very fine man of high character, then in the prime of life, and
of Huguenot descent like Heer Marais. He had been appointed by the
Government one of the frontier commandants, but owing to some quarrel
with the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Andries Stockenstrom, had recently
resigned that office, and at this date was engaged in organizing the
trek from the Colony. I now saw Retief for the first time, and ah! then
little did I think how and where I should see him for the last. But all
that is a matter of history, of which I shall have to tell later.

Now, while Pereira was mocking and bragging of his prowess, Pieter
Retief looked at me, and our eyes met.

"Allemachte!" he exclaimed, "is that the young man who, with half a
dozen miserable Hottentots and slaves, held this stead for five hours
against all the Quabie tribe and kept them out?"

Somebody said that it was, remarking that I had been about to shoot
Marie Marais and myself when help came.

"Then, Heer Allan Quatermain," said Retief, "give me your hand," and he
took my poor wasted fingers in his big palm, adding, "Your father must
be proud of you to-day, as I should be if I had such a son. God in
Heaven! where will you stop if you can go so far while you are yet a
boy? Friends, since I came here yesterday I have got the whole story
for myself from the Kaffirs and from this 'mooi meisje'" (pretty young
lady), and he nodded towards Marie. "Also I have gone over the ground
and the house, and have seen where each man fell--it is easy by the
blood marks--most of them shot by yonder Englishman, except one of the
last three, whom he killed with a spear. Well, I tell you that never
in all my experience have I known a better arranged or a more finely
carried out defence against huge odds. Perhaps the best part of it,
too, was the way in which this young lion acted on the information he
received and the splendid ride he made from the Mission Station. Again I
say that his father should be proud of him."

"Well, if it comes to that, I am, mynheer," said my father, who just
then joined us after his morning walk, "although I beg you to say no
more lest the lad should grow vain."

"Bah!" replied Retief, "fellows of his stamp are not vain; it is your
big talkers who are vain," and he glanced out of the corner of his
shrewd eye at Pereira, "your turkey cocks with all their tails spread.
I think this little chap must be such another as that great sailor of
yours--what do you call h