"Through them, George. It's our only show!" cried Hoste. And with the reins gripped in his left hand and his revolver in his right, he sat down to his saddle for the last and final charge. It was a wildly exciting moment--the issues, life or death. The lines were rapidly closing in. With maddened yells and assegais uplifted, the Kafir warriors were straining every effort to complete that fatal circle. A few yards more--twenty--ten! it was done. They were hemmed in. But the headlong, dashing valour of the two men stood them well. Not a moment did they pause. With a wild shout Hoste put his horse straight at a huge barbarian who strove to stop him--knocking the savage sprawling, and through the opening thus breached the two horsemen shot like an arrow from the bow, and having the advantage of a down-hill course they left the fierce and yelling crowd behind in a trice. Far from safe were they yet. A hole concealed in the grass--a strained sinew--a hundred unforeseen circumstances--and they would be at the mercy of their merciless foes. And now the latter began to open fire upon them, and the crackle of the volley behind mingled with the ugly hum of missiles overhead and around. "_Allamaghtaag_! My horse is hit!" exclaimed Payne, feeling the animal squirm under him in a manner there was no mistaking. "So?" was the concerned reply. "He's got to go, though, as long as you can keep him on his legs. If we can't reach the river, or at any rate the thick bush along it, we're done for." They turned their heads. Though beyond the reach of their missiles now, they could see that the Kafirs had by no means relinquished the pursuit. On they came--a dense, dark mass streaming across the plain--steady of cruel purpose--pertinacious as a pack of bloodhounds. Hoste's steed was beginning to show ominous signs of exhaustion, while that of his companion, bleeding freely from a bullet hole in the flank, was liable to drop at any moment. And the welcome bush was still a great way off-- so, too, was the hour of darkness. ------------------------------------------------------------------------