one except Hintza
himself. Terrified at last into submission, he entered the camp with a
retinue of fifty followers, and was courteously received by the
commander-in-chief.

During the course of these proceedings detached parties were frequently
sent hither and thither to surprise a kraal or to capture cattle, and
the two parties under Groot Willem and Hans Marais, having arrived at
Fort Wilshire at the same time, were allowed to act pretty much in
concert.

One night they found themselves encamped in a dark mountain gorge during
a thunderstorm.

"Well, well," said Jerry Goldboy to Junkie, who with Scholtz had taken
refuge under the very imperfect shelter of a bush, "it's 'orrible 'ard
work this campaigning; specially in bad weather, with the point of one's
nose a'most cut off."

Jerry referred to a wound which an assagai aimed at his heart had that
day inflicted on his nose. The wound was not severe, but it was
painful, and the sticking-plaster which held the point of his
unfortunate member in its place gave his countenance an unusually
comical appearance.

"Is it very zore, boy?" asked Scholtz.

"Zore! I wish you 'ad it, an' you wouldn't 'ave to ask," returned
Jerry.

"How did you come by it?" asked Junkie, looking grave with difficulty.

"Well, it ain't easy to say exactly. You see it was getting dark at the
time, and I was doin' my best to drive a thief of a _h_ox down a place
in the kloof where it had to stand upright, a'most, on its front-legs,
with its tail whirlin' in the _h_air. An' I 'adn't much time to waste
neither, for I knew there was Kafirs all about, an' the troops was
gettin' a'ead of me, an' my 'oss was tied to a yellow-wood tree at the
foot o' the kloof, an' I began to feel sort o' skeery with the gloomy
thickets all around, an' rugged precipices lookin' as if they'd tumble
on me, an' the great mountains goin' up to 'eaven--oh! I can tell you
it was--it was--"

"In short, the most horrible sight you ever saw," said Junkie, drawing
his blanket tighter round his shoulders, and crouching nearer to the
bulky form of Scholtz for protection from the wind which was rising.

"Yes, Junkie, it was--the most 'orrible sight I ever saw, for wild
savageness, so I drew my sword and gave the _h_ox a prog that sent 'im
'ead over 'eels down the kloof w'ere 'e broke 'is back. Just at that
werry moment--would you mind takin' your toe out o' my neck, Junkie? it
ain't comfortable: thank you.--Well, as