r of language, Pereira's high-coloured face went
white as a sheet.

"Mein Gott, mynheer," he said, "I am minded to make you answer for such
talk," and his hand went to the knife at his girdle.

"What!" shouted Retief, "do you want another shooting match? Well, if
so I am ready with whole bullets or with split ones. None shall say that
Pieter Retief was afraid of any man, and, least of all, of one who is
not ashamed to try to steal a prize as a hyena steals a bone from a
lion. Come on, Hernan Pereira, come on!"

Now, I am sure I cannot say what would have happened, although I
am quite certain that Pereira had no stomach for a duel with the
redoubtable Retief, a man whose courage was as proverbial throughout the
land as was his perfect uprightness of character. At any rate, seeing
that things looked very black, Henri Marais, who had been listening to
this altercation with evident annoyance, stepped forward and said:

"Mynheer Retief and nephew Hernan, you are both my guests, and I will
not permit quarrelling over this foolishness, especially as I am sure
that Hernan never intended to cheat, but only to do what he thought was
allowed. Why should he, who is one of the finest shots in the Colony,
though it may be that young Allan Quatermain here is even better? Will
you not say so, too, friend Retief, especially just now when it is
necessary that we should all be as brothers?" he added pleadingly.

"No," thundered Retief, "I will not tell a lie to please you or anyone."

Then, seeing that the commandant was utterly uncompromising, Marais went
up to his nephew and whispered to him for a while. What he said I do not
know. The result of it was, however, that after favouring both Retief
and myself with an angry scowl, Pereira turned and walked to where
his horse stood, mounted it, and rode off, followed by two Hottentot
after-riders.

That was the last I saw of Hernan Pereira for a long while to come, and
heartily do I wish that it had been the last I ever saw of him. But this
was not to be.

CHAPTER VI. THE PARTING

The Boers, who ostensibly had come to the kloof to see the shooting
match, although, in fact, for a very different purpose, now began to
disperse. Some of them rode straight away, while some went to wagons
which they had outspanned at a distance, and trekked off to their
separate homes. I am glad to say that before they left quite a number
of the best of them came up and congratulated me both on the