e ears of the hunters.

"Victor," exclaimed Hans, "those are not mortal enemies. I have killed
in my day more than twenty Kaffirs, principally Amakosa: can these be
the men's ghosts, sent here now to torment me? I shot them in fair
fight and for the defence of my life or cattle,--yet no mortal could
have seen me move or heard me speak, but when I did both, they sank into
the rocks to a man."

"Wait, Hans, let us see what happens; our cause is a good one, and in
such a case though the devil may be powerful, God must be more than a
match for him. God would not allow the dead Kaffirs to worry us."

"There! there! Hans, see there are more; they stand up on the rocks,
and are carrying something to hurl at us. A bullet could not touch a
being belonging to the dead, or I would fire."

"I wish I had consulted the Missionary about such a case," earnestly
exclaimed Hans; "too many Mensch laugh at the Kaffirs who believe their
fathers come and talk to them; but whatever may be this enemy, I, for
one, would never laugh at a nation's belief, when I knew nothing about
it. Victor, we might as well have been bred in the towns; we are weak
and ill, or we should have seen before that these are baboons, some of
the females carry their young, and that is what we fancied they were
going to throw at us. That is good: if baboons come here, and stay
here, it shows that neither Bushmen or other men have been much here
lately, and so we may not be disturbed. We must watch, though; shall I
or will you take the first watch? whoever does, he can keep guard till
those three bright stars set, and then can call the other. I _can_
sleep to-night, for I feel in this retreat that I have the best chance
of success now. If two days pass without the Matabili finding us, we
shall escape, provided Bernhard can procure horses; but I would as soon
stand up at fifty yards to be shot at with a Bushman's arrows, as go on
foot with Katie towards our lager, for we should then be captured and
slain in less than twelve hours. Here, if we keep close, we may be
secure for a long time, but moving we should be exposed to all dangers;
so now all depends on Bernhard. Will you watch first, Victor, and place
yourself near this wall of rock? then every sound from the plain will be
heard clearer and more distinctly, for sound comes against this rock
like a wave, and is not lost. Call me if you feel too sleepy to watch,
for that is possible; and a little sleep wh