hands, I sent my bullet
through him."

"Those Zulus fought well!" exclaimed Hans. "If they ever get possessed
of guns, they may give us trouble."

"Some had guns in the last engagement, but they were not much use to
them, and the horses they rode caused the death of one of the party, who
being unable to manage his horse, which was running away with him into
our camp, the Zulu stabbed himself with his own spear."

"The man was a fool!" exclaimed Hans; "why did he not stab the horse
instead?"

"Talking over your battles!" exclaimed Hofman, an old hunter, as he
entered the tent. "Ah! we have had plenty of fighting for some time to
come, and we may talk about it now, for there will be peace in the land
for some time. We have been fortunate in our last battles, though we
ought not to have been beaten before. It all arose from underrating the
enemy. Though we had guns, and they had none, yet when you fight in
bushy country, and there are twenty to one against you, even a savage
armed with an assagy is not to be despised. I fought against the
Amakosa tribes when they attacked Graham's Town, and I know how these
Africans can fight. You will see more fighting before you die, Hans,
depend upon it."

"I am ready to defend my own and my home," replied Hans, "though I have
no wish to shed any more human blood; though I can say I never shot a
Kaffir, unless it was to save my own life."

"Now we shall have to try our strength against dangerous game, instead
of against savages," said Hofman, "and that will try your nerves at
times. I know that I never found in any battle I have been in such
nervous work as the first time I shot a lion, and that I did in
self-defence, and when little more than a boy."

"Tell us the tale, Hofman," said one or two of the party, who had all
assembled in the tent, and were busily occupied in smoking.

"It is not much of a tale," replied the hunter, "and Hans there, I know,
has had many more narrow escapes; but it was when I lived under the
Winterberg. I had been over to our neighbours, who lived twenty-five
miles from us, and I rode an old horse that was almost past work. I was
to ride there and back in the day, and bring some seeds with me for the
farm. Well, I had ridden there and got the seeds, and should have soon
returned, only there was somebody there I liked to stop and talk to, and
so I waited rather late. It was near sundown when I started, and I had
a good three hours' ride