“’Tell Macumazahn that we are going to call on him tonight when he cannot see to shoot.  We have a message for him from our brothers whom he killed at the drift of the Oliphant’s River.’

“Then I ran on here without stopping, but I saw no more Kaffirs.  That is all, Baas.”

Now I did not delay to cross-examine the man or to sift the true from the false in his story, since it was clear to me that he had run into a company of Basutos, or rather been beguiled thereto by Rodd, and lost our cattle, also his companions, who were either killed as he said, or had escaped some other way.

“Listen, man,” I said.  “I am going to fetch some horses.  Do you stay here and help the Missie to pack the cart and make the harness ready.  If you disobey me or run away, then I will find you and you will never run again.  Do you understand?”

He vowed that he did and went to get some water, while I explained everything to Anscombe and Heda, pointing out that all the information we could gather seemed to show that no attack was to be made upon the house before nightfall, and that therefore we had the day before us.  As this was so I proposed to go to look for the horses myself, since otherwise I was sure we should never find them.  Meanwhile Heda must pack and make ready the cart with the help of Footsack, Anscombe superintending everything, as he could very well do since he was now able to walk leaning on a stick.

Of course neither of them liked my leaving them, but in view of our necessities they raised no objection.  So off I went, taking the boy with me.  He did not want to go, being, as I have said, half dazed with grief or fear, or both, but when I had pointed out to him clearly that I was quite prepared to shoot him if he played tricks, he changed his mind.  Having saddled my mare that was now fresh and fat, we started, the boy guiding me to a certain kloof at the foot of which there was a small plain of good grass where he said the horses were accustomed to graze.

Here sure enough we found two of them, and as they had been turned out with their headstalls on, were able to tie them to trees with the riems which were attached to the headstalls.  But the others were not there, and as two horses could not drag a heavy Cape cart, I was obliged to continue the search.  Oh! what a hunt those beasts gave me.  Finding themselves free, for as Rodd’s object was that they should stray, he had ordered the stable-boy not to kneel-halter them, after filling themselves with grass they had started off for the farm where they were bred, which, it seemed, was about fifty miles away, grazing as they went.  Of course I did not know this at the time, so for several hours I rode up and down the neighbouring kloofs, as the ground was too hard for me to hope to follow them by their spoor.