The slaves, too, were gloomy, as all natives are when suddenly awakened
in the night; but as the light grew they became more cheerful. It is a
poor Kaffir that does not love fighting, especially when he has a gun
and a white man or two to lead him.

Now that we had made such little preparations as we could, which, by the
way, I supplemented by causing some furniture to be piled up against the
front and back doors, there came a pause, which, speaking for my own
part--being, after all, only a lad at the time--I found very trying to
the nerves. There I stood at my window with the two guns, one a
double-barrel and one a single "roer", or elephant gun, that took a
tremendous charge, but both, be it remembered, flint locks; for,
although percussion caps had been introduced, we were a little behind
the times in Cradock. There, too, crouched on the ground beside me,
holding the ammunition ready for re-loading, her long, black hair
flowing about her shoulders, was Marie Marais, now a well-grown young
woman. In the intense silence she whispered to me:

"Why did you come here, Allan? You were safe yonder, and now you will
probably be killed."

"To try to save you," I answered simply. "What would you have had me
do?"

"To try to save me? Oh! that is good of you, but you should have
thought of yourself."

"Then I should still have thought of you, Marie."

"Why, Allan?"