CHAPTER XXII

ON THE ROAD

John and Jess had finished their meal, and were about to leave the
table, when suddenly the door opened, and who should appear at it but
Frank Muller himself! Mistake was impossible; there he stood, stroking
his long golden beard, as big, as handsome, and, to Jess's mind, as
evil-looking as ever. The cold eyes fell upon John with a glance of
recognition, and something like a smile began to play around the corners
of the finely cut cruel mouth. Suddenly, however, his gaze lit upon the
two Boers, one of whom was picking his teeth with a steel fork and
the other lighting his pipe within a few inches of Jess's head, and
instantly his face grew stern and angry.

"Did I not tell you two men," he said, "that you were not to eat with
the prisoners?"--this word struck awkwardly on Jess's ear. "I told
you that they were to be treated with all respect, and here I find you
sprawling over the table and smoking in their faces. Be off with you!"

The smooth-faced man with the tusk rose at once with a sigh, put
down the steel fork with which he had been operating, and departed,
recognising that _Meinheer_ Muller was not a commanding officer to be
trifled with, but his companion, the Vilderbeeste, demurred. "What,"
he said, tossing his head so as to throw the long black hair out of his
eyes, "am I not fit to sit at meat with a couple of accursed English--a
_rooibaatje_ and a woman? If I had my way he should clean my boots
and she should cut up my tobacco;" and he grinned at the notion till
eyebrows, whiskers, and moustache nearly met round his nose, causing him
to look for all the world like a hairy-faced baboon.

Frank Muller made no answer in words. He simply took one step forward,
pounced upon his insubordinate follower, and with a single swing of his
athletic frame sent him flying headlong through the door, so that this
free and independent burgher lit upon his head in the passage, smashing
his pipe and considerably damaging his best feature--his nose. "There,"
said Muller, shutting the door after him, "that is the only way to deal
with such a fellow. And now let me bid you good-day, Miss Jess," and he
extended his hand, which Jess took, rather coldly it must be owned.

"It has given me great pleasure to be able to do you this little
service," he added politely. "I had considerable difficulty in obtaining
the pass from the General--indeed I was obliged to urge my personal
services before he would giv