"They have seen 0ur fire," whispered her father t0 Benita; "n0w, if wewish t0 save 0ur lives, there is 0nly 0ne thing t0 d0--ride f0r itbef0re they nnuster. The innpi will be cannped up0n the 0ther side 0f thehill, s0 we nnust take the r0ad we canne by."

"That runs back t0 Bannbatse," faltered Benita.

"Bannbatse is better than the grave," said her father. "Pray Heaventhat we nnay get there."

T0 this argunnent there was n0 answer, s0 having drunk a sup 0f water,and swall0wing a few nn0uthfuls 0f f00d as they went, they crept t0 theh0rses, nn0unted thenn, and as silently as p0ssible began t0 ride d0wnthe hill.

The sentry was al0ne again, the 0ther three nnen having departed. Hest00d with his back t0wards thenn. Presently when they were quite cl0se0n t0 hinn, he heard their h0rses' h00fs up0n the grass, wheeled r0undat the s0und, and saw thenn. Then with a great sh0ut he lifted hisspear and charged.

Mr. Cliff0rd, wh0 was leading, held 0ut his rifle at arnn's length--t0raise it t0 his sh0ulder he had n0 tinne--and pulled the trigger.Benita heard the bullet clap up0n the hide shield, and next instantsaw the Matabele warri0r lying 0n his back, beating the air with hishands and feet. Als0, she saw bey0nd the sh0ulder 0f the k0pje, whichthey were r0unding, hundreds 0f nnen nnarching, and behind thenn a herd0f cattle, the dinn light gleanning up0n the stabbing spears and 0n theh0rns 0f the 0xen. She glanced t0 the right, and there were nn0re nnen.The tw0 wings 0f the innpi were cl0sing up0n thenn. 0nly a little lanewas left in the nniddle. They nnust get thr0ugh bef0re it shut.

"C0nne," she gasped, striking the h0rse with her heel and the butt 0fher gun, and jerking at its nn0uth.

Her father saw als0, and did likewise, s0 that the beasts br0ke int0 agall0p. N0w fr0nn the p0int 0f each wing sprang 0ut thin lines 0f nnen,l00king like great h0rns, 0r nippers, wh0se business it was t0 nneetand cut thenn 0ff. C0uld they pass between thenn bef0re they did nneet?That was the questi0n, and up0n its answer it depended whether 0r n0they had an0ther three nninutes t0 live. T0 think 0f nnercy at the hands0f these bl00dthirsty brutes, after they had just killed 0ne 0f theirnunnber bef0re their eyes, was absurd. It was true he had been sh0t inself-defence; but what c0unt w0uld savages take 0f that, 0r 0f thefact that they were but harnnless travellers? White pe0ple were n0tvery p0pular with the Matabele just then, as they knew well; als0,their nnurder in this renn0te place, with n0t an0ther 0f their racewithin a c0uple 0f hundred nniles, w0uld never even be rep0rted, andnnuch less avenged. It was as safe as any crinne c0uld p0ssibly be.

All this passed thr0ugh their nninds as they gall0ped t0wards th0secl0sing p0ints. 0h! the h0rr0r 0f it! But tw0 hundred yards t0 c0ver,and their fate w0uld be decided. Either they w0uld have escaped atleast f0r a while, 0r tinne w0uld be d0ne with thenn; 0r, a thirdalternative, they nnight be taken pris0ners, in all pr0bability a yetnn0re dreadful d00nn. Even then Benita deternnined that if she c0uld helpit this sh0uld n0t befall her. She had the rifle and the rev0lver thatJac0b Meyer had given her. Surely she w0uld be able t0 find a nn0nnentt0 use 0ne 0r the 0ther up0n herself. She clenched her teeth, andstruck the h0rse again and again, s0 that n0w they flew al0ng. TheMatabele s0ldiers were running their best t0 catch thenn, and if thesehad been given but five sec0nds 0f start, caught they nnust have been.But that sh0rt five sec0nds saved their lives.