iness he remained
motionless under the shadow of the rock, whilst he watched the grass
near the edge. In a moment after he saw the head of a Matabili slowly
raised above the edge of the rock, and then the man, as though believing
he could effect a surprise, endeavoured to pull himself up to the level
plateau. Hans saw the chance that offered, so, instantly grasping the
long bamboo lance, he charged the Matabili with such speed, that though
the man saw him coming, yet he could neither raise himself to the rock
nor get down quick enough to avoid the deadly thrust which Hans made at
him. The man, pierced through the chest, fell on to a Matabili who was
following him, and the two dashed headlong to the ground, some thirty
feet below. A yell of rage and disappointment was uttered by a hundred
savages, until now concealed in the ravines below. The noise they thus
made was the first intimation that Victor or the two girls had that
their enemies had arrived. The three rushed from their respective caves
at this unearthly yell, and Victor eagerly inquiring of Hans the cause,
received a hasty explanation, whilst the blood-stained lance was an
earnest of its success as a weapon to restrain invaders.

"We will not waste a shot, Victor," exclaimed Hans; "let us thrust the
brutes down with these lances. They can never succeed in climbing this
place, as long as we meet them boldly. Have your gun ready, but let us
use these lances whilst we find them useful."

The defeat of the surprise party, or rather spies,--for it was to
ascertain whether an enemy really was in the caves that the Matabili
ventured on this errand,--caused a momentary delay on the part of the
Matabili; but their system of warfare was one quite different from that
of the Amakosa Kaffirs. The latter like to fight in the bush, and much
after the fashion of the North American Indians. The Matabili, however,
like to come to close quarters with their enemy, and to stab him at
arm's length. Confident in his numbers, the leader of this party gave
the order to attack the Dutchmen's stronghold. The Matabili who had
been wounded in the first attack had remained concealed in the ravines
until the arrival of his companions, and it was by his information that
the chief learnt that there was a causeway by which he could reach the
position of his enemy. Dividing his forces into three divisions, he
ordered one to climb the rock where the spy had just been hurled down.
Th