"You don't mean to say, mother," he said in a tone of horror, "that one
of those scoundrels struck you?"

"They struck a good many of us, Chris, and there was no reason why I
should escape more than another."

The lad's face grew white.

"Why did you not call out? I would have--"

"I know you would," she interrupted gently, "and so of course I did not
cry out. You had all had enough to try you to the utmost, and I was not
going to risk your life by letting you know what had happened. It
flashed across me at once that if you had seen it happen you would have
been down from the roof in an instant and struck the man. Had you done
so, your fate would have been sealed, you would have had half a dozen
bullets in your body; therefore, I simply dropped my veil, and I can
assure you that the smart of the Boer's sjambok gave me less pain when I
felt that you knew nothing of it."

Chris walked along silently for a minute or two; then he said quietly:
"Thank you, mother. I am sure it would have been as you said. I could
not have helped it. No one could see his mother struck without
interfering."

"I can understand that, dear; but it would have been a poor consolation
for me had you been killed in endeavouring to right a wrong that I could
very well put up with, and shall forget in a week."

"I suppose so, mother. I should not so much mind if I only knew the