ther to----"

"Oh yes, she must," the other broke in hurriedly; "it is all
right--she knows them. They will tell her themselves what they want."

"Wait here a moment. I will call my mother."

Hansie had some trouble in persuading her mother to leave the house.

"I am not going down to the gate to see any men," she said. "Let them
come up to me."

"They won't, mother. It is no use. There is something behind this.
They are either our own spies or the English are setting a trap for
us. Be on your guard, but come out into the garden."

Sorely against her will Mrs. van Warmelo hurried out of the house,
where she gave the girls a cool and haughty reception, saying:

"I don't understand this. Will you be good enough to ask your friends
to come up to my house if they wish to speak to me?" And with that she
turned back to the house alone.

Girl No. 1 said, "I think I had better go and fetch them, they are
waiting near the wire fence," and walked rapidly down the path, while
Hansie followed slowly with girl No. 2, asking many questions, but
getting none but the most unsatisfactory replies.

When they reached the gate, girl No. 1 had disappeared altogether and
there was no sign of the men. Hansie thought this very suspicious, and
was about to turn to her companion with an impatient remark, when she
suddenly said something about going to look for girl No. 1 and
disappeared too, leaving Hansie standing alone at the gate with her
troubled reflections.

Men and girls had now disappeared for good it seemed, and, after what
seemed an endless time of waiting, she decided to go back to the
house, when she was suddenly joined by her mother, now thoroughly
alarmed.

"It must be a trap, dear mother," she whispered. "I can't make it out.
Ah, here is some one coming at last"--but then her heart stood still,
for a tall English officer, with helmet on and armed to the teeth,
advanced, saluting the two ladies in the pale light of the young moon.

"Naude," he whispered, stretching out his hands to them.

Captain Naude in an English officer's uniform! Thank God, thank God!

In a moment all was happy confusion.

The Captain introduced his corporal, Venter, warmly took leave of
girls No. 1 and 2, thanking them gratefully for services rendered by
them that night, and then the four people sauntered up to the house,
talking loudly as they passed the sergeant-major's tin "villa" on the
other side of the fence.

The glimpse Hansie caug