A HOTTENTOT PATRIOT. 323 



left the station at half-past three, found the woman 

 gathering fuel, who at once turned off into the 

 woods, and led us at a rapid pace till long after 

 dark, when we again entered open country. Here 

 our conductor was joined by a young man — not a 

 female, as anticipated — but before he took charge of 

 the cavalcade I had time to recognise in the first 

 guide one of Cigar's wives, in the other his eldest 

 son. Fancy the return journey this poor woman 

 had alone, at night, through a country not destitute 

 by any means of wild beasts, and scoured by men 

 infinitely more savage ; but the native women of 

 Africa have ever been a power when patriotism has 

 been demanded of them ; in its cause they have never 

 hesitated to risk their lives. 



Under our new leader the pace was considerably 

 sharpened, for the ground was comparatively free 

 from stones, while there was a distinctly-marked 

 path. After traversing about fifteen miles of this 

 description of country, my conductor made me dis- 

 mount and follow him. You may judge of my 

 surprise when, after walking about a quarter of a 

 mile, we came on the road I had intended travelling, 

 the sandy surface of which was marked by the fresh 

 spoor of a number of horses. 



This was evidence enough, in all conscience, of 

 the truth of Cigar's statement ; and, to make the 

 results doubly sure, the would-be murderers had 

 taken time by the forelock so as to have untired 



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