But when she saw it, Sihamba turned upon him so fiercely that he feared her more than the watchman, and went at once, so that this man who was half asleep suddenly saw the muzzle of a _roer_ within three paces of his head and heard a voice command him to stand still and silent or die.

Thus he stood indeed until he perceived that the new wife of his chief was escaping.

Then remembering what would be his fate at the hands of Bull-Head he determined to take his chance of being shot, and, turning suddenly, sped towards the kraal shouting as he ran, whereon Zinti fired at him, but the ball went wide.

A cannon could scarcely have made more noise than did the great _roer_ in the silence of the night as the report of it echoed to and fro among the hills.
"Oh! fool to fire, and yet greater fool to miss," said Sihamba.

"To the horses! Swift! swift!" They ran as the wind runs, and now they were in the wood, and now they had found the beasts.
"Praise to the Snake of my house!" said Sihamba, "they are safe, all four of them," and very quickly they untied the riems by which they had fastened the horses to the trees.
"Mount, Swallow," said Sihamba, seizing the head of the great _schimmel_.
Suzanne set her foot upon the shoulder of Zinti, who knelt to receive it, and sprang into the saddle.