" HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN" 233 



and were in consequence resolved upon the capture 

 and appropriation of all my property. Paddy and 

 his acquaintance had ridden hard to give me timely 

 warning, and even now, at the uttermost, I had not 

 above three or four days' grace before the raiders 

 would be at Honey Vley. This information fell like 

 a clap of thunder on Madame Bareekey. Terrible 

 was her anguish when she heard that the dreaded 

 Boers were about to visit her ; and she, who had 

 formerly ruled with a rod of iron, now became the 

 weakest of her sex. 



" Would we desert her ? Would we not stay 

 and put up seances (loop-holed walls) and defend 

 her ? We might have milk, beef, everything without 

 payment ; but surely we would not leave her to the 

 tender mercies of the Boers." 



As the station was admirably situated for defence, 

 and could really be made strong by throwing up a 

 few earthworks, and the digging of some rifle-pits to 

 command the entrance to the kraal, we determined 

 to remain for a time. But the dreaded enemy did 

 not come ; so we resolved to treck to Kania, in 

 Hasesheba's country, there to wait results, as the 

 disturbed state of the country put further hunting 

 out of the question. 



However, in concluding this volume, and the 

 second series of " The Game of South Africa," I 

 would say, for the information of those who do not 

 crave for the destruction of elephants and kindred 



