HELD UP 89 



and wait-a-bit thorn, and flanked by a second range 

 of hills. 



The little treasurer and his companion had not proceeded 

 far along the valley before their attention was attracted 

 by a couple of horsemen who, although but mere specks 

 upon the veld when first sighted, by dint of making a 

 detour at a hand-gallop, very soon approached to within 

 almost hailing distance of the Cape cart, and then rode 

 parallel and a little in advance of the vehicle. As both 

 men were mounted on good-looking ponies, and there being 

 a stable of racing ponies and galloways in the neighbour- 

 hood, Z took but small notice of the strangers, imagining 

 that they had been running off a trial. The momentary 

 glint of steel in the brilliant rays of the afternoon sun, 

 however, warned Z that at least one of the men was 

 armed with either a rifle or shot gun ; and turning to his 

 companion he said, " Don't like the look of those chaps 

 very much." 



The paymaster did not appear to grasp the import of 

 Z's laconic speech, and turned to the latter for enlighten- 

 ment. Being quite fearless himself, Z did not notice that 

 the treasurer's naturally sallow complexion gradually 

 assumed an ashy-grey tint, as he (Z) blurted out, " They 

 mean to ' hold us up ' or I'm a Dutchman. You'd 

 better get out the pistols." 



Notwithstanding that the mere idea of being " held up " 

 had, but a few evenings previously, given X a severe 

 attack of " nerves," he had neglected to arm either Z 

 or himself with any fire-arms of more importance than a 

 brace of army revolvers of antiquated pattern, which, 

 in the hands of any one but an expert pistol-shot, were 

 just about as harmless, if fired at anything smaller than 



