SOUTHERN AFRICA. 399 
" house are more than sufficient to do that." The following 
day the man came gallopping after us, pale and frightened, 
and ready to sink into the ground. He had shot the three 
deserters ! he had been obliged to doit, as he said, in his own 
defence, and for the protection of his family, whom they in- 
tended to murder. " If you can make that appear to have 
" been the case," the General told him, " you are justified 
" in what you have done ; but the fact is so extraordinary, 
*' that a very rigid inquiry will be made into it." It is won- 
derful hov/ rapidly the fellow's countenance brightened up, 
on hearing there was some palliation in favor of what he had 
done. It was evident he felt neither remorse nor compunc- 
tion in having destroyed three of his fellow-creatures, but 
■was apprehensive only of what might have been the conse- 
quences to himself. 
The General immediately rode back to his house. He 
found the dead bodies lying on the ground, just where they 
had fallen, one at the distance of ten or twelve yards from the 
door, the other two at forty or fifty. The first had evidently 
been shot through the breast, but both the others thviigh the 
hack. From these circumstances it was strongly conjectured 
tliat Van Roy and his sons had waited at the door, with their 
loaded musquets, the approach of these unfortunate men ; 
that, on the first being shot, the other two had attempted to 
make their escape ; in doing which they afforded the Dutch- 
men an opportunity of taking a cool and sure aim. The 
family, of course, told the same story as the master : What 
then remained to be done? Desertion had already begun^ 
and threatened to become very general. It was, therefore. 
