90 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



a barn-door standing at more than fifteen yards range 

 from the firer, as a couple of boy's pea-shooters. But 

 to hark back to our friends on the veld. 



With a hand which was anything but steady, the 

 treasurer gave Z one of the revolvers, and the latter, 

 having ascertained that all six chambers of the weapon 

 were loaded, dropped it into the side pocket of his jacket, 

 ready to handle at a moment's notice. The Cape cart 

 had by this time been driven to within a couple of miles 

 of its destination, and reahsing that if the horsemen — 

 who, by-the-bye, kept in pretty close attendance — 

 meant business the only possible chance of escaping 

 them lay in making a dash for the mine, the high smoke- 

 stacks and head -gears of which were now visible above 

 the brow of a steep incline that had to be negotiated by 

 the cart ere assistance and safety could be hoped for. 

 Z ordered the driver to " spring " his horses gradually, 

 and, in the event of the men ahead pulling up, 

 to gallop them as hard as they could lay hoofs to 

 ground. 



Scarcely was the order given than the bandits — for 

 such they proved themselves to be — put spurs to their 

 ponies, crossed the road some 500 yards ahead of the Cape 

 cart, and, having gained a cluster of outcrops, one of them 

 dismounted, threw his bridle-reins to his confederate (who 

 remained in the saddle with the lower part of his face 

 hidden in a bandana), and, taking cover behind a high 

 outcrop, he commenced " pumping " out lead at Z and 

 his unhappy companion with a repeating rifle. 



The first two bullets went wide of the mark, albeit 

 they whistled unpleasantly near the ears of the human 

 targets. Z urged the driver— who stuck manfully to his 



