laimed Hans, "where are the horses?"

"I left them here, Hans," replied Bernhard, "they can't be far off. Let
us each take a path, and we shall soon bring them up: let the girls wait
here for us."

Hans reluctantly quitted the side of Katrine and selected the path to
his left, his two companions taking two other paths. Hans had proceeded
but a few yards along his selected path, and was looking at the spoor of
the horses, which was fresh on the ground before him, when a slight
noise behind caused him to turn: he had but just time to raise his arm
and partly ward off a blow aimed at his head by a Matabili who was armed
with a horn knobskerrie, when his arms were seized and he was thrown
violently to the ground, his gun dragged from him, and he was held by
the powerful arms of some five or six Matabili. Almost at the same
instant a shout from Victor and an oath from Bernhard, combined with the
sound of struggling in the bush, indicated to Hans that his companions
also had been captured; and therefore a regular ambush must have been
prepared for the whole party. That he was not slaughtered at once,
surprised him; for to make prisoners is usually considered by these
warriors to be bad policy. Still, to be thus suddenly made a prisoner,
and to know that Katrine also must be once more in the hands of his
enemies, was a severe blow to Hans, especially when success had just
seemed about to crown his efforts.

Hans was almost immediately bound with his hands behind him and led,
with shouts of triumph and laughter, to the open glade where he had
expected to find his horses; there he found Victor and Bernhard, bound
like himself, and near them more than fifty armed Matabili warriors;
whilst crouching on the ground, her arm round her sister, and crying
bitterly, sat Katrine, entirely overwhelmed by grief and disappointment.
The horses were held by some boys near the group; whilst a Matabili
chief, who seemed to command the party, stood watching his prisoners.
Suddenly addressing Hans, he said--

"Why have you come armed and without notice into the country of
Moselekatse, when it is war between us?"

To this inquiry Hans gave no other answer than a look of disgust at the
man, who, signalling to his followers, led the way down the ravine
towards the kraals.

CHAPTER NINE.

HANS STERK BECOMES A PRISONER WITH HIS COMPANIONS--FINDS AN UNEXPECTED
ALLY--PLOTS AN ESCAPE.

There are few conditions more unpleasant to any ma