been no other Darrien in the service for a hundred years."

"I think so," answered Mr. Dove, "for now that I look at you, I can see a
likeness. We slept side by side in the same dormitory once five-and-thirty
years ago, so I remember. And now you have saved my daughter; it is very
strange. But tell me the story."

So between them they told it, although to one scene of it--the
last--neither of them thought it necessary to allude; or perhaps it was
forgotten.

"Truly the Almighty has had you both in His keeping," exclaimed Mr. Dove,
when their tale was done. "And now, Richard, my boy, what are you going to
do? You see, we caught your horse--it was grazing about a mile away with
the saddle twisted under its stomach--and wondered what white man could
possibly have been riding it in this desolate place. Afterwards, however,
one of my voor-loopers reported that he had seen two waggons yesterday
afternoon trekking through the poort about five miles to the north there.
The white men with them said that they were travelling towards the Cape,
and pushing on to get out of the hills before the storm broke. They bade
him, if he met you, to bid you follow after them as quickly as you could,
and to say that they would wait for you, if you did not arrive before, at
the Three Sluit outspan on this side of the Pondo country, at which you
stopped some months ago."

"Yes," answered Richard, "I remember, but that outspan is thirty miles
away, so I must be getting on, or they will come back to hunt for me."

"First you will stop and eat with us, will you not?" said Mr. Dove.