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CHAPTER II.

A DISCIPLE OF 'CAPTAIN BOBADIL.

EVER mind the fellow's lies now, my lad," cried

Lieutenant Blunt, meeting Roger Glyn at the door of his lodgings: "It's 'boot and saddle!' News has come in from General Somerset, and we shall all have to march within an hour for the front. I've just had a message to that effect from the Commandant, with a request that I would beat up all our fellows I can."

"That is news! I'm heartily glad of it; and this bothering letter may go hang for all I care now."

"That's right; there will be plenty of time to write and explain the whole affair on our return. Now come with me, and we'll make as good a muster as we can in the town."

Within an hour and a half from that time the Mounted Volunteer Troop were in their saddles, and steadily marching on the track that was to take them to join General Somerset, then lying in Fort Hare. En route, however, their destination was altered, though in no very considerable way; and instead of joining the force under the immediate eyes of the General, the Volunteers were directed to attach themselves to a Levy

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of Burghers, assembling at a place called Retief, under the command of a very able Volunteer officer named Bouher.

In due course, but not without considerable difficulty and danger, owing to the broken and densely-wooded nature of the ground, and the constant attacks of concealed Kaffirs, they reached their destination; and were glad of a day or two's rest to recruit, after their hurried and fearfully hot marches, to get arms and accoutrements in the best possible order, and to see to all other needful preparations for a campaign in a comparatively new and totally hostile country. For it was soon made known that the two forces had been assembled for an excursion to the Kat River Settlement, a flourishing Hottentot (and partially Christian) community that had joined common cause with the Kaffirs, and was now in open rebellion.

The Hottentots, with (I regret to say) one or two missionaries, had risen en masse against their English benefactors (if masters); had seized on Fort Armstrong, -a very strong place on a hill in a plain, backed by the waters of the Kat River, and protected in a measure by high grounds of such a nature that they were

* A constitutional force answering somewhat to our militia as originally formed, i.e., each able-bodied man to join his county force.

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capable of containing any number of Kaffirs in concealment until required. The importance of this fort in a strategetical point of view was very great, for it commanded the whole settlement-a territory that the English could never consent to lose, it being one of the most flourishing in the whole colony. Vast, luxuriant, grassy plains lie on each side of the valley through which the Kat pursues its course, with numberless picturesque towns and windings. The beautiful mimosa, the enpudubias, and the Kaffir bean-tree flourish with the greatest beauty and utility on its banks; and the fertile soil, besides being diversified in a truly picturesque manner, bears such crops as are almost unknown in less highly-favoured regions. In that happy valley the Hottentots had for years enjoyed the blessings of peace; happy in themselves, happy with the new light of Christianity which had been shed on them, and happy in extracting from the bounteous soil a subsistence, neither mean nor scanty, with a minimum of labour. But the demon of revolt had got amongst them; they raised the flag of rebellion; and it became necessary to march 2,000 troops into the settlement, with a view to the capture of Fort Armstrong, and the stamping out of sedition. To that end it was arranged that General Somerset should attack, from the direction of Fort Hare, with 1,800 men and a complement

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of artillery, at the same time that the Burghers—made up of 240 English, 400 Dutch, and 200 Fingoes made an assault from a place called Balfour.

It was bright moonlight when the Burghers-with our Volunteer friends to the number of 40-marched away at midnight in the direction of Balfour; and the spirits of the whole party rose under the influence of the sweet summer (though it was the 22nd February) perfumes with which the night-air was laden, as well as with well-grounded hopes of striking a vigorous blow and gaining a decisive victory over the cruel enemies who had so ruined and desolated the entire country. For a time the road was clear enough, but shortly it became rugged and broken; masses of rock protruded from the earth everywhere; thick scrub afforded cover that had to be cautiously explored before it could be entered on; and the land gradually sloped upwards until it became decidedly hilly, and presented all the disadvantages of that formation to the advance of troops.

"We must be getting near Balfour now, I should think," remarked Roger Glyn to Lieutenant Blunt, by whose side he was riding-in fact, Blunt placed him in that position at first on purpose to persuade

* A race always bitterly hostile to the Kaffirs, who held them in subjection until the former were freed by the English.

him to forget all about Simon Carter's nonsense, and then was glad to retain the lad as an agreeable companion when he had accomplished his object, and extorted the promise he desired.

"Why do you think we are near it?"

"Well, in the first place, it is daybreak. See how the beautiful pearl-grey of dawn is stealing over the eastern horizon; then, we must have marched the distance Balfour is said to be; and, above all, I have a great idea I see the twinkling of lights down below us."

They were now moving along a ridge of the high ground they had gained, and were carefully making their way amidst the rocks and thick jungly stuff with which it was covered.

"Lights? Do you see lights? I don't," said Blunt, peering eagerly in the indicated direction.

"They are very little, but they certainly are lights," repeated Glyn, who had an eye like a hawk.

"Come on with me to the commander." And the two pushed on to Bouher and told him what Glyn saw. He halted his force at once; and, after a little consideration, was only too glad to accept Blunt's offer, and allow him and Glyn to go forward and reconnoitre. Dismounting, and leaving their horses with the troop, the two cocked their rifles and crawled forward in the direction Glyn had mentioned. Slowly