CHAPTER X.
JOHN HAS AN ESCAPE On the following Monday, John, taking Jantje to drive him, departed in a rough Scotch cart, to which were harnessed two of the best horses at Mooifontein, to shoot buck at Hans Coetzee's.
He reached the place at about half-past eight, and concluded, from the fact of the presence of several carts and horses, that he was not the only guest.

Indeed, the first person whom he saw as the cart pulled up was his late enemy, Frank Muller.
"_Kek_ (look), Baas," said Jantje, "there is Baas Frank talking to his servant Hendrik, that ugly Basutu with one eye." John, as may be imagined, was not best pleased at this meeting.

He had always disliked the man, and since Muller's conduct on the previous Friday, and Jantje's story of the dark deed of blood in which he had been the principal actor, positively he loathed the sight of him.

He jumped out of the cart, and was going to walk round to the back of the house in order to avoid him, when Muller, suddenly seeming to become aware of his presence, advanced to meet him with the utmost cordiality.
"How do you do, Captain ?" he said, holding out his hand, which John just touched.

"So you have come to shoot buck with _Oom_ Coetzee; going to show us Transvaalers how do to it, eh?
There, Captain, don't look as stiff as a rifle barrel.