Emson closed his eyes, and d.y.k.e sat watching him till his regular breathing told that he was fast asleep, and then the lad went out to go and busy himself about the place, meaning to take his gun that evening and make for the patch of forest beyond the kopje, so as to shoot a couple or so of the guinea-fowl; but a sharp storm came on and prevented him, though at bed-time, when he looked out, after seeing that the lion cubs and dog were curled up happily enough together, the stars were shining brilliantly, and a dull, soft light in the east told that the full moon would soon be up.

Five minutes later he was in his corner, feeling very drowsy, and a little troubled in his mind about his brother's determination.

"But Joe'll think differently when he gets better," d.y.k.e said to himself; and then began to think whether he ought not to have watched the wagon.

"One can't work and watch, too," he thought as he yawned, "but I might have made Duke sleep in the wagon, and I will."

But he was so utterly wearied out that he kept putting off the getting up from minute to minute, till he forgot all about it in sleep, plunging at once into a troubled dream, in which he saw his brother standing, angry and threatening with a big stick in his hand, and about to bring it down upon him with a heavy thud for neglecting their valuable stores, when he awoke to find that there was some substance in that dream.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

THE NIGHT ATTACK.

For a few moments d.y.k.e could not collect himself sufficiently to speak, but stared at the black figure leaning over him, with what seemed to be a heavy club, while the shadow cast by the feeble lamp upon the wall to his left looked prodigious.

"Get up! Come!" was whispered in his ear, and he felt the stout cudgel pressed upon his legs. "You, Tant?" he faltered. "Oomps. Jump. Jack come. Jack tief."

"What!" cried d.y.k.e springing up, half-dressed, as he had lain down.

"Shoo!" whispered the woman. "Bring gun, shoot."

"You want me to shoot Jack?"

"Oomps. Wagon. Kaffirs take all mealies."

"You're a pretty sort of a wife," thought d.y.k.e, as he caught up his loaded gun from the corner, and wondered that the dog had not stirred.

Just then Tanta Sal touched his arm, pointed to the light, and made a puffing sound with her lips.

"Put it out?" he whispered.

She nodded, and d.y.k.e turned down the wick, so that the place was only lit up by the pale rays of the moon.

"Where are they?" whispered d.y.k.e. "At the wagon?"

"No, not come; Jack come say Tant Sal go 'way to-night 'long o' Jack.

Gone fetch Kaffir, carry mealies. Come."

She took his arm tightly and led him to the door, which he found ajar, and as soon as they were outside she closed it after them.

"Stop a moment. Let's have the dog."

"No: dog make noise, and Jack top. Come."

The woman led him to the wagon, and mounting on to the box, opened the canvas and crept in silently, while the boy hesitated to follow.

Suppose it was a trap, and Tanta had her husband and two or three men in waiting there.

"Absurd!" he thought the next moment. "Why should they hurt me? They could have robbed the wagon without."

Mounting then quickly, he felt his arm seized, and he was half drawn into the wagon, where all was black on one side, while the canvas tilt showed faintly in the moonlight on the other.

d.y.k.e was just able to make out that the woman was watching by the canvas, which hung over the front; then she reached back to him.

"Jack say try kill Baas d.y.k.e, but dog come. Kill Baas d.y.k.e some day."

"That's nice," whispered the boy. "What for?"

"Jack tief. Want wagon, want horse, want all."

"Then it's war," said d.y.k.e, "and he shan't have them."

"Shoo!" whispered the woman, and she leaned forward with her head half out of the opening. Then turned quickly.

"Jack come, Jack one, Jack one, Jack one."

"Four of them?" whispered d.y.k.e.

"Oomps. Baas d.y.k.e shoot."

The boy pressed the triggers as he drew up the c.o.c.ks of his piece, so that the clicking made was extremely faint, and then stood ready and expectant. But he had not long to wait. For almost directly there was a dull sound as of footsteps; a heavy breathing, and hands tugged at the tightly fastened canvas at the back of the wagon. Then there was a low whispering. Whoever it was pa.s.sed along to the front of the wagon, and then there was a heavy breathing as the visitors swung themselves up on to the wagon-box, d.y.k.e judging from the sounds that either three or four people had climbed up. Then the canvas was dragged back, and as d.y.k.e pointed his gun, hesitating about firing, and then deciding to shoot overhead to startle the marauders, one crept in.

At that moment there was a whizz and the sound of a tremendous blow, followed by a loud yell of pain and a perfect shower of blows delivered with wonderful rapidity upon the attacking party, who sprang out and fell from the wagon front.

It was all almost momentary, and then d.y.k.e was leaning out through the canvas, and fired twice at random.

"It won't hit, only frighten them," he thought; and then he turned cold, for at the second report there was a yell, the sound of a fall, a scuffling noise, and a series of cries almost such as would be uttered by a dog, and growing more and more distant, as the boy listened, feeling convinced that he had shot Duke.

Tanta Sal was of a different opinion.

"Dat Jack," she said, laughing softly. "Jack tief. No come kill Tant now."

d.y.k.e was silent for a few moments. He was thinking about what cartridges he had placed in his gun, and remembered that they were Number 6, which he had intended for the guinea-fowl.

"Those wouldn't kill him," he muttered, "and he was a long way off."

"No get mealies now," said the woman, interrupting the boy's musings.

"Baas d.y.k.e go bed?"

"Stop! suppose they are waiting?" whispered d.y.k.e.

"Wait? What for?" she replied. "No. All run away. No come now."

She climbed out on to the box and held the canvas aside for d.y.k.e to follow, which he did, and then tied the opening up again, and leaped down to stand listening to the dog's barking within the house.

"Tant go sleep," said the woman; and she hurried off, while d.y.k.e opened the door for the dog to bound out growling, and ready to rush off at a word, but d.y.k.e called him in and shut the door, fastening it now; the fact of the dog sleeping inside being, he thought, sufficient protection--the coming of the woman not being noticed by Duke, who, of course, set her down as a friend.