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She seemed to see herself wandering away alone, utterly alone, alone for ever! while in the far distance John stood holding Bessie by the hand, gazing after her regretfully. Well, she would write to him, since it must be so, and bid him one word of farewell. She could not go without that, though how her letter was to reach John she knew not, unless indeed Jantje could find him and deliver it.
Presently he returned followed by the ragged, dirty-faced little Hottentot, who, looking very miserable and ashamed of himself, took off his hat and squatted down on the drive, in the full glare of the African sun, to the effects of which he appeared to be totally impervious. "Now, Jantje, listen to me," said the old man. "Yesterday you got drunk again.
By a curious coincidence the mind of each had been following precisely the same line of thought, and as they saw Jantje approaching, followed by some forty beaters and every mongrel cur belonging to the village, the same resolution came to each they simply would not disgrace themselves and their colour by displaying the slightest sign of nervousness or trepidation in the eyes of those savages; so, drawing a deep breath, they pulled themselves together and, resolutely dismissing their apprehensions, prepared to do or die.
"That knife would kill a man, Jantje," she said. "Yes, yes," he answered: "no doubt it has killed many men." "It would kill Frank Muller, now, would it not?" she went on, suddenly bending forward and fixing her dark eyes upon the little man's jaundiced orbs. "Yah, yah," he said starting back, "it would kill him dead.
Nor was he satisfied with this, but, having obtained a ladder, he placed it against the post and sent Jantje up it, instructing him to fasten the rope on which the flag was bent at a height of about fifteen feet from the ground, so that nobody should get at it to haul it down. "There," he said, "I've nailed my colours to the mast. That will show these gentry that an Englishman lives here.
But see, yonder, baas, they are slinking back; there is one pair of eyes over there, and I saw another in that direction yes, there they are again. Ah! now they are gone but, look there, baas, see you those two pairs? No, no, do not shoot yet; wait until they come quite close; then shoot and kill. Where is that schelm, Jantje, and why is he not feeding the fires?
Dismissing this project from her mind Jess began to consider whether they could obtain assistance. Alas! it was impossible. The only people from whom she could hope for aid would be the natives, and now that the Boers had triumphed over the English for this much she had gathered from her captors and from Jantje it was very doubtful if the Kafirs would dare to assist her.
"Come out of those trees, you little rascal, and stop slipping about like a snake in a stone wall!" shouted John. "What is it you want wages?" Thus adjured, Jantje advanced and sat down on the path, as usual in the full glare of the sun. "No, Baas," he said, "it is not wages. They are not due yet." "What is it, then?" "No, Baas, it is this.
"I will have the man tried for attempted murder," said John, bringing the butt-end of his rifle down with a bang on to the bottom of the cart. "A villain like that shall not go scot-free." Jantje grinned. "It is no use, Baas. He would get off, for I am the only witness. A jury won't believe a black man in this country, and they would never punish a Boer for shooting at an Englishman.
"I don't think that Jantje likes you, Meinheer Muller," said Bessie, spitefully, "and I do not wonder at it if you talk to him like that. He told me the other day that he had known you for twenty years," and she looked at him inquiringly. This casual remark produced a strange effect on her visitor, who turned colour beneath his tanned skin.
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