clear　of　the　bush　and　reeds　that　grew　down　to　the　water；　fearing　lest
  the　Zulus　should　follow　and　take　me　back　to　Dingaan　to　explain　my　rather
  imprudent　message。　　Seeing　no　signs　of　them；　I　halted；　a　desolate
  creature　in　a　desolate　country　which　I　did　not　know；　wondering　what　I
  should　do　and　whither　I　should　ride。　　Then　it　was　that　there　happened
  one　of　the　strangest　experiences　of　all　my　adventurous　life。
  As　I　sat　dejectedly　upon　my　horse；　which　was　also　dejected；　amidst　some
  tumbled　rocks　that　at　a　distant　period　in　the　world's　history　had　formed
  the　bank　of　the　great　river；　I　heard　a　voice　which　seemed　familiar　to　me
  say：
  〃Baas；　is　that　_you_；　baas？〃
  I　looked　round　and　could　see　no　one；　so；　thinking　that　I　had　been
  deceived　by　my　imagination；　I　held　my　peace。
  〃Baas；〃　said　the　voice　again；　〃are　you　dead　or　are　you　alive？　　Because；
  if　you　are　dead；　I　don't　want　to　have　anything　to　do　with　spooks　until　I
  am　obliged。〃
  Now　I　answered；　〃Who　is　it　that　speaks；　and　whence？〃　though；　really；　as
  I　could　see　no　one；　I　thought　that　I　must　be　demented。
  The　next　moment　my　horse　snorted　and　shied　violently；　and　no　wonder；　for
  out　of　a　great　ant…bear　hole　not　five　paces　away　appeared　a　yellow　face
  crowned　with　black　wool；　in　which　was　set　a　broken　feather。　　I　looked　at
  the　face　and　the　face　looked　at　me。
  〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃is　it　you？　　I　thought　that　_you_　were　killed　with　the
  others。〃
  〃And　I　thought　that　_you_　were　killed　with　the　others；　baas。　　Are　you
  sure　that　you　are　alive？〃
  〃What　are　you　doing　there；　you　old　fool？〃　I　asked。
  〃Hiding　from　the　Zulus；　baas。　　I　heard　them　on　the　other　bank；　and　then
  saw　a　man　on　a　horse　crossing　the　river；　and　went　to　ground　like　a
  jackal。　　I　have　had　enough　of　Zulus。〃
  〃Come　out；〃　I　said；　〃and　tell　me　your　story。〃
  He　emerged；　a　thin　and　bedraggled　creature；　with　nothing　left　on　him　but
  the　upper　part　of　a　pair　of　old　trousers；　but　still　Hans；　undoubtedly
  Hans。　　He　ran　to　me；　and　seizing　my　foot；　kissed　it　again　and　again；
  weeping　tears　of　joy　and　stuttering：
  〃Oh；　baas；　to　think　that　I　should　find　you　who　were　dead；　alive；　and
  find　myself　alive；　too。　　Oh！　baas；　never　again　will　I　doubt　about　the
  Big　Man　in　the　sky　of　whom　your　reverend　father　is　so　fond。　　For　after　I
  had　tried　all　our　own　spirits；　and　even　those　of　my　ancestors；　and　met
  with　nothing　but　trouble；　I　said　the　prayer　that　the　reverend　taught　us；
  asking　for　my　daily　bread　because　I　am　so　very　hungry。　　Then　I　looked
  out　of　the　hole　and　there　you　were。　　Have　you　anything　to　eat　about　you；
  baas？〃
  As　it　chanced；　in　my　saddle…bags　I　had　some　biltong　that　I　had　saved
  against　emergencies。　　I　gave　it　to　him；　and　he　devoured　it　as　a　famished
  hyena　might　do；　tearing　off　the　tough　meat　in　lumps　and　bolting　them
  whole。　　When　it　was　all　gone　he　licked　his　fingers　and　his　lips　and
  stood　still　staring　at　me。
  〃Tell　me　your　story；〃　I　repeated。
  〃Baas；　I　went　to　fetch　the　horses　with　the　others；　and　ours　had　strayed。
  I　got　up　a　tree　to　look　for　them。　　Then　I　heard　a　noise；　and　saw　that
  the　Zulus　were　killing　the　Boers；　so　knowing　that　presently　they　would
  kill　us；　too；　I　stopped　in　that　tree；　hiding　myself　as　well　as　I　could
  in　a　stork's　nest。　　Well；　they　came　and　assegaied　all　the　other　Totties；
  and　stood　under　my　tree　cleaning　their　spears　and　getting　their　breath；
  for　one　of　my　brothers　had　given　them　a　good　run。　　But　they　never　saw
  me；　although　I　was　nearly　sick　from　fear　on　the　top　of　them。　　Indeed；　I
  was　sick；　but　into　the　nest。
  〃Well；　I　sat　in　that　nest　all　day；　though　the　sun　cooked　me　like　beef　on
  a　stick；　and　when　night　came　I　got　down　and　ran；　for　I　knew　it　was　no
  good　to　stop　to　look　for　you；　and　'every　man　for　himself　when　a　black
  devil　is　behind　you；'　as　your　reverend　father　says。　　All　night　I　ran；
  and　in　the　morning　hid　up　in　a　hole。　　Then　when　night　came　again　I　went
  on　running。　　Oh！　they　nearly　caught　me　once　or　twice；　but　never　quite；
  for　I　know　how　to　hide；　and　I　kept　where　men　do　not　go。　　Only　I　was
  hungry；　hungry；　yes；　I　lived　on　snails　and　worms；　and　grass　like　an　ox；
  till　my　middle　ached。　　Still；　at　last　I　got　across　the　river　and　near　to
  the　camp。
  〃Then　just　before　the　day　broke　and　I　was　saying；　'Now；　Hans；　although
  your　heart　is　sad；　your　stomach　will　rejoice　and　sing；'　what　did　I　see
  but　those　Zulu　devils；　thousands　of　them；　rush　down　on　the　camp　and　kill
  all　the　poor　Boers。　　Men　and　women　and　the　little　children；　they　killed
  them　by　the　hundred；　till　at　last　other　Boers　came　and　drove　them　away；
  although　they　took　all　the　cattle　with　them。　　Well；　as　I　was　sure　that
  they　would　come　back；　I　did　not　stop　there。　　I　ran　down　to　the　side　of
  the　river；　and　have　been　crawling　about　in　the　reeds　for　days；　living　on
  the　eggs　of　water…birds　and　a　few　small　fish　that　I　caught　in　the　pools；
  till　this　morning；　when　I　heard　the　Zulus　again　and　slipped　up　here　into
  this　hole。　　Then　you　came　and　stood　over　the　hole；　and　for　a　long　while
  I　thought　you　were　a　ghost。
  〃But　now　we　are　together　once　more　and　all　is　right；　just　as　what　your
  reverend　father　always　said　it　would　be　with　those　who　go　to　church　on
  Sunday；　like　me　when　there　was　nothing　else　to　do。〃　　And　again　he　fell
  to　kissing　my　foot。
  〃Hans；〃　I　said；　〃you　saw　the　camp。　　Was　the　Missie　Marie　there？〃
  〃Baas；　how　can　I　tell；　who　never　went　into　it？　　But　the　wagon　she　slept
  in　was　not　there；　no；　nor　that　of　the　Vrouw　Prinsloo　or　of　the　Heer
  Meyer。〃
  〃Thank　God！〃　I　gasped；　then　added：　〃Where　were　you　trying　to　get　to；
  Hans；　when　you　ran　away　from　the　camp？〃
  〃Baas；　I　thought　perhaps　that　the　Missie　and　the　Prinsloos　and　the
  Meyers　had　gone　to　that　fine　farm　which　you　pegged　out；　and　that　I　would
  go　and　see　if　they　were　there。　　Because　if　so；　I　was　sure　that　they
  would　be　glad　to　know　that　you　were　really　dead；　and　give　me　some　food
  in　payment　for　my　news。　　But　I　was　afraid　to　walk　across　the　open　veld
  for　fear　lest　the　Zulus　should　see　me　and　kill　me。　　Therefore　I　came
  round　through　the　thick　bush　along　the　river；　where　one　can　only　travel
  slowly；　especially　if　hollow；〃　and　he　patted　his　wasted　stomach。
  〃But；　Hans；〃　I　asked；　〃are　we　near　my　farm　where　I　set　the　men　to　build
  the　houses　on　the　hill　above　the　river？〃
  〃Of　course；　baas。　　Has　your　brain　gone　soft　that　you　cannot　find　your
  way　about　the　veld？　　Four；　or　at　most　five；　hours　on　horseback；　riding
  slow；　and　you　are　there。〃
  〃Come　on；　Hans；〃　I　said；　〃and　be　quick；　for　I　think　that　the　Zulus　are
  not　far　behind。〃
  So　we　started；　Hans　hanging　to　my　stirrup　and　guiding　me；　for　I　knew
  well　enough　that　although　he　had　never　travelled　this　road；　his　instinct
  for　locality　would　not　betray　a　coloured　man；　who　can　find　his　way
  across　the　pathless　veld　as　surely　as　a　buck　or　a　bird　of　the　air。
  On　we　went　over　the　rolling　plain；　and　as　we　travelled　I　told　him　my
  story；　briefly　enough；　for　my　mind　was　too　torn　with　fears　to　allow　me
  to　talk　much。　　He；　too；　told　me　more　of　his　escape　and　adventures。　　Now
  I　understood　what　was　that　news　which　had　so　excited　Kambula　and　his
  soldiers。　　It　was　evident　that　the　Zulu　impis　had　destroyed　a　great
  number　of　the　Boers　whom　they　found　unprepared　for　attack；　and　then　had
  been　driven　off　by　reinforcements　that　arrived　from　other　camps。
  That　was　why　I　had　been　kept　prisoner　for　all　those　days。　　Dingaan
  feared　lest　I　should　reach　Natal　in　time　to　warn　his　victims！
  CHAPTER　XX
  THE　COURT…MARTIAL
  One　hour；　two　hours；　three　hours；　and　then　suddenly　from　the　top　of　a
  rise　the　sight　of　the　beautiful　Mooi　River　winding　through　the　plain
  like　a　vast　snake　of　silver；　and　there；　in　a　loop　of　it；　the
  flat…crested　koppie　on　which　I　had　hoped　to　make　my　home。　　Had
  hoped！why　should　I　not　still　hope？　　For　aught　I　knew　everything　might
  yet　be　well。　　Marie　might　have　escaped　the　slaughter　as　I　had　done；　and
  if　so；　after　all　our　troubles　perchance　many　years　of　life　and　happiness
  awaited　us。　　Only　it　seemed　too　good　to　be　true。
  I　flogged　my　horse；　but　the　poor　beast　was　tired　out　and　could　only
  break　into　short　canters；　that　soon　lapsed　to　a　walk　again。　　But　whether
  it　cantered　or　whether　it　walked；　its　hoofs　seemed　to　beat　out　the
  words〃Too　good　to　be　true！〃　　Sometimes　they　beat　them　fast；　and
  sometimes　they　beat　them　slow；　but　always　their　message　seemed　the　same。
  Hans；　too；　was　outworn　and　weak　from　starvation。　　Also　he　had　a　cut　upon
  his　foot　which　hampered　him　so　much　that　at　last　he　said　I　had　better　go
  on　alone；　he　would　follow　more　slowly。　　Then　I　dismounted　and　set　him　on
  the　horse；　walking　by　it　myself。
  Thus　it　came　about　that　the　gorgeous　sunset　was　finished　and　the　sky　had
  grown　grey　with　night　before　we　reached　the　foot　of　the　koppie。　　Yet　the
  last　rays　of　the　sinking　orb　had　shown　me　something　as　they　died。　　There
  on　the　slope　of　the　hill　stood　some　mud　and　watt