Without another word he turned and ran swiftly as a buck, leaping from side to side as he ran, to disturb my aim in case I should shoot.
When he was a hundred yards away or more I, too, turned and ran, never feeling safe till I knew there was a mile of ground between us.
It was past ten o’clock that night when I got back to the camp, where I found Hans the Hottentot about to start to look for me, with two of the Zulus, and told him that I had been detained by accidents to the wagon. The Vrouw Prinsloo was still up also, waiting to hear of my arrival.
“What was the accident, Allan?” she asked. “It looks as though there had been a bullet in it,” and she pointed to the bloody smear upon my cheek.
I nodded.
“Pereira’s?” she asked again.
I nodded a second time.
“Did you kill him?”
“No; I let him go. It would have been said that I murdered him,” and I told her what had happened.
“Ja, Allan,” she remarked when I had finished. “I think you were wise, for you could have proved nothing. But oh! for what fate, I wonder, is God Almighty saving up that stinkcat. Well, I will go and tell Marie that you are back safe, for her father won’t let her out of the hut so late; but nothing more unless you wish it.”