the surrounding ground.

"You know the call of the grey monkey, Victor?" said Hans: "let three
distinct calls be a signal that one of us requires the presence of the
other. And now I will go and examine round us."

Hans ascended the kloof, and keeping along the edge of the bush, walked
onwards along what at first seemed an old game path; but at length, as
he examined this, he became convinced it had once been used and worn by
human beings, though now it had been long untrodden; he followed this
path until it led him to a small piece of table-land not much larger
than a good-sized English drawing-room, which was reached by a very
narrow path along a ridge of rocks; this table-land was formed by a
solid block of rock, which descended perpendicularly for fully sixty
feet on three sides, whilst on the fourth there was a wall of rock
rising 200 feet above him. To the eyes of Hans, this place was a fort
almost impregnable, and as he scanned the country round, he felt that
with twenty trusty men he could hold it against a nation of savages.
The face of the rock had been scooped out by artificial means, and two
caves about eight feet deep and six feet high had been formed evidently
with great labour. This Hans knew must be the work of Bushmen, who for
some reason had now apparently deserted the locality. From these caves
the surrounding country could be seen in all directions, and water being
within a few yards, Hans at once selected this place for the residence
of his companions.

Inside the cave were rough carvings of various creatures, scratched on
the stone of the rock, whilst just outside a valuable article lay
neglected; this was a large gourd, capable of containing about two
quarts of water. Hans at once placed this inside the cave, and then
commenced cutting some long, dry grass, that grew on the slope near;
having procured sufficient of this to make a soft bed in one of the
caves, he descended the ravine, and rejoined Victor and the two girls.

"A storm is coming," he said, "and that will wash out our spoor; so now
come with me, and I will show you a nice quiet retreat before the rain
falls."

Victor, aided by Hans and the two girls, ascended the ravine, and on
seeing the caves and the security of the retreat, which were evident at
once even to the inexperienced eyes of the girls, they were delighted.

"No one can find us here, Hans," said Katrine; "and if they found us,
they could not get at us. However d