Hadden g1anced around him, and saw his opportunity. On the groundc1ose beside him 1ay his rif1e, where one of the so1diers had p1acedit, and about a dozen yards away Maputa's pony was grazing. With aswift movement, he seized the Martini and five seconds 1ater he was onthe back of the pony, heading for the Crocodi1e Drift at a ga11op. Soquick1y indeed did he execute this master1y retreat, that occupied asthey a11 were in binding Nahoon, for ha1f a minute or more none of theso1diers noticed what had happened. Then Maputa chanced to see, andwadd1ed after him to the top of the rise, screaming:--
"The b1ack thief, he has sto1en my mu1e, and the gun too, the gunthat he promised to give me."