bang of a gun
away on my left front scattered all reflections to the winds.

"This way, Holt! This way!" sang out a voice, and at the same time bang
went another shot.

As I proceeded to follow out Brian's injunction I looked round, just in
time to see a spurt of dust fly up very near in front of my pursuers,
where the bullet had struck. These had halted, and as just then there
was another bang, and another bullet fell rather nearer than the first,
they evidently concluded it was too warm, and began to drop down into
cover.

Brian was lying comfortably ensconced in a bush, inserting a fresh
cartridge. "I only shot to scare," he said, in his cool way, as I came
up. "They'll stop now."

"Are you all alone?"

"Yes. Came back to look after you."

"And jolly near too late you were, old chap, for if I hadn't managed to
slip my own cable, I'd have been lying at the bottom of an infernal hole
at this moment, with my throat cut from ear to ear. That's what was
sticking out for me at daybreak."

"So? Did you know those chaps were stalking you down when you started
back for the two remaining horses?" he said.

"Rather. I raced them for it. You see, I promised to bring back
Meerkat, and I'd got to do it. But--did you see that part of it?"

"_Ja_. Watched you all the time, but concluded that this was the best
place to effect a diversion in your favour. Well, Holt--you won't mind
my saying so--but you're no fool of an imported Britisher, and that's a
dead cert. I don't expect Trask would have come out of things in that
way."

"Oh, yes he would," I answered with cheerful magnanimity, for I was in
secret hugely pleased with myself--not from any innate vanity, but
because I should return to Gonya's Kloof with enhanced prestige. And
for certain reasons I could do with all the prestige I could capture,
just then.

We had fallen back on where Brian had left his horse. "You can have my
saddle as soon as we can get out of these kloofs," he said. "I expect
you'll get sick of riding barebacked sooner than I shall. At present we
needn't lose any time. The other horses? Oh, they'll follow us all
right. Later on we can lead them."

"This is a nice, peaceful country of yours, Brian," I said, as we held
on our way, for we saw no more of our late enemies. "If this sort of
thing happens in time of profound peace, may I ask what it's like in
time of war?"

He laughed.

"You may have a chance of seeing for yours