"I not tink dey come before morning, sah," Jim said. "No water hole near here. Tomorrow plenty black fellow come."
"All right, Jim. We don't care for them, in the daylight; and now that I know the bush rangers won't be alarmed, I don't mind."
Jim's prediction proved correct. The night passed off quietly, and the party again started at daylight. The country became more and more broken, as they proceeded. The undulations became hills. Some of these were so steep that all had to dismount, and lead their horses up.
"Is Bobitu's camp among these hills, Jim?"
"Ober toder side, sah. Him place in valley, toder side; bush, plenty game for black fellow."
"How far is it to this valley, Jim?"
Jim's ideas of figures were but vague, and he could only say that they would get there somewhere about sunset.
"That would be a bad time to get there, Jim. We must halt, a mile or two this side of them; and you must lead half the party round, so as to cut off their retreat, even if we don't attack them till the morning. On their fresh horses, those fellows will gallop right away from us, if they once get a start.
"There is no fear, I hope, of any of the other blacks getting there before us, and giving the alarm?"
Jim shook his head.