atrine, he said, "To get our
guns will be the great thing, then we can fight well. Why they give us
this chance of escape, I don't know."

"They trapped us so easily before, they fancy they can venture to leave
us with boys, I suppose," was Victor's explanation.

"Ah," replied Hans, "they don't know that a real man often does not
thoroughly act till his case seems desperate and he completely defeated,
then he rises to victory."

The sun appeared to move very slowly to the prisoners in the hut, who
anxiously watched the lengthening shadows, and waited impatiently till
it began to get dusk. The accuracy of Katrine's information was soon
evident, for between the slight openings of the door Hans saw several
Matabili warriors, completely armed, silently move away across the plain
outside the kraal. It appeared as if there were to be some general
meeting, or gathering of the forces of the Matabili chief, which
required all the men to be present; and the prisoners being supposed
securely bound, might well be entrusted to the boys, who, on the
slightest alarm, might summon the men to their assistance. As nearly as
the prisoners could guess, an hour had scarcely elapsed when the girl
who had previously brought the notes of Katrine and her sister, passed
by the hut in which Hans and his companions were confined, and singing a
wild song, seemed intent on some occupation. The three Dutchmen,
watching eagerly for some signal, heard the word `loop' uttered several
times, as though in the chorus of a song.

"That," said Hans, "must mean we are to go" (loop being the Dutch for go
or _be off_). "Katrine has taught her this. Bernhard, open the door
quietly and look out, all the boys, I fancy, are behind the hut talking
to this girl."

The door was slowly pushed on one side by Bernhard; and there appearing
no watchers near, he whispered to his companions the result of his
examination.

"Now for our lives," said Hans, "and for those of the girls. We will go
very quickly, but silently, to the hut for our guns, then for our
horses, and then for Katrine. Let us go."

Bernhard led the way out of the hut, the door of which was so low that
it was necessary to crawl out on all fours, Victor followed, and lastly,
Hans, who stayed to fasten the wicker door in its former position. The
three men then walked away towards the hut in which they believed their
guns to be, and opening the door, Hans first entered. The inside of the
hut