HELD UP 91 



box to set his pair going at their utmost speed. The 

 cart was now within seventy yards' range of the bandits, 

 and while bullets began to rain round the vehicle 

 the body of the cart was hit in several places Z discharged 

 all six chambers of his revolver at the men behind the 

 outcrops, needless to say without doing the smallest 

 hurt to either. Fortunately the man with the rifle was 

 but a very poor shot, otherwise not a soul aboard 

 the cart could have escaped his bullets. Then, again, 

 he was but a tyro at the gentle art of "holding up," 

 or he would have first turned his attention and rifle to 

 the horses, and, having killed or maimed one of them, 

 the travellers would have been more or less at his mercy. 



On galloped the scared horses until the cluster of 

 outcrops was almost abreast, when the near side one 

 stumbled on to his knees. The gallant animal was up 

 in a moment, however, and at break-neck speed the sway- 

 ing, bumping vehicle passed the outcrops and began to 

 ascend the incline leading to the mine, while a number of 

 men both mounted and afoot, who had heard the firing, 

 came rushing pell-mell towards the flying Cape cart. 



Suddenly, with a groan, the near side " Free Stater " 

 gave a great plunge forward and pitched on to his head, 

 bringing the other horse down also, and depositing the 

 driver into a shallow but particularly foul refuse drain 

 which ran in close proximity to the road. The animal 

 had been shot through the lungs, but, spurred on by fear, 

 had managed to gallop to the foot of the hill before lying 

 down to die. 



Although the " quarry " was still close at hand, the 

 bandits saw that the game was up. Clambering into 

 the saddle, the highwayman and his lieutenant put 



