r
Elvesdon for instance--but when her only bulwark was merely another
girl, why the thing seemed to take on a different aspect.

"Dangerous? Good Lord, no. But a wounded ram, who's still got the use
of his legs, well it doesn't do to go up to him. They've got beastly
horns, and I've twice seen a dog stuck through and through."

The English-bred girl looked at the Colonial one, with some curiosity, a
touch of increased respect and a great deal of admiration. The flush of
excitement which had come into Edala's cheeks, the sparkle in her
fearless blue eyes, rendered the face surpassingly beautiful.

"Oh, I'm not afraid with you, dear," rejoined Evelyn. "Only--you must
bear with an ignoramus."

"Ssh!" said Edala, holding up a hand. "No more talking now."

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

"DIANE CHASSERESSE."

For, from above, came a clamour of sound. Thornhill was riding along
the upper side of the kloof, Manamandhla was beating down the centre,
where the watercourse ran, and Mlamvu, the other native, was making
daylight hideous with the wild whoops and yells that marked his
progress. The dogs, questing to and fro, filled the air with their
deep-mouthed ravings.

This racket faint at first, drew nearer and nearer, where the two girls
stood, behind their cover of bush and stone. There came a sound of
crashing through the bushes, making straight towards them. Edala held
her gun in right business-like fashion--no mere toy-gun but an
up-to-date Number 12 hammerless--ready to bring to her shoulder. The
other was in a very whirl of excitement. Then the sound ceased.

"It has gone back," she whispered. "Never mind. Father will get it."

Even as she spoke the clamour of the dogs was renewed, and, with it, a
distant shot, away up on the hillside behind. But at the same time
another sound of disturbance, not so violent, but much nearer, and--this
too was coming straight towards them.

Edala set her lips. Her gaze was concentrated on a point where the more
open ground seemed to triangle into the thicker bush. Then, something
leaped into the open, and crossed in leisurely bounds in front of them.
It was a magnificent bushbuck ram--whose spiral horns, almost straight,
looked of record length. Edala's gun was at her shoulder and the report
rang out. The full charge of Treble A ripped through the dark,
chocolate coloured hide, and the beast fell, as though knocked over by a
stone, kicking and rolling, and uttering a