e fight by the sheep kraal, mad with
hate of Ralph and love of Suzanne. Also his father was wicked before
him, and he had Kaffir blood in his veins. Ah! for how much must our
blood be called upon to answer, and how good is that man who can conquer
the natural promptings of his blood!

Jan and I were following Ralph when he entered the river scherm, and
reached it just in time to see pursued and pursuer vanishing up the
narrow cleft. I caught sight of Van Vooren's back only, but although I
had not seen him for years, I knew it at once.

"We have found the tiger at home," I said, "yonder goes Swart Piet."

"Allemachter! it is so," answered Jan. "Look, there lies the tiger's
prey," and pointing to Sihamba he followed them up the mountain side as
fast as his weight would allow, for in those days Jan was a very heavy
man.

Meanwhile I made my way to the little figure that was stretched upon
the rock at the edge of the river. She had fainted, but even before I
reached her I saw from her small size and the strange hoop of stiff
hair that she wore about her head, that it was none other than Sihamba,
Sihamba whom I had last seen upon the eve of that unlucky marriage day.

But oh! she was sadly changed. One of her legs, I forget which, had been
broken by a gunshot; the blood trickled from the wound where Van Vooren
had stabbed her in the back; her little body was wasted by the want of
water, and her face had shrunk to the size of that of a small child,
although strangely enough it still was pretty. I knelt down by her,
and placing my hand upon her heart felt that it still beat, though very
slowly. Then I took water and sprinkled it upon her, and at the touch of
it she opened her eyes at once.

"Give me to drink," she moaned, and I did so, pouring the water down her
throat, which was ridged and black like a dog's palate. Her eyes opened
and she knew me.

"Greeting, mother of Swallow," she said, "you come in a good hour, for
now I shall be able to tell you all before I die, and I am glad that I
was strong enough to endure the torment of thirst for so many hours."

"Tell me one thing, Sihamba," I said. "Does Suzanne live, and is she
safe?"

"Yes, she lives, and I hope that this night she will be safe with your
own people, the Boers, for she has crossed the mountains to seek shelter
in that laager which is by the white-topped koppie near the banks of the
Tugela in Natal."

"The laager by the white-topped koppie----" I