ry blade round her neck. Then as
darkness came over me I heard her cry:

"Don't shoot, father. It is Allan, Allan who has saved my life!"

After that I remember no more. Nor did she for a while, for we both fell
to the ground senseless.

When my senses returned to me I found myself lying on the floor of the
wagon-house in the back yard. Glancing from my half-opened eyes, for
I was still speechless, I saw Marie, white as a sheet, her hair all
falling about her dishevelled dress. She was seated on one of those
boxes that we put on the front of wagons to drive from, "voorkissies"
they are called, and as her eyes were watching me I knew that she lived.
By her stood a tall and dark young man whom I had never seen before. He
was holding her hand and looking at her anxiously, and even then I felt
angry with him. Also I saw other things; for instance, my old father
leaning down and looking at _me_ anxiously, and outside in the yard,
for there were no doors to the wagon-house, a number of men with guns in
their hands, some of whom I knew and others who were strangers. In the
shadow, too, against the wall, stood my blood mare with her head hanging
down and trembling all over. Not far from her the roan lay upon the
ground, its flank quite red.

I tried to rise and could not, then feeling pain in my left thigh,
looked and saw that it was red also. As a matter of fact an assegai had
gone half through it and hit upon the bone. Although I never felt it at
the time, this wound was dealt to me by that great Quabie whom Hans and
I had received upon our spears, doubtless as he fell. Hans, by the way,
was there also, an awful and yet a ludicrous spectacle, for the Quabie
had fallen right on the top of him and lain so with results that may,
be imagined. There he sat upon the ground, looking upwards, gasping with
his fish-like mouth. Each gasp, I remember, fashioned itself into the
word "Allemachte!" that is "Almighty," a favourite Dutch expression.

Marie was the first to perceive that I had come to life again. Shaking
herself free from the clasp of the young man, she staggered towards me
and fell upon her knees at my side, muttering words that I could not
catch, for they choked in her throat. Then Hans took in the situation,
and wriggling his unpleasant self to my other side, lifted my hand and
kissed it. Next my father spoke, saying:

"Praise be to God, he lives! Allan, my son, I am proud of you; you have
done your duty as an Engl