of that neighbour who was being attended by the
doctor from the dorp, praying that he would come with all speed to visit
Ralph, which indeed he did, for he was with us by half-past eight in the
morning.

Within an hour of the despatch of the messengers the Boers rode up from
their waggons, and to them, as well as to ourselves and to the Kaffirs
who had gathered, the driver and voorlooper told all they knew of the
terrible crime that had been done upon the persons of Ralph Kenzie and
his wife by Piet Van Vooren and his band. Also they repeated all that
Zinti had taught them of the road to the secret krantz whither it was
believed that he had carried off Suzanne. Then Jan asked those present
if they would help him in this trouble, and being true men, one and
all, they answered yes, so by seven in the morning the little commando,
numbering twenty-one guns--eight white men and thirteen Kaffirs--started
to seek for Swart Piet's hiding-place, and to rescue Suzanne if they
might.

"Alas!" I said to Jan as he bade me farewell, "at the best I fear that
you will be too late."

"We must trust in God," he answered heavily.

"Never had we more need of trust, husband, but I think that God turns
His face from us because of the lies we told to the Englishmen, for now
the punishment which you foresaw has fallen."

"Then, wife, it were more just that it should have fallen on us who were
guilty, and not on those two who are innocent. But still I say I trust
in God--and in Sihamba"--he added by an afterthought, "for she is brave
and clever, and can run upon a path which others cannot even see."

Then they went, and were away five days, or it may have been six. They
started early on Tuesday, and upon the Thursday morning, after much
trouble, by the help of a native whom they captured, they found Swart
Piet's kraal, but of Swart Piet or Suzanne or the hidden krantz they
could see nothing. Indeed, it was not until they had gathered together
every man they could find in the kraal and tied them to trees, saying
that they would shoot them, that a woman, the wife of one of the men,
led them to a rock wall and showed the secret of the kloof. They entered
and found the big hut with the body of the man whom Sihamba had killed
still lying in it, and also the knife with which Suzanne had intended to
destroy herself, and which her father knew again.

Then by degrees they discovered the whole story, for the woman pointed
out to them the man who