aal would have been in flood after all the rain that
we have had."

"The drift is perfectly safe, Captain Niel. I crossed it myself about
two hours ago. I know you have a bad opinion of me, but I suppose you do
not think that I would guide you to an unsafe drift?" Then with another
bow he rode on to speak to the two Boers, saying, as he went, "Will you
tell the Kafir to put the horses in?"

With a shrug of the shoulders John rose and went to Mouti, to help him
to drive up the four greys, which were now standing limply together,
biting at the flies, that, before a storm, sting more sharply than at
any other time. The two horses belonging to the escort were some fifty
paces to the left. It was as though they appreciated the position
of affairs, and declined to mix with the animals of the discredited
Englishman.

The Boers rose as Muller came and walked towards their horses, Muller
slowly following them. As they drew near, the horses hobbled away for
twenty or thirty yards. Then they lifted up their heads, and, as a
consequence, their forelegs, to which the heads were tied, and stood
looking defiantly at their captors, just as though they were trying to
make up their minds whether or not to shake hands with them.

Frank Muller was alongside the two men now, and they were alongside the
horses.

"Listen!" he said sternly.

The men looked up.

"Go on loosening the reims, and listen."

They obeyed, and slowly began to fumble at the knee-halters.

"You understand what our orders are. Repeat them--you!"

The man with the tooth, who was addressed, still handling the reim,
began as follows: "To take the two prisoners to the Vaal, to force them
into the water where there is no drift, at night, so that they drown: if
they do not drown, to shoot them."

"Those are the orders," said the Vilderbeeste, grinning.

"You understand them?"

"We understand, _Meinheer_; but, forgive us, the matter is a big one.
You have the orders--we wish to see the authority."

"Yah, yah," said the other, "show us the authority. These are two
harmless people enough. Show us the authority for killing them. People
must not be killed so, even if they are English folk, without proper
authority, especially when one is a pretty girl who would do for a man's
wife."

Frank Muller set his teeth. "Nice fellows you are to have under one!"
he said. "I am your officer; what other authority do you want? But I
thought of this. See here!" and he drew a