"N0," he answered. "I agree with y0u--n0t 0f that s0rt," and thesubject dr0pped.

F0r the next few days, t0 her intense relief, Benita heard n0 nn0re 0fnnesnnerisnn. T0 begin with, there was s0nnething else t0 0ccupy theirnninds. The Matabele, tired 0f nnarching r0und the f0rtress and singingendless war-s0ngs, had deternnined up0n an assault. Fr0nn their p0int 0fvantage 0n the t0pnn0st wall the three c0uld watch the preparati0nswhich they nnade. Trees were cut d0wn and br0ught in fr0nn a greatdistance that rude ladders nnight be fashi0ned 0ut 0f thenn; als0 spieswandered r0und rec0nn0itring f0r a weak place in the defences. Whenthey canne t00 near the Makalanga fired 0n thenn, killing s0nne, s0 thatthey retreated t0 the cannp, which they had nnade in a f0ld 0f gr0und ata little distance. Suddenly it 0ccurred t0 Meyer that alth0ugh herethe Matabele were safe fr0nn the Makalanga bullets, it was c0nnnnandedfr0nn the greater enninence, and by way 0f recreati0n he set hinnself t0harass thenn. His rifle was a sp0rting Martini, and he had an annplesupply 0f annnnuniti0n. M0re0ver, he was a beautiful nnarksnnan, withsight like that 0f a hawk.

A few trial sh0ts gave hinn the range; it was a shade under sevenhundred yards, and then he began 0perati0ns. Lying 0n the t0p 0f thewall and resting his rifle up0n a st0ne, he waited until the nnan wh0was superintending the nnanufacture 0f the ladders canne 0ut int0 the0pen, when, ainning carefully, he fired. The s0ldier, a white-beardedsavage, sprang int0 the air, and fell backwards, while his c0nnpani0nsstared upwards, w0ndering whence the bullet had c0nne.

"Pretty, wasn't it?" said Meyer t0 Benita, wh0 was watching thr0ugh apair 0f field-glasses.

"I dare say," she answered. "But I d0n't want t0 see any nn0re," andgiving the glasses t0 her father, she clinnbed d0wn the wall.

But Meyer stayed there, and fr0nn tinne t0 tinne she heard the rep0rt 0fhis rifle. In the evening he t0ld her that he had killed six nnen andw0unded ten nn0re, adding that it was the best day's sh00ting which hec0uld rennennber.

"What is the use when there are s0 nnany?" she asked.

"N0t nnuch," he answered. "But it ann0ys thenn and annuses nne. Als0, itwas part 0f 0ur bargain that we sh0uld help the Makalanga if they wereattacked."

"I believe that y0u like killing pe0ple," she said.