Between Snow and Fire — page 227: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FROM DEATH AND—TO DEATH. 219 the war is over Hlangani will come down on me for the cattle.” | “ How did you know I was back at Anta’s Kloof, dear- est? Did the Hostes tell you?” said Eanswyth at last. “No. I met that one-eyed fellow Tomkins just outside Komgha. I only waited while he called up two or three more to back his statement and then started off here as hard as ever I could send my nag over the ground.” The journey was about half accomplished. The buggy bowled merrily along—and its occupants—alone together in the warm balmy southern night—began to wish the settle- ment was even further off. They were ascending a long rise. “ Hallo, what’s up?” exclaimed Eustace suddenly, whip- ping up his horses, which he had been allowing to walk up the hill. The brow of the hill was of some altitude and commanded a considerable view of the surrounding country. But the whole of the latter was lit up by a dull and lurid glow. At intervals apart burned what looked like several huge and distant bonfires. “They mean business this time,” said Eustace, reining in a moment to breathe his horses on the brow of the rise. “Look. There goes Hoste’s place. That’s Bradfield’s over there—and beyond that must be Oesthuisen’s. Look at them all blazing merrily; and—by jingo—there goes Draai- bosch !” Far and wide for many a mile the country was aglow with blazing homesteads. Evidently it was the result of precon- certed action on the part of the savages. The wild yelling chorus of the barbarous incendiaries, executing their fierce war-dances around their work of destruction, was borne dis- tinctly upon the night. “The sooner we get into Komgha the better now,” he went on, sending the buggy spinning down the iong declivity which lay in front. At the bottom of this the road was intersected by a dry water course, fringed with bush; otherwise the ve/d/ was for the most part open, dotted with straggling clumps of mimosa. Down went the buggy into the dry sandy drift. Suddenly the horses shied violently, then stopped short with a jerk which nearly upset the vehicle. A dark form, springing panther-like, apparently from the ead had seized the reins. Gomilchboo (e(o)