attention of the said inhabitants upon us. It looked as if our
appearance had been provocative of more than ordinary excitement.

"Don't shoot, Trask," said Brian warningly, observing that that worthy
was aiming at a coup