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"Ride on and meet them," exclaimed Hendrik. "If they are enemies it is not our fault. We have not molested them." As the strangers came near, the hunters recognised their late guest, who was now mounted on an ox and riding in advance of his party. His greeting, addressed to Groot Willem, was interpreted by Congo.
During this discussion, fruitful in somewhat hazardous theories, although it resumed the general ideas of science on the subject, the projectile had run rapidly towards the lunar equator, at the same time that it went farther away from the lunar disc. It had passed the circle of Willem, and the 40th parallel, at a distance of 400 miles.
This question Willem did not think worth answering, and Swartboy for a few minutes was left to his thoughts. Presently he recommenced the conversation. "Baas Willem," said he. "I think we bess stop, and talk a bit. Congo no fool, but Swartboy. Swartboy a fool, and no mistake 'bout dat." "Well, what has that to do with our stopping for a talk?" asked Willem.
The Dutch admiral had formed his fleet in two lines, himself in the Prins Willem and Vice-Admiral Thijssen in the Vereenigte Provintien being the leaders. On this occasion the sight of the great numbers and size of the Spanish galleons caused a great part of the Dutch captains to lose heart and hang back. Pater and Thijssen, followed by only two ships, bore down however on the Spaniards.
The two first personages are Frans Banning-Cock, Lord of Furmerland and Ilpendam, captain of the company, and his lieutenant, Willem van Ruijtenberg, Lord of Vlaardingen, the two marching side by side.
Then, through the smoke, they charged at full speed like thunderbolts, Groot Willem roaring like a mad buffalo-bull, Jerry Goldboy shrieking like a wounded elephant, and energising fearfully with legs, arms, reins, and blunderbuss, while the others shouted or laughed in wild excitement. The Fetcani, as Sandy Black had prophesied, could not stand it.
He even thought, while waiting for his approaching fate, that, if by any means he could let Groot Willem know where his property was concealed, he could then die content. An hour passed, and a heavy darkness gathered around him. It was the shades of night. A few small animals of the antelope kind came trotting up to the pool, and quenched their thirst. They were followed by some jackals.
The hunters only paused long enough to reload, and then, resuming the chase, once more overtook the giraffe. Another volley was fired, Groot Willem taking aim just behind the animal's shoulder, the others firing skyward towards its head. The giraffe stopped suddenly in its tracks, and stood tottering like a forest-tree about to fall.
This was done; and Hendrik, the suggester of the plan, was the one chosen by fate to carry it into execution. "I am glad of it," said he, after the thing had been decided. "It is but just that I should be permitted to carry out my own proposal. So here goes!" Hastily undressing himself, he shook hands with Arend and Willem, dropped into the flood, and was away with the rapidity of an arrow.
"Yaas, that is Sindo," said Congo, "but he no help you." "Why do you think so, Cong?" "He no big enough fool do dat." This might be true. Sindo had once got into trouble through treason, and had narrowly escaped death. He would be a fool to incur such a danger again, in the new home he had found for himself. This was the construction Groot Willem was inclined to put on the African's conduct.
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