blood marks--most of them shot by yonder Englishman, except one of the
last three, whom he killed with a spear. Well, I tell you that never in
all my experience have I known a better arranged or a more finely
carried out defence against huge odds. Perhaps the best part of it,
too, was the way in which this young lion acted on the information he
received and the splendid ride he made from the Mission Station. Again
I say that his father should be proud of him."

"Well, if it comes to that, I am, mynheer," said my father, who just
then joined us after his morning walk, "although I beg you to say no
more lest the lad should grow vain."

"Bah!" replied Retief, "fellows of his stamp are not vain; it is your
big talkers who are vain," and he glanced out of the corner of his
shrewd eye at Pereira, "your turkey cocks with all their tails spread.
I think this little chap must be such another as that great sailor of
yours--what do you call him, Nelson?--who beat the French into frothed
eggs and died to live for ever. He was small, too, they say, and weak
in the stomach."

I must confess I do not think that praise ever sounded sweeter in my
ears than did these words of the Commandant Retief, uttered as they were
just when I felt crushed to the dirt. Moreover, as I saw by Marie's
and, I may add, by my father's face, there were other ears to which they
were not ungrateful. The Boers also, brave and honest men enough,
evidently appreciated them, for they said:

"Ja! ja! das ist recht" (That is right).

Only Pereira turned his broad back and busied himself with relighting