The plains which the travellers had journeyed over had to them been invisible till now, that they were fairly lit up for miles round. The mountains, stretching, as I have observed, from the left of the homestead, and extending in a south-westerly direction, were enwreathed with fire, clearly defining their shape and altitude against the glowing sky. Some rose proudly to the heavens; some formed a dark but distinct foreground; some were covered, others only dotted with burning bush, and, from the most distant peak, crowned with its diadem of basaltic rock, to the nearest acclivity, sloping seawards, these wreaths of vivid flame blazed with steady splendour, illuminating acres of trackless country. From the mountain-tops in the back-ground, great tongues of flame shot up from time to time, lit the air for a few minutes, and raided into darkness; anon, some answering light gleamed out from a distant height, and so disappeared; thus, in all directions, these luminous telegraphs sparkled and died away, while on the plains, at no great distance from the settlement, a shimmer here and there proved that the savages were astir in all directions. Mr and Mrs Daveney stood together, and held a parley; their guests surprised at the steady reasoning of the lady, no less than at the close calculations of the host. "These fires," said Mrs Daveney, "are the forerunners of an open declaration of war; but I doubt their attacking the settlement, especially to-night, for the scouts ere this will have told the tale of a reinforcement at Annerley; you have been tracked hither." "The drought of this year has been nothing considerable," remarked her husband, "and therefore I am inclined to attach some importance to these illuminations, which are common at this period, when the earth is parched, and the Kafirs improve the vegetation by burning the old grass out of the pasture. Still, as there has been no public proclamation of war--I, as a magistrate, must have received notice of it if there had been--I can scarcely believe these to be signals of open defiance to our authorities, however the enemy may translate them between themselves." "Ah! father," interposed Eleanor Daveney, who had wound her arm round the trembling Marion's waist, "the rivers may have risen, the post-riders may be shot, or their despatches seized." "Right, Eleanor--we know not what intelligence these luminous telegraphs may convey from the Fish River to the Kei, while our poor heralds lie dead in the bush. We may be thankful," continued the host, bowing to Frankfort and Ormsby, "for our gallant reinforcement. Marion, are you a soldier's daughter, and afraid?" The light--for it was clear as day beyond the house, the verandah shading the group out partially--fell on the upturned face of the frightened girl. "Not only for myself," said his daughter; "what would become of hundreds in the district if you fell in a conflict with these savages?"