“Listen!” he said sternly.
The men looked up.
“Go on loosening the reims, and listen.”
They obeyed, and slowly began to fumble at the knee-halters.
“You understand what our orders are. Repeat them—you!”
The man with the tooth, who was addressed, still handling the reim, began as follows: “To take the two prisoners to the Vaal, to force them into the water where there is no drift, at night, so that they drown: if they do not drown, to shoot them.”
“Those are the orders,” said the Vilderbeeste, grinning.
“You understand them?”
“We understand, Meinheer; but, forgive us, the matter is a big one. You have the orders—we wish to see the authority.”
“Yah, yah,” said the other, “show us the authority. These are two harmless people enough. Show us the authority for killing them. People must not be killed so, even if they are English folk, without proper authority, especially when one is a pretty girl who would do for a man’s wife.”