ON THE ROAD John and Jess had finished their meal, and were about to leave the table, when suddenly the door opened, and who should appear at it but Frank Muller himself! Mistake was impossible; there he stood, stroking his long golden beard, as big, as handsome, and, to Jess's mind, as evil-looking as ever.

The cold eyes fell upon John with a glance of recognition, and something like a smile began to play around the corners of the finely cut cruel mouth.

Suddenly, however, his gaze lit upon the two Boers, one of whom was picking his teeth with a steel fork and the other lighting his pipe within a few inches of Jess's head, and instantly his face grew stern and angry.
"Did I not tell you two men," he said, "that you were not to eat with the prisoners ?"--this word struck awkwardly on Jess's ear.

"I told you that they were to be treated with all respect, and here I find you sprawling over the table and smoking in their faces.

Be off with you!" The smooth-faced man with the tusk rose at once with a sigh, put down the steel fork with which he had been operating, and departed, recognising that _Meinheer_ Muller was not a commanding officer to be trifled with, but his companion, the Vilderbeeste, demurred.