on the
eastern slope, although it lay below their impregnable walls of rock,
seeing that to this river they must look for their main supply of water.

The table-top of the hill, which could only be approached by one path
that wound upwards through a ravine cut by water, being swept by every
wind of heaven, and so high in the air, was very cold and naked. Indeed,
in the winter season, rain fell there twice or thrice a week, and there
were many days when it was wrapt in a dense white mist. Still, during
the two years and more that she dwelt with the Umpondwana, Suzanne
scarcely left this plain, not because she did not desire to do so, but
because she did not dare, for word was brought that the foot, and even
the slopes, of the mountain were patrolled by men in the employ of Swart
Piet. Moreover, soon it became clear that he had knowledge of all
her movements, doubtless from spies in his pay who dwelt among the
Umpondwana themselves. During the first few months of her sojourn on the
mountain, it is true that now and again Suzanne rode out on the veldt
mounted on the _schimmel_, but this pastime she was forced to abandon
because one day Swart Piet and his men saw her and gave chase, so that
she was only saved from him by the fleetness of the great horse.

After this, both she and the _schimmel_ stayed upon the tableland, where
daily they took exercise together, galloping round a prepared path which
was laid about the fence of the cattle kraal, and thus kept themselves
in good health.

Swart Piet had Kaffir blood in his veins, as I have said, and from
boyhood it had been his custom to live two lives, one as a white man
with white men, and one as a Kaffir with Kaffirs. About three miles
distant from the Umpondwana Mountain was a strong koppie with fertile
valleys to the back of it, and here, being rich and having a great name
as a white man, he found it no trouble to establish himself as a native
chief, for refugees of all sorts gathered themselves about him, so
that within a year he ruled over a little tribe of about a hundred men
together with women.

With these men Van Vooren began to harass the Umpondwana, cutting off
their cattle if they strayed, and from time to time killing or enslaving
small parties of them whom he caught wandering on the plains out of
reach of help from the mountain. Whenever he captured such a party
he would spare one of them, sending him back with a message to the
Umpondwana. They were all to o