e firmly tied behind him. His legs were then
tied by a powerful strap, so that he could walk by taking an average
length-pace; but if he attempted to go beyond this, he could not do so:
thus running was out of the question.

Whilst this sudden attack, and being thus bound as a prisoner, made Hans
very angry, yet he knew that it was no use showing this anger; he
therefore submitted quietly, and began to hope that as there seemed no
intention of murdering him, he might be merely kept a prisoner for some
time, and then released.

"Perhaps they will steal my horse, gun, and ivory, and leave me here
unable to follow them," thought Hans. "If so, I shall have a long
journey on foot to reach my people." This idea, however, was soon
relinquished, when Hans saw the chief mount his horse, take his gun, and
whilst others of the party carried the tusks, three men, who seemed
detailed especially to him, signalled to him to walk on before them, and
after their chief. Pulling long knives from out of their belts, they
signed to him that these would be used if he did not willingly comply,
and thus threatened he followed, as best he could with bound hands and
encumbered legs, the leaders of the party.

Hans could tell that the direction in which he walked was nearly east,
and therefore away from where his people would be expecting him. None
of the Dutchmen would be likely, therefore, to come across him or to
find him, so that a rescue was out of the question. The only chance
seemed to be that Victor and Bernhard might come in search of him, and
might trace him up; but then two men against twelve men armed with
muskets might result only in the death of his two friends.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

HANS CARRIED AWAY--HIS FELLOW-PRISONERS--SLAVERY--THOUGHTS OF ESCAPE--
CARRIED OFF TO SEA--THE VOYAGE--PURSUED--THE CHASE--THE NIGHT BATTLE--
THE REPULSE--THE CAPTURE.

With no hesitation as to the direction in which they were to travel, the
party who had so unceremoniously captured Hans marched on till near
sunset. It was evident they knew the country well, and had decided in
which direction they were to proceed. They talked freely amongst each
other, and Hans was often apparently the subject of their conversation,
but he could not comprehend a word of their language. It was no
compound of either Dutch, English, or Kaffir, and he therefore concluded
it must be Portuguese.

Hans could not understand why he should be taken prisoner