resent at any rate, he is
an honest man, and has no intentions on my person. Look! there is Mouti
calling us. I wonder if those brutes have given him anything to eat!
We'll secure the rest of this leg of mutton on chance. At any rate, Mr.
Frank Muller sha'n't starve me to death," and with a cheerful laugh he
left the room.

In a few minutes they were on their road again. As they started Frank
Muller came up, took off his hat, and informed them that probably he
would join them on the morrow below Heidelberg, in which town they would
find every preparation to enable them to spend the night comfortably.
If he did not join them it would be because he was detained on duty.
In that case the two men had his orders to escort them safely to
Mooifontein, and, he added significantly, "I do not think that you will
be troubled with any further impoliteness."

In another moment he had galloped off on his great black horse, leaving
the pair considerably mystified and not a little relieved.

"Well," said John, "at any rate that does not look like foul play,
unless, indeed, he has gone on to prepare a warm reception for us."

Jess shrugged her shoulders, she could not understand it; and then they
settled themselves down to their long lonely drive. They had forty odd
miles to cover, but the guides, or rather the guard, would only consent
to their outspanning once, which they did on the open veldt a little
before sunset. At sundown they inspanned again, and started across the
darkening veldt. The road was in a shocking state, and until the moon
rose, which it did about nine o'clock, the journey was both difficult
and dangerous. After that things were a little better; and at last,
about eleven o'clock, they reached Heidelberg. The town seemed almost
deserted. Evidently the great body of the Boers were at the front, and
had only left a guard at their seat of government.

"Where are we to outspan?" asked John of the Unicorn, who was jogging on
alongside, apparently half asleep.

"At the hotel," was the short reply, and thither they went. Thankful
enough they were to reach it, and to find, from the lights in the
windows, that people were still about.

Notwithstanding the awful jolting of the cart, Jess had been asleep for
the last two hours. Her arm was hooked round the back of the seat, and
her head rested against John's great-coat, which he had fixed up in such
a way as to make a pillow. "Where are we?" she asked, waking up with a
s