Charge! A Story of Briton and Boer, by George Manville Fenn. 

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The earliest European settlers in South Africa were mostly Dutch. Theywere known as Boers, the Dutch word for farmer. They were doing well, and even though the British had come to rule the country, theircomfortable and profitable existence was all that most of them wanted. However, an Irishman of the name of Moriarty thought otherwise, andurged them to rebel against the British, simply because there is a classof Irish people that enjoy fights, and the English are their nearestneighbours, and Ireland was part of Great Britain. 

Val Moray is the son of John Moray, who is farming in South Africa, andhe has a brother, Bob. There is also a Kaffir worker on the farm, Joe, or by his preference Joeboy. Joeboy is a co-hero of the story. Moriarty arrives with a few of the Boers and demands that Val be handedover to him to go and fight the British. Val has to go, but manages toescape. He gets to a place where his father has whispered to him wouldbe where Joeboy was to wait for him. They meet up with a Light Horseunit of the British army, where Val meets an old friend, Denham, andthey take part in various skirmishes against the Boers, in which theyare injured and captured, but manage to escape with the help of Bob andJohn. 

There is plenty of action, but one can't help feeling that the authorhas bitten off more than he can chew, as these skirmishes in real lifebecame more than that, and the whole thing became a real, if pointless, war. NH

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CHARGE! A STORY OF BRITON AND BOER, BY GEORGE MANVILLE FENN. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

HOME, SWEET HOME. 

"Hi! Val! Come, quick!"

"What's the matter?" I said excitedly, for my brother Bob came tearingdown to the enclosure, sending the long-legged young ostrichesscampering away towards the other side; and I knew directly thatsomething unusual must be on the way, or, after the warnings he hadreceived about not startling the wild young coveys, he would not havedashed up like that. 

"I dunno. Father sent me to fetch you while he got the guns ready. Hesaid something about mounted men on the other side of the kopje, so itcan't be Kaffirs. I say, do back me up, Val, and get father to let mehave a gun. "

"Ugh! you bloodthirsty young wretch!" I cried as I started with him forour place, now partly hidden by the orchard--apple and pear trees--I hadhelped to plant seven years before, when father really pitched his tentby the kopje, and he, Bob--a little, round-headed tot of a fellow then--Aunt Jenny, and I lived in the canvas construction till we had built ahouse of stone. 

The orchard was planted long before the tent was given up--all treesthat father had ordered to be sent to us from a famous nursery inHertfordshire. How well I remember it all!--the arrival of the four bigbundles wrapped in matting, and tied behind a great Cape wagon drawn bytwenty oxen, whose foreloper was a big, shiny black fellow, who wore atremendous straw hat, and seemed to think that was all he needed in theway of clothes, as it was big enough to keep off the sun (of which therewas a great deal) and the rain (of which there was little). In fact, hewore scarcely anything else--only part of a very old pair of canvastrousers, which he made comfortable and according to his taste bycutting down at the top, so as to get rid of the waist, and tearingclose in the fork till the legs were about three inches long. 

I remember it all so well: seeing the foreloper come striding along bythe foremost pair of oxen, holding one of them by its horn, and carryinga long, thin pole like a very big fishing-rod over his shoulder, for useinstead of a whip to guide the oxen. Yes, I recollect it as if it wereonly yesterday. I looked at him, and he looked at me. My eyes werefixed upon those trousers; and I burst out, boy-like, into the heartiestfit of laughter I ever had. As I laughed his eyes opened wider andwider, and the corners of his mouth began to creep back farther andfarther till they nearly disappeared. Then, suddenly, his mouth flewopen, showing a wonderfully white set of teeth, and he gave vent to"Yer-her! Yawk, yawk, yawk, yawk! Yor-hor!" Then he helped to outspanthe oxen, and I showed him and the man with the wagon where to findwater. At every order I gave he opened his mouth and laughed at me; buthe eagerly did all I bade, and followed me back to the wagon to help inunloading the bundles of trees, taking the greatest interest ineverything, and lifting the boxes and packages of stores which had comewith the trees, no matter what their weight, as if he enjoyed puttingforth his tremendous strength. 

"Well, Val, " said my father as he took out his big knife to cut thestring, and then carefully unlaced it--for string was precious out inthe desert--"I thought I'd chance a few; but it's quite a spec, and I'mafraid they'll be all dried up. However, we'll try them; and now theyare here we must get them in at once. Mind, I shall look to you to makethem grow if they are still alive. "

"How am I to make them grow, father?" I said. 

"With water, my boy. You must bring down buckets from the spring tillwe have time to dig a channel; and then they'll shift for themselves. Ihope they'll grow, for it will be pleasant for you and Bob to sit underthem sometimes and eat apples and pears such as your father used to havein his old orchard at home. "

"Yes, father, " I said; "and for you too. "

"Perhaps, my boy; perhaps, " he said, with a sigh. "We shall see. --Here, Jenny!"

My aunt was already at the door, in her print sun-bonnet, and lookingvery cross, I thought. 

"Yes, " she said. 

"Give these two men a good hearty meal; I dare say they're prettyhungry. "

"It's all ready, John, " she said. 

"That's right, my dear, " said my father; and then, as if to himself, "Imight have known. " Turning to the short, thick-set Dutch Boer in chargeof the wagon, father told him to go to the big wagon-sheet supported onpoles, which we used for a dining-room, and then clapped the big blackon the shoulder, bidding him go too. 

"Get two spades, Val, " he said as soon as the men were gone; "and you, Bob, come off that bundle of trees. It wasn't sent all these thousandsof miles by ship and wagon to make you a horse. "

I fetched the spades while my father went on unpacking the little trees, Bob being set to help by unlacing the string from the pleasant-smellingRussian mats. Before the new arrivals were cast loose, the big black, with a tremendous sandwich of bread and bacon, had joined us, and showedat once that he meant to help. After taking a big bite, he put hissandwich down while he carried trees to the places where they were to beplanted, and after putting them down, returned for another bite, givingme a grin every time. 

Then the spades were taken up; and by that time the Boer had eaten anddrunk as much as he could, and gone to sit on the big chest in front ofthe wagon, where he filled his pipe and began to smoke, never offeringto help, but watching us with his eyes half-closed. 

"Here, steady, nigger!" said my father, smiling; "we're not going tobury bullocks. Little holes like this just where I put in these pegs. --You keep him in hand, Val. I never saw such a strong fellow before. "

The great black fellow grinned and dug away, making the rich and softdry earth fly as he turned it out; while he laughed with delight everytime I checked him, and followed me to another place. 

By that time he had finished his sandwich, and a thought occurred to me. 

"Here, Bob, " I said; "put down those pegs"--for he was marching aboutwith us, looking very serious, with the bundle of pegs under his arm. "Go and ask Aunt Jenny to cut another big bit of bread and a very largeslice of bacon, and bring 'em here. "

Bob ran off, and the big black looked at me, threw back his head, andlaughed, and laughed again, as he drove the spade deeply into the richloamy soil; and when the bread and bacon came he laughed, and bit withthose great white teeth of his, and munched and chewed like thelying-down oxen, and dug and dug, till my father said, "No moreto-night, " and bade me carry in the spades. 

That night, before going to bed, tired, but happy with the thoughts ofour orchard to come, I walked with father beneath the great stars, goinground the place--father with his rifle over his shoulder--to see if allwas safe. 

We went straight to the wagon, to find the oxen all lying down chewingtheir cud, and from under the tilt there came a deep, heavy snore; butthere was also a rustling sound, a big black head popped out, and theman said, in a deep, thick voice:

"Boss, hear lion?"

"No, " said my father sharply. "Did you, boy?"

"Iss. _Oom! Wawk, wawk, wawk_. Boss, lissum. "

We stood there in the silence, and for a full minute I could hearnothing but the deep snore of the Boer and chewing of the oxen. Then, distinctly heard, but evidently at a great distance, there was thetremendous barking roar of a lion, and my father uttered a deep "Ha!"

"Boss shoot lion, " said the black in a quiet, contented way; and fromout of the darkness beneath the great wagon came the sound of theforeloper settling himself down once more to sleep. I rememberwondering whether he had anything to cover himself, for the night wasfresh and cold. I asked my father. 

"Yes; I saw him with a sheepskin over his shoulders. He won't hurt. "

We were interrupted by no lion that night, and at the first dawn of daywe were out with the spades again; our black visitor, under mydirection, digging the holes for the trees, while father planted, andBob held the stems straight upright till their roots were all nicelyspread out, and soil carefully placed amongst them, and trampled firmlyin. 

This went on till breakfast-time, when Aunt Jenny called us, and theDutchman came and sat with us, while the great Kaffir carried hisportion away, and sat under the wagon to munch. 

After the meal the Boer lit his pipe, sat down on a piece of rock, andsmoked and looked on till midday, by which time the fruit-trees were allplanted, and the big Kaffir had trotted to and fro with a couple ofbuckets, bringing water to fill up the saucer-like depressions placedabout each tree. Then Aunt Jenny called us to dinner, and after thatthe Boer said it was time to inspan and begin the journey back. 

Oh, how well I remember it all!--seeing my father opening a wash-leatherbag and paying the Boer the sum that had been agreed upon, and that hewasn't satisfied, but asked for another dollar for the work done by hisman. Then father laughed and said he ought to charge for the meals thathad been eaten; but he gave the Boer the money all the same; and AuntJenny uttered a deep grunt, and said afterwards in her old-fashionedway, "Oh John, what a foolish boy you are!" Then he kissed her andsaid, "Yes, Jen. I always was. You didn't half-teach me when I wasyoung. "

This was after we had watched the wagon grow smaller and smaller in thedistance on its way back, and after the great black had stood and lookeddown at me and laughed in his big, noisy way. 

Then once more we were alone in the great desert, father looking proudlydown at his little orchard, and Bob walking up and down touching everytree, and counting them over again. 

"Begins to look homely now, Val, " he said; "but we must work, boy--work. "

We did work hard to make that place the home it grew to. 

"It's for you, boys, " he said, "when I'm dead and gone;" and it wasabout that time I began to think and understand more fully how fatherwas doing it all for the sake of us boys, and to try and ease hisheart-ache. Aunt Jenny set me thinking by her words, and at last Ifully grasped how it all was. 

"I believe he'd have died broken-hearted, Val, " she said to me, "if Ihadn't come to him. It was after your poor dear mother passed away. Itold him he was not acting like a man and a father to give up like that, and it roused him; and one day--you remember, it was when I had come tokeep house for him--he turned to me and said, `I shall never be happy inEngland again; and I've been thinking it would be a good thing to takethose boys out to the Cape and settle there. They'll grow up well andstrong in the new land, and I shall try to make a home for them yonder. '`Yes, John, ' I said, `that's the very thing you ought to do. ' `Ah, ' hesaid, `but it means leaving you behind, Jenny, dear, and you'll perhapsnever set eyes upon them again. ' `Oh, yes, I shall, John, ' I said, `forI've come to stay. ' `What!' he cried; `would you go with us, sis?'`Yes, ' I said, `to the very end of the world. ' So we came here, Val, where there's plenty of room, and no neighbours to find fault with ourways. "

That's how it was; and now I can admire and think of how Aunt Jenny, theprim maiden lady, gave up all her own old ways to set to and work anddrudge for us all, living in a wagon and then in a tent, and smilingpleasantly at the trees we planted, and bringing us lunch where we wereworking away, dragging down stones for the house which progressed soslowly, though father's ideas wore modest. 

"For, " said he, "we'll build one big stone room, Val, and make it intotwo with part of the tent. Then by-and-by we'll build another roomagainst it, and then another and another till we get it into a house. "

Yes, it was hard work getting the stones, and we were busy enough oneday in the hot sunshine, about a month after the wagon had been with thetrees and stores, when Bob suddenly stood shading his eyes, and cried:

"Some one's coming!"

We looked up, and there, far in the distance, I saw a black figurestriding along under a great, broad matting-hat. 

"Why, it looks like that great Kaffir, father, " I said. 

"Nonsense, boy, " he replied; "the Kaffirs all look alike at a distance. "

"But it is, father, " I cried excitedly. "Look; he's waving his big hatbecause he sees us. " I waved mine in answer; and directly after hebegan to run, coming up laughing merrily, and ending by throwing downthree assagais and the bundle he carried, as he cried:

"Come back, boss. "

We gave him something to eat, and the next minute he was lifting andcarrying stones, working like a slave; and at night he told me in hisway that he was going to stop along with old boss and young boss andlittle boss and old gal, and never go away no more. 

CHAPTER TWO. 

OUR UGLY VISITOR. 

The black fellow's arrival at such a time was most welcome; but myfather put no faith in his declaration. 

"They're all alike, Val, " he said. "He's a quick worker, and as willingand good-tempered as a man can be; but he'll only stay with us till hehas earned wages enough to buy himself some bright-coloured blankets andhandkerchiefs, and then he'll be off back to his tribe. "

"Think so, father?" I said. "He seems to like us all here. He saysit's better than being with the Boers. He always says he means tostay. "

"He does mean it, of course, " said my father; "but these black fellowsare like big children, and are easily led away by some new attraction. We shall wake up some morning and find him gone. "

But seven years glided away, during which apprenticeshiplike timeJoeboy, as we called him--for he would not be content with Joe when hehad heard the "boy" after it once or twice, "Joeboy" quite taking hisfancy--worked for us constantly, and became the most useful of fellowsupon our farm, ready to do anything and do it well, as his strengthbecame tempered with education. In fact, it grew to be a favouritesaying with my father, "I don't know what we should have done withoutJoeboy. "

One of the first persons I saw that morning, when I trotted towards thehouse after being called by my brother, was the great black hurrying outto meet us; and as we got closer it was to see his face puckered up andhis eyes flashing, as he said to me hoarsely:

"Won't go, Boss Val; won't go. You tell the Boss I've run up into thehills. Won't go. "

"Here, what do you mean?" I said. 

"Boss Boers come to fetch up go and fight. Won't go. "

"Nonsense, " I said. "I dare say they've only come to buy bullocks. "

"No, " said the black, shaking his head fiercely. "Come to fetchJoeboy. "

"Here, don't run away. "

"On'y go up in kopje, " he said. "Hide dar. "

He rushed away, and I was sure I knew where he would hide himself. ThenI walked on with my brother, to find my father and Aunt Jenny by thedoor. 

"What's it all about, father?" I asked. 

"I don't know yet, my boy; but we soon shall. There's about a score ofthe Boers, well mounted and armed. Yonder they are, coming at a walk. There were only twelve; but another party have caught up to them, andmaybe there are more. "

"Joeboy has run off in a fright, " I said. "He thinks they've come tofetch him. "

"Oh no; it isn't that, my boy, " said my father. "I fear it's somethingworse. "

"What?" I said wonderingly. 

CHAPTER THREE. 

MY FIRST REAL TROUBLE. 

Before my father could reply a body of horsemen cantered up, every manwell mounted, rifle in hand, and carrying a cross-belt over his leftshoulder fitted with cartridges, bandolier fashion. Their leader, abig, heavily-bearded, fierce-looking fellow, dropped from his saddle, threw the rein to one of his companions, and then swaggered up to us, scanning us with his eyes half-closed, and with a haughty, contemptuousexpression in his countenance. 

"Ye're John Moray, I suppose?" he said, turning to my father, afterlooking me up and down in a way I, a hot-blooded and independent lad ofeighteen, did not at all like. 

"Yes, " said my father quietly, "I'm John Moray. Do you want somerefreshment for your men and horses?"

"Yes, of course, " said our visitor; and I wondered why such abig-bearded, broad-shouldered fellow should speak in so high-pitched atone. That he was Irish he proved directly; but that excited nosurprise, for we were accustomed to offer hospitality to men of variousnationalities from time to time--Scots, Finns, Germans, Swedes, andNorwegians--trekking up-country in search of a place to settle on. 

"Will you dismount and tie up, then?" said my father; "and we'll seewhat we can do. --Val, my lad, you will see to the horses having a feed?"

"Yes, father, " was on my lips, when the Irish leader turned upon mesharply with:

"Oh, ye're Val--are ye?"

"Yes, " I said, rather sharply, for the man's aggressive manner nettledme; "my name is Valentine. "

"And is it, now?" he said, with a mocking laugh. "Ye're a penny plainand tuppence coloured, I suppose? Coloured, bedad! Look at his face!"

"I don't see the joke, " I said sharply. 

"Don't ye, now? Then ye soon will, my fine chap. Let's see, now; howold are ye?"

I made no reply, and my father replied gravely:

"My son is eighteen. "

"Is he, now? And ye're forty, I suppose?"

"I am sorry to say I am over fifty, " replied my father, as I stoodchafing at the man's insolent, bullying tone. 

"Then ye don't look it, sor. But there, we'll leave ye alone for a bit. I dare say we can do without ye this time, and take the bhoy. "

"What for--where?" said my father quickly. 

"What for--where?" cried the man. "For the commando, of course. "

"The commando?" said my father, while I felt staggered, onlyhalf-grasping the import of his words. 

"Yes, sor, the commando. D'ye suppose ye are to have the protection ofthe State, and do nothing again' your counthry's inimies? If ye doye're greatly mistaken. Every man must take his turn to difind thecounthry, and ye may feel preciously contented that ye don't have tojoin yerself. "

"But I have heard of no rising, " said my father, looking at meanxiously. "The blacks all about here are peaceable and friendly. "

"Not the blackest blacks, sor, " said the man, drawing himself up andraising one hand and his voice in an oratorical way; "the blacks I maneare white-skinned, but black in the heart through and through; theblacks who are the dispisers of progress, the foes of freedom, theinimies of the counthry, sor--the despicable, insolent Saxons. "

"Do you mean the English?" said my father coolly. 

"I do that, sor, " said the man defiantly; "and the day has dawned atlast when the down-thrampled Boers are goin' to give them a lesson thatshall make the British lion snaik out of this counthry with his tailbetween his legs like a beaten dog. "

"You are a British subject, sir, " said my father. 

"Mahn, I scorrun it, " cried our visitor. "I have thrown off all fealtyyears ago, and am a free Irishman, and captain of the body of brave menwho are going to dhrive the tyranny of England out of this colony forever. "

"This is all news to me, sir, " said my father coldly. 

"Is it, sor?" said our visitor mockingly. "Then I'm proud to be thebearer of the great news. "

"Do you mean to tell me, then, " said my father, "that there is wardeclared by England against the Boers?"

"No, sor, " cried the fellow insolently; "but I tell you that we havedeclared war again' the brutal Saxon. "

"We, sir?" said my father gravely. "But you are one of the Queen'sservants--an Irishman. "

"Nothing of the sort, sor. I disown England; I disowned her when I cameout here to throw meself into the arrums of the brave, suffering, pathriotic race around me, and placed my sword at their service. "

"Then you are a soldier, I presume?" said my father. 

"I was tin years in the arrmy, sor, " said our visitor, drawing himselfup and clapping his hand upon his chest. "Look at thim, " he continued, pointing to his followers drawn up in line. "A part of my following, and as fine irrigular cavalry as ever threw leg over saddle. --Look here, young man, ye're in luck, for ye'll have the honour of serving inCaptain Eustace Moriarty's troop. "

"You are Captain Eustace Moriarty?" said my father. 

"I am, sor. "

"Then I must tell you, sir, " said my father, "that though I have takenup land here and made it my home, I claim my rights as an Englishman notto make myself a traitor by taking up arms against my Queen. "

"A thraitor!" cried the captain. "Bah! That for the Queen;" and hesnapped his fingers. "But ye're not asked to serve now. That can waittill ye're wanted. It's the bhoy we want, and maybe after a bit it'llbe you. "

"My son thinks as I do, " said my father sternly. 

"Does he, now?" said the captain mockingly. "Then I shall have totache him to think as I do, and it won't take long. D'ye hear me, bhoy?"

"I hear what you say, sir, " I replied. "Of course I think as my fatherdoes, and I refuse to serve against England. "

"I expected it, " said the man, with cool insolence. "It's what Iexpected from a young Saxon. But look here, me bhoy; ye've got toserrve whether ye like it or whether ye don't. What's more, ye've gotto come at once. So get yer horse, and clap the saddle on. Fetch himhis rifle and his cartridge-bolt, and let there be no more nonsense. "

"You heard what my son said, sir, " said my father haughtily. "If itwere against a black enemy of the country we should both be willing. "

"Didn't I tell ye it was again' a black inimy?" said the man mockingly. 

"I heard you insult the Queen and her Government, sir, " said my father;"and, once more, my son refuses to serve. "

"The coward!--the white-livered cub!" cried the captain contemptuously. 

"What!" I cried, springing forward; but my father flung his hand acrossmy chest, and Bob rushed in past Aunt Jenny, as if to take refuge fromthe scene. 

"Quite right, old man, " said the captain, coolly stroking his beard. "And look here, bhoy whether ye like it or not, ye're a sojer now; I'myer shuperior officer, and it's time of war. If a man strikes hisshuperior officer, he's stood up with a handkerchief tied across hiseyes to prevent him from winking and spoiling the men's aim, and thenthe firing-party does the rest. "

As he spoke he made a sign, and half-a-dozen of the mounted Boers rodeup. 

"Sargint, " he said, "the young colt's a bit fractious. Ye'll take himin hand. Fasten his hands behind him ready. Two of ye go round to thepen there and pick out the most likely horse, saddle and bridle him, andbring him here. Ye've got some green-leather thongs. Then put him uponthe horse with his face to the tail, and tie his ankles underneath. It'll be a fine lesson for the bhoy in rough-riding. "

The men were quick enough. Before I had even thought of trying to makemy escape, two of the Boers were off their horses and made me theirprisoner, while the rest of the little troop rode closer up andsurrounded us. 

Then other two of the men rode off behind the house, and I stoodbreathing hard, biting my lips, and feeling as if something hot wasburning my chest as I tried hard to catch my father's averted eyes. 

Just then the Irish renegade captain burst into a hearty laugh, and Iwrenched myself round to look, and felt better. A minute before, I hadseen Bob disappear into the house, and had mentally denounced him as amiserable little coward; but my eyes flashed now as I saw him hurry outwith three rifles over his right shoulder, a bandolier belt across hisleft, and two more, well filled with cartridges, hanging to the barrelsof the rifles. 

"Bedad!" said the captain, "and he's worth fifty of his big, hulkingbrother! But ye're too shmall, darlint. Wait a year or two longer, andye shall fight under me like a man. "

Bob made a rush for father; but one of the Boers leaned down and caughthim by the shoulder, while another snatched the rifles from his hands, and laid them across the pommel of the saddle in which he sat. 

"Give up, Bob; give up, " cried father sternly, as my brother began tostruggle with all his might. "It is no use to fight against fate. "

"Hear him now, " said the captain. "He can talk sinse at times. "

"Yes, " said my father, "at times;" and he gave the captain a look whichmade him turn away his eyes. --"Val, my boy, I cannot have you exposed tothe ignominy of being bound. "

"Sure, no, " cried the captain. "I forgot to say a wurrud aboutstirrup-leathers across his back if he didn't behave himself. "

"Fate is against us for the present, my boy, " continued my father, "andyou must ride with this party till I have applied to the proper quartersto get the matter righted. "

"Now, man, be aloive, " said the captain, and I winced and looked vainlyround for a way of escape; but I was seized by the wrist by anotherdismounted Boer, who slipped a raw-hide noose over my wrist, just as twomore came riding back, leading my own horse, Sandho, between them. Thepoor beast, who followed me like a dog, uttered a shrill neigh as soonas he caught sight of me, springing forward to reach my side. 

"Stop!" cried my father loudly; "there is no need for that. My son willride with you, sir. "

"Indade, sir, I'm obleeged to ye for the inforrmation, " said the captainmockingly; "but sure it's a work of shupererrogation, me dear friend, for I knew it, and that he was going to ride backward. If, however, hegives up sinsibly, he may ride with his back to the horse's tail, and yeneedn't tie his ankles togither. Have ye ever ridden that horsebefore?"

"He has ridden it hundreds of times, ever since it was a foal, " said myfather quickly, for I felt choked. --"Stop, man, " he added angrily; "yourcaptain said my son was not to be bound. "

"Sure I didn't say a wurrud about his wrists, old man, " cried thecaptain contemptuously. "Ye want too much. I've let him off about theankles, and let him ride face forward, so be contint. Make his wristsfast behind him. "

I was compelled to resign myself to my fate, and stood fighting hard tokeep down all emotion while my wrists were secured firmly behind myback, the thin raw-hide cutting painfully into the flesh. 

By this time Sandho was bridled and saddled, and just then my fatherturned to Bob. 

"Take in those rifles, my boy, " he said. 

The captain turned sharply and gave my father a searching look; but hecontented himself with nodding, and my brother snatched the rifles fromwhere they lay across the Boer's knees, and rushed indoors with them. 

I knew well enough why, poor fellow: it was to hide the tears strugglingto rise, and of which he was ashamed. 

Just then I had harder work than ever to control my own feelings, forAunt Jenny hurried towards me, but was kept back by my captors; and Isaw her go to my father and throw her arms about his neck, while he bentover her and seemed to be trying to whisper comfort. 

"There, up with ye, me bhoy, " cried the captain. "Ye can't mount, though, with yer hands behind yer like a prishner. --Lift him on, two ofye, like a sack. "

"That they shan't, " I said between my teeth; and feeling now that whatwas to como was inevitable, I took a couple of steps to my horse's side. 

"Stand!" I said aloud as I raised one foot to the stirrup; and Sandhostood as rigid as if of bronze, while I made a spring, raised myself up, and threw my leg over. 

"Well done, bhoy!" cried the captain as I sank into the saddle. --"You, Hooger, take his rein. Unfasten one end from the bit so as to give yedouble length, and ye'd better buckle it to your saddle-bow. --Now lookhere, me fine fellow, " he continued, addressing me, "ye'll give me noneof your nawnsense; for, look ye, my bhoys are all practised shots withthe rifle. They can bring down a spring-bok going at full speed, sothey can easily bring ye down and yer nag too. There's twenty of them, and I'm a good shot meself, so ye know what to expect if ye thry toescape. "

I said nothing, for I was thinking with agony about poor Aunt Jenny, whowas now coming up to me, and the captain laughed as he saw herpain-wrung countenance. 

"Good-bye, Val, my boy, " said my father slowly; "and bear up like aman. "

That was all, and he turned away. 

The next moment Bob was clinging to my arm. 

"O Val! O Val! O Val!" he cried in a choking voice, and then hedropped back, poor boy, for he could say no more. 

"Be sharp there and get it done, me bhoy, " said the captain. "Ye cansay good-bye to the owld woman; but lave the cat and the dogs till yecome back. "

"Are you going to march at once?" said my father as Aunt Jenny came tomy side, and I gripped my saddle and bent down for her to put her armsround my neck. 

"Sor, ye see that I am, " said the captain. 

"But you and your men will take something to eat and drink?"

"Something to send them asleep?" said the captain suspiciously. "I'mthinkin' they can last till we get back to Drak Pass, where there's ashtore. I'm obleeged to ye all the same. --There, that'll do, owld lady. I'll make a man of the bhoy, and send him back safe and sound, if someof the raw recruits of the brutal Saxons don't shoot him. "

"Good-bye, then. God bless you and protect you, Val!" said Aunt Jenny, with a sob, as she loosened her grip of my neck, and I straightenedmyself up, feeling my heart swell and the blood bound in my veins, forwhile my father kept the captain in converse, she, with quivering lips, had breathed words of hope into my ear. 

"Listen, Val, " she said. "Your father bids me say that you are to watchfor your chance, and then make a dash for your liberty. Gallop to EchoNek, and you will find Joeboy waiting there with a rifle and cartridges. But you must not come back here. Joeboy will bring a letter. "

My heart was bounding with hope, and I felt ready for anything justthen, as the captain gave the orders "Mount!" and then "Forward!" Butthe next minute my spirits sank into the darkness of misery. For whathad Aunt Jenny said? Joeboy would be waiting at Echo Nek with a rifleand cartridges. Yes; but poor Joeboy had taken flight at the appearanceof the Boers, and fled for his liberty, in the belief that they had comefor him. 

CHAPTER FOUR. 

WAITING FOR MY CHANCE. 

I rode on painfully as regarded my wrists; for above them my armsthrobbed and burned as if the veins were distended almost tobursting-point, while my hands grew gradually cold and numb, and thenbecame insensible as so much lead. The physical pain, however, wasnothing to what I felt mentally. Only an hour or two before I wasleading that calm, happy home-life, without a trouble beyond some pettydisappointment in the garden or farm or during one of the hunting orshooting expeditions with Joeboy to carry my game; and now alightning-like stroke seemed to have descended to end my idyllicboy-life and make me a man full of suffering, and with a future which Iabhorred. 

"No, " I argued, "I must escape, even if they do send a shower of bulletsto bring me down. " I did not believe much in the vaunted powers of theBoers with the rifle. I knew that they could shoot well, but no betterthan my father and his two pupils, meaning Bob and myself; and I feltthat we should have been very doubtful about bringing down a man goingat full gallop, even in the brightest daylight; and I meant to make myventure in the dusk of the evening or after dark if only my captorswould continue their journey then. Once well started, and my rein freeof the man who held it buckled to his saddle-bow, I had no fear at all, for I was sure that in a straight race there was not a Boer amongst themwho could overtake me, they being heavy, middle-aged men, while I wasyoung and light, quite at home in the saddle, and Sandho as much at homewith me, upon his back. Arms? I could do without them. Reins? Ineeded none, if only free of the one which held me to my left-handguard; for an extra pressure of either leg would send my beautifullittle Australian horse in the direction I wished to turn, while a wordof encouragement would send him on like the wind, and an order sharplyuttered check him even if at full speed. 

I had had Sandho four years, mounting him as soon as he was strongenough to bear me, and ever since we seemed to have been companions morethan master and servant. We had played together; I had hunted him, andhe had hunted me--finding me, too, when I hid from him; and he answeredwhen out grazing on the veldt with a cheery neigh before galloping tomeet me. Why, there had been times when we had both lain down to sleeptogether on the distant plains, my head resting on his glossy neck; so, now that he was bearing me along, comparatively helpless, and I felt hiselastic, springy form beneath me, I was ashamed of my despair, convincedthat if I gave the word he would snap that rein at the first bound, andbear me safely away. 

I made up my mind that if I could defer my attempt till it was dark Ishould be safe. If, however, I were obliged to venture in daylight, Iwould make my dash by some rocky pass or kopje on the way, where Sandhowould easily leave the Boers' horses behind, he being almost assure-footed as a goat. 

The captain drew rein a little, so that I came alongside during thefirst part of our ride, and he cast his eye over my bonds and gave theBoer who had the leading-rein a sharp order or two about keeping a goodlookout. To this the dull, heavy fellow responded with a surly growl. After this the Irishman banteringly asked me if I was comfortable. 

My answer was an angry glare--at least, I meant it to be--but the onlyeffect was to make him laugh. 

"Ye've got a bad seat in the saddle, and it will be a good lesson to yein riding, bhoy. Make ye sit up. I hate to see a military man with hisshowlders up and his nose down close to his charrger's mane. Faith, I'mhalf-disposed to make ye throw the stirrups over the nag's neck, and Iwould if we'd toime. But we've none to spare for picking ye up when yecame off. --Here, " he cried to the two men next behind, for we now rodetwo and two; "why are your carbines not full-cocked--rifles, I mane?That's right. Fire at wanst if he tries to bowlt; don't wait forordhers. "

I listened to the sharp clicking of the rifle-locks as the men cockedtheir pieces; but somehow I did not feel scared, for a feeling ofdesperation was upon me, and I was strung-up to dare anything to get myliberty; and, besides, my father's orders were that I should make adash. 

"They can't hit me, " I said to myself; and wherever the track was fairgoing we went on at a canter, drawing rein wherever the ground grew bad. At these latter times the captain began talking loudly in ahighly-pitched and half-contemptuous way to the leading men; and whenhis words reached my ears I made out that his subject was either aboutmilitary evolutions and a man's bearing in the saddle, or else, in aharsh and bitter tone, about the brutal Saxon who was at last going toreceive his dues for his long years of evil-doing and tyranny towardsthe oppressed. Hearing such talk, I rode on half-wondering what Englandhad been doing towards the Irish at home and the Boers abroad, for thiswas all news to me, and I had never noticed among the Dutch settlers onthe veldt anything but a stolid kind of contentment with theirprosperous lot; there not being a single case of poverty, as far as Iknew, within a hundred miles of our pleasant home. 

At the thought of home a strange swelling came in my throat, and thewide, open veldt before me looked dim as I pictured all I had leftbehind; for, happy as had been the life I led, and lovely as everythingaround had always seemed, home had never seemed so beautiful as now. However, I set my teeth hard, knit my brows, and with an effort seemedto swallow down that swelling lump in my throat, at the same timenipping Sandho's sides so sharply that he gathered himself up to boundoff; but he was checked by a savage snatch at the rein, and received ablow with the barrel of my escort's rifle, as the surly and scowlingbrute beside me growled out a fierce oath in Dutch. 

The plunge Sandho gave nearly unseated me, and in another moment hewould have been rearing and kicking to get free; but a few gentle wordsfrom my lips soothed the poor beast down, and he settled into his canteronce more, while I fell to wondering whether my poor horse could thinkand would understand that the brutal treatment did not come from hismaster. 

On and on we rode over ground familiar to me, for many a long journeyfrom home had I been in every direction--hunting, shooting, or with ourwagon and oxen and Joeboy as foreloper, on journeys of many days throughthe wilderness, to fetch stores for home use or to dispose of game orstock. So beautiful it all seemed; now it was so wretched for me toleave it all, and to be forced to go and fight against my brothers, soto speak, in a cause that I felt I must hate. As I rode on, thinkingthus, I could see that there was no such oppression and tyranny as theIrish captain spoke of; nothing but a bitter and contemptiblerace-hatred, fostered by idle and discontented men. 

"But I shan't have to fight, " I said to myself. "They talk aboutfreedom, and drag me away as a slave; but I too mean to be free. "

From that moment the gloomy lookout ahead seemed to pass away, the veldtseeming glorious in the afternoon sunshine; and, cantering through theinvigorating air, I could have enjoyed my ride but for the constrainedposition in which I sat, and the dull pain in my arms and shoulders. Itried to forget this, and listened to the captain's words, for he grewmore and more loquacious. I gathered that he reckoned upon picking upother two young fellows of my own stamp at the farm twenty miles fromours; and I noted that, no matter what he said, his words were listenedto in gloomy silence or received with grunting monosyllables, while theBoers talked among themselves only about home and farming work or thesale of stock. More than once, too, I heard one of the men near mewonder how the housewife would be getting on with the beasts and sheep. The words were spoken in Boer Dutch; but in the course of years I hadbecome pretty well acquainted with the expressions of ordinary life. Thus it seemed as if the men were anything but contented followers oftheir noisy, vapouring leader. 

At last the farm was reached, and we halted for refreshment, spendingabout half-an-hour to water and feed the horses, during which time I wascarefully guarded. There was no opposition here. The two recruits tothe commando, as they termed it, had been duly served with notice, andwithin the time named they were ready with their horses, and armed; butwhen we made our start I could see with what surly unwillingness theytook their places in the rank, and noticed too that they were nearly asstrictly watched as I was. In fact, I saw them exchange glances afterreceiving a bullying order from Moriarty, and felt that it would nothave taken much to cause a display of temper on the part of therecruits. 

That, however, by the way: my thoughts were too much taken up with myown position to pay much heed to the two young Boers; for when we wereonce more on our route for our next stopping-place, where we were tohalt for the night, I felt that the time was rapidly approaching when Imust make my escape. I did not say to myself _try_ to make my escape, but to make it; for I had no fear of being unsuccessful. The night wascoming on fast, and I knew that there was no moon, which was all in myfavour; and, once free, all I had to do was to make straight for home--aride of perhaps thirty miles through the wild country, keeping away fromthe track, and with nothing to fear. Yes, there wore the lions, plentiful enough in the wilder parts; but the thought of them did notdamp me, for Sandho would soon give me warning if any were near, andcarry me well out of danger. 

Then there was the next day. I was to make for Echo Nek, and there, meet Joeboy, who would bear my father's instructions; but would Joeboybe there? My heart sank a little at the thought of how doubtful thiswas; but I soon cheered up again. At the worst it meant waiting a dayor two, for I should not venture, home. The Boers would ride back--ofthat I felt sure; then, thinking I should certainly seek for refuge withmy people, they would scour the country in search of me, and they mightsearch Echo Nek, though it was ten miles away. 

"Never mind, " I said to myself cheerily enough; "that all belongs towhat _may be_: let's think only of _will be_;" and I rode on, scanningthe track and keeping a good lookout from side to side for the likeliestspot for my attempt. I was still keenly watching when the shades ofevening darkened into night, and the right place had not yet come; therewere even moments when doubts began to creep in, for my arms grewacutely painful, and this thought worried me terribly: "Helpless as I amnow, and growing weary, shall I have the strength to carry out my plan?"I still had strength enough to drive out the doubting thought, andforced myself into watching eagerly for my chance, having pretty welldetermined what I would do first, trusting to the sudden surprise togive me a few moments' start. 

In vain I looked for such a sanctuary as a rocky pile of scatteredgranite would afford, for it had at last grown dark--a clear, semi-transparent darkness, through which I could see twenty or thirtyyards in any direction; beyond that distance everything rapidly grewblack. If I could at once get fifty yards away, there was apparentlyclear galloping ground, and distance would at any moment furnish me witha dark hiding-place. All I wanted was the start; but how to get it?

I had my big knife in my pocket; but I might as well have been withoutit, fastened as I was. So, though I thought and thought, I could see noway of dividing that rein; the idea of raising it to my teeth beingdismissed as an impossibility, as also of Sandho cutting it with his ownpowerful nip, for I knew the idea of communicating my desire to thehorse was absurd. "How to manage? How to manage?" I kept on saying tomyself. The idea would not come; and as it grew darker our canter gaveplace to a round trot, and soon after we steadied down to a walk. 

Suppose I suddenly made Sandho rear up? That would be easy, for I couldmake him rise on his hind-legs and fight with his fore. But what goodwould that do? No more than making him kick violently in alldirections, as he turned his fore-feet into a pivot upon which heturned, bringing his heels round to all points of the compass, anddelivering smashing blows with them. Splendid practice this when alitter of half-grown lions were trying to pull him down, but now notlikely to do more than bring down punishment upon the poor beast. 

Again and again I made up my mind to make him give a sudden bound; butthe chances were that it would not snap the rein, only cruelly drag thepoor fellow's mouth. And the minutes glided by, and the position grewmore and more hopeless. Then, suddenly, I seemed to see the onlypossible way of getting clear. We rode with long reins, my father andI, and I began to wonder why I had not thought of putting my plan inaction before. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

A DASH FOR LIBERTY. 

As I have said, one of my reins was unbuckled, passed over the horse'sneck, and buckled to the Boer's saddle-bow; and in consequence of thelength of the strap, it hung down in a long curve when we were riding afair distance apart, so I felt I had only to press my horse closealongside that of my companion to slacken the leather strap stillfurther. My plan was almost a forlorn hope; but I could think of noother, and determined to try it, even if, as would probably be the case, it meant no more than dragging me suddenly from the saddle, to fall andbe trampled among the horses' heels. Still, I was determined, and onlywaited now for the thrilling moment when I would try. 

We rode on for what seemed to me another mile, and still one momentseemed as good as another. I was ready to despair. Then the time came. The Boer at my side, having slung his cocked rifle over his shoulder, fumbled in the darkness for something. Guessing what my companion wasabout to do, with a slight pressure of my right leg I made Sandho edgegradually closer. I was quite right. He took out a big Dutch pipe anda pouch, proceeding to fill the bowl and press down the tobacco; and ashe worked so did I. Edging Sandho nearer and nearer, with my heartbeginning to beat with big, heavy throbs, I withdrew my left foot fromthe stirrup, lowered it down in front of the loosely-hanging rein, and, as soon as that was level with my ankle, twisted my foot again andagain, till the rein was three times round. Then I felt the drag uponthe Boer's saddle-bow, just as the man was getting a light; and at thatmoment my leg came in contact with his so suddenly that it jerked him, and the match he had struck went out. 

"Thunder and lightning!" he growled, kicking out to drive Sandho fartheraway, but missing him, for I had just thrust my toe back into thestirrup-iron and was pressing my horse away. 

The next minute scratch went another match, the bright light shining outfor a moment between us so that I could see the man's face plainly as heheld the burning splint between his hands on a level with his chin. Then it was out again, for with a loud, shrill cry I was urging Sandhoto make his great effort--one which, as I have said, meant eitherfreedom--if the escape of one bound as I was could be so regarded--orthe horse galloping away and leaving me to be trampled under foot. 

"_Ri_--_ri_--_ri_--_ri_--_ri_--_ri_!" I half-shrieked, and Sandho madea tremendous bound. There was a jerk at my left leg which nearlydragged me from the saddle, and then we were off and away, the horsetearing over the level plain out into the darkness; while close behind, after a momentary pause, I heard the trampling of horses and thehigh-pitched voice of the Irish leader yelling out orders. Then flashafter flash cut the darkness, and _crack, crack, crack_ came the reportsof the rifles, as the men fired in what they believed to be mydirection; but I heard no whistling bullet, and the firing ceased asquickly as it had begun, for there was the risk of my pursuersinflicting injury upon their fellows who led, and whom I could hearthundering along behind me, while with voice and knee I urged Sandho onat his greatest speed. 

A wild feeling of elation sent the blood dancing through my veins as weraced along, and I was ready to burst out into shout after shout oftriumph, for I was free! free! And away we went, I almost perfectlyhelpless, and knowing I must trust to my brave horse to carry me beyondthe reach of pursuit. 

_Throb, throb, throb_ went his hoofs on the soft earth, and _throb, throb, throb_ went my heart, during what seemed now like some wild, feverish dream in which I was careering onward through thesemi-transparent darkness, fully expecting every moment to see somegreat patch of brush or pile of loose granite loom up before us, to befollowed by a tremendous leap, a crash as we came to horrible grief, andthen insensibility; but nothing of the kind occurred, for I had chosenthe happiest moment for my attempt, and we were galloping over thealmost level veldt. But evidently guided by the beat of my horse'shoofs, the Boers were still in full chase, the deep thudding of theirtroopers sounding loud and clear. 

For a few minutes, in the wild excitement, I could think of nothing butwhispering words of encouragement to Sandho, as I lay right forward nowand pressed and caressed him with my legs; while, as I reached towardshis head, I could just make out the delicate ears, and see them laidback to listen to my words every time I spoke. 

Then a strange pain brought me more consciousness of my position. Itwas not the aching above my crippled wrists, but in my left leg, whichfelt strained and stretched as if on the rack, and for a few moments Ifancied my foot had been torn off at the ankle; but the next moment Iknew this was absurd, for I could rise in my stirrups. Still, I knew myleg was badly hurt, and that I must now endeavour to do something tofree my hands. 

All this time we were tearing along at racing pace, while with doggedobstinacy the Boers--ten or a dozen of them, I judged by the beating ofthe hoofs--had settled themselves to the pursuit, meaning to hunt medown as they would track some wounded eland trying its best for life. 

"This won't do, " I thought as I began to grow calmer, and listened. 

There they were, tearing along, far enough behind, but well on my track;and there was I, almost helpless, struggling to get my bonds undone, butonly giving myself more pain. 

The darkness was my only friend and refuge, and after a few moments'consideration I made up my mind what to do. At any moment the chasemight be at an end. Seven years on the veldt had taught me well therisks of a horseman, and I knew only too well what would happen ifSandho did not rise in time, or failed to clear some one of thethousands of scattered rocks; or he might plunge his foot in a hole madeby some burrowing animal, and come down crippled for life, while I wasflung over his head. Yes, the chase might come to an end at any moment, and all hope of reaching Echo Nek be gone; so, drawing a deep breath, Isteadied myself. Then I strained forward as far as I could reach, andspoke to Sandho, who uttered a whinnying snort and began to checkhimself. As soon as he had eased down into a canter I brought my leftleg to bear upon him, and an agonising pain shot up to my hip, turningme so faint that for a minute I was giddy and nearly lost my seat; butmy pressure upon his flank had caused him to amble on at right angles toour former course. As my head grew clearer I brought him down to awalk, and directly after stopped him short. I saw his ears twitching, and his head turned in the direction from whence came the heavy beat ofhoofs. This sound came closer and closer, and then swept past, as I satwith beating heart, mental distress being added to my bodily pain, forat any moment I knew Sandho might utter a neighing challenge to thepassing horses; but he was silent, and they passed at a swinging gallop, the sound soon growing fainter. I was beginning to breathe more freelywhen my agony was renewed; for the beating of hoofs was resumed, and Icould tell that the little troop of Boers was divided into two, and therisk had again to be encountered. 

I dared not whisper to Sandho for fear he should answer me in his ownway and reach round his soft, velvety muzzle to touch my expected hand, now so painfully held back. These seemed the worst, the most agonising, moments of my flight; and I felt sick with pain, too. If the horsewhinnied, all my desperate struggle would have been in vain; and I wasready in my anguish to ask whether it was worth while to go on with thedesperate attempt. 

All this time the horsemen came nearer and nearer. In my agitation itseemed they were not following the departing hoof-sounds in a directline, but riding in a curve which would bring them right over the spotwhere we stood. 

How long the moments are in such an emergency! The time seemed to mestretched out to an agonising length; but this second strain came to anend, and Sandho stood motionless, with his flanks heaving beneath me. Icould hear his breath come hard as the Boers galloped on abreast, closerand closer; and then the _thud, thud, thud_ grew less and less plain, till the sounds gradually became faint in the distance. I now feltready to spring from my saddle and go down in thankfulness upon myknees; but I dared not stir, for if I managed to throw myself down, Iknew perfectly well I could never get into the saddle again. 

CHAPTER SIX. 

NIGHT ON THE VELDT. 

I sat there in the chilly darkness, listening till the last sounds ofthe beating hoofs died out--began again--grew fainter--finally ceasedaltogether. Sandho stood perfectly still, with the painful heaving ofhis flanks gradually easing down. At last he uttered a low whinnyingsound, as if asking me why we did not go on; but I made no movement, spoke no word, only sat and listened for the return of the Boers. 

There was no sound, for my ruse had succeeded; and I was just beginningto try to rouse myself from a faint, half-swooning state, when my nervesreceived a fillip; for there in the distance rose the deep, barking roarof a lion, followed by a pause, and then from a different direction camethe horrible wailing howl of the unclean prowlers who follow the monarchof the desert to finish the remains of his feasts. 

Sandho stirred uneasily and drew a deep breath, which was followed bysomething strangely resembling a sigh. I knew it was time to move; and, shaking off a sensation of fast-approaching lethargy, I tried to get ridof the feeling of faintness, and only roused the sharp pain afresh. Still, that spurred me into effort; and as I pressed Sandho's sideslightly, he began to amble gently along, while I raised my eyes to thestars, and endeavoured to make out which way we were travelling. Therewas a soft mistiness in the great arch above me, and it was some minutesbefore I could pick out a few of the familiar stars; but at last I wascertain, and made out that the Boers had galloped on nearly due north, while Sandho's nose was pointed east. 

North meant home; and without doubt they would keep on in thatdirection, feeling sure that I should make for the farm. East meantgoing in the right direction for Echo Nek and the mountains, though Ishould have to bear off after a time towards the north-east. Anyhow, matters were so far in my favour, and I tried to sit firm in the saddleas I let the horse amble on at the pace which I had often compared toswinging in an easy-chair; but the movement was agony now, and my greatdread was lest I should faint and fall, for the suffering seemed greaterthan I could bear. 

In times of emergency--as I have often learned since--we are very poorjudges, whether as boys or men, of how much the human frame can bear. Thus, in spite of all I suffered, I kept in the saddle, while, in whatgradually seemed to grow into a horrible, fevered dream, my brave littlehorse ambled on and on, and later settled into a walk. He seemed alwaysto be aiming for one great dim star, which gave me encouragement; thenthe dread came over me that, from his steady pursuance of our journey, he must be making for home, and taking me right into the midst of myenemies. 

After a time he stopped short, and from the steady _crop, crop, crop_, Iknew he was amongst grass; and he grazed away long enough before movingon again at his old amble. Again he pulled up for another good longfeed, while I managed to find words to talk to him--foolishly, no doubt;but it helped me and kept off the feeling of pain and loneliness, seeming to give me strength, too, as I called him "Poor fellow, " andtold him how sorry I was I could not get down to rest him, and make hismeal pleasanter by unfastening the curb and taking out his bit. 

It was all folly perhaps; but my words were very earnest and true, and Ibelieve the poor, faithful slave liked to hear my voice, for every nowand then when I spoke he would cease cropping the rich grass, whosemoist odour rose pleasantly to my nostrils, and utter one of his lowwhinnying calls. 

"He is happy enough, " I thought, in my dull misery; "while I, sufferingas I do, would give anything for a mouthful of water. Oh!" I sighedaloud at last, "if this long night would only come to an end, and Icould reach a spruit. Just to get down and have one long drink, beforetrying to sleep and rest!"

As I said these words I felt that no sleep could possibly come to onesuffering such pain, and in desperation I once more made an effort tofree my hands, but only to set my teeth hard and utter a faint groan, for the pain I suffered in the act seemed to increase tenfold. 

I felt half-delirious and strange after that, or at least it seems sonow; but I have some recollection of Sandho going on, stopping to cropthe grass, and then going on again and again, till I found myself gazingstraight before me at a faint, dull light in the distance--a light whichincreased more and more, bringing with it a kind of feeling of hope thatthe long night of agony was coming to an end, for I knew I was gazingeastward, and that it would soon be day. 

Shortly afterwards I could see we were getting to the termination of theplain, for there were scattered blocks of stone, with mountains beyond;and something seemed to flash through me at the sight. "Stones, " I saidaloud; "of course! Why not some rough edge against which I can saw theraw-hide straps which bind my hands?"

There was a faint speck of orange light high up in the sky just then, and it seemed to be reflected somehow into my brain, making me see myway at last to a better state of things. Hope was coming with the newday, and the blackness of despair slowly dying out. 

With the sun rapidly brightening the sky, I urged Sandho forward, butonly at a walk, for he was weary and sluggish, and the slightestmovement beyond that pace brought back the sickening pain so intenselythat I believe if he had broken into a trot I should have fainted andfallen to the ground. By going gently, however, we gradually neared thewild and rocky portion beyond which the huge masses of stone towered upinto a mighty heap, forming one of the rough hills with precipitoussides known to the Dutch settlers as "kopjes" or "heads. "

I now began to revive more and more in the fresh, invigorating morningair, and carefully examined the open veldt away to the north and east insearch of the enemy; but not a living thing was visible. Then I turnedmy attention towards the rough ground in front and the kopje beyond, asI knew full well these were likely to be the home of other enemies, which on an ordinary occasion would retreat before an armed and mountedman; how they would behave towards one so completely helpless Ishuddered to think. Sandho, however, made no sign beyond raising hismuzzle again to sniff at the breeze we encountered; and when I calledupon him to halt, he lowered his head directly and began to crop therich grass growing amongst the stones. 

My intention now was to dismount; but I sat still, hesitating, andlooking away over the open veldt, fearing to alight, being fully awarehow helpless I should be and unequal to the task of remounting. 

However, it had to be done; so, pulling myself together, I drew my feetfrom the stirrups, and called upon Sandho to stand fast. Then, lyingforward till my face touched my steed's neck, I made a desperateeffort--quickly, for I could not trust my strength--drew my injured leftleg right up on to the horse's back, and lay there perfectly still for afew moments, suffering horribly from the pain of my overstrainedmuscles, before making another effort, and then dropped down on my rightfoot, dismounting on the wrong side of the horse, feeling, as I did so, everything give way. I had completely collapsed, and all was blank. Itmay have been an hour, or it may have been only a few minutes--possiblyonly seconds--passed before I opened my eyes and gazed up, wonderingwhat was the meaning of the soft, warm puffs of moist air, and what itwas that kept on snuffing at my face. 

"Sandho, old boy!" I said, gazing up in his great, soft eyes, and thewondering horse whinnied and then turned away to begin grazing oncemore; while I waited for the sick feeling from which I suffered to passoff, before trying to get up and find some sharp-edged stone againstwhich I could rub the raw-hide thong which bound my wrists. 

It was terrible work, and I had to make a severe call upon my couragebefore I made the first effort. For it was like this: I was quiteexhausted and in a state of semi-stupor, combined with drowsiness. Solong as I lay quite still my injuries felt dull and numbed; but at theslightest movement my arms and shoulders gave a burning, fiery pain, while my left leg and ankle shot out pangs almost unbearable. 

The effort had to be made, though; and, setting my teeth hard, I calledup all my powers of endurance, and after a severe struggle managed toget upon my knees. 

The pain now was excruciating; and, realising that my left leg must bebadly hurt, I made another effort before I was overcome again, gettingupon my feet and reeling towards a big upright mass of granite; butbefore I had taken half-a-dozen limping steps the whole scene began toglide round me, and I fell heavily, insensible once more. 

It is no easy task to rise to one's feet when lying with arms tightlybound behind the back. Think, then, what it must have been to onesuffering as I was--arms swollen and cut into by the leather thong, utterly exhausted, and with one leg rendered completely useless. 

Again I passed through that sickening phase of recovery from a swoon;and then it was some time before my senses would act, and I could fullygrasp the situation and understand I must once more make that sameeffort to rise. 

I was thoroughly desperate now; and as soon as I fully grasped myposition I made another attempt, turning over from my back, where I layin agony upon my swollen hands and wrists, on to my face. It wasimpossible to keep it back, and I uttered a low cry, which broughtSandho trotting towards me from where he was making a hearty meal. ThenI lay quite still, with the deathly sickness passing off once more, myheart beating heavily all the time and a feeling of thankfulness makingme glow; for there, as I lay face downwards, I knew that my helpless andswollen arms and hands were lying on either side, perfectly numb, butfree. In that last heavy fall, in trying to reach the stone, the thongmust have snapped, the dew-soaked raw leather falling loose; and now Ihad only to wait till the circulation and sense of feeling returned. 

The pain I suffered was still bad enough, but it seemed to be softenedby the feeling of joy which pervaded me; and soon after, Sandho havingwandered off again to graze, I heard a sound which nerved me to renewedefforts--the peculiar plashing made by a horse wading into a pebblystream. That was enough. A minute later I was struggling to reach thestone I had fought to gain before; and by its help I got upon my feet, when I saw Sandho some twenty yards away, standing in a depression bythe side of a perpendicular mass of rock, down whose side a spring ofwater gushed and ran off below the rock, to sink out of sight somedistance off. 

It was hard work, and the pain excessive; but I limped and shuffledalong till I was close to the stream, and then sank down again, to lieand drink and drink again of the sweet, pure water, every mouthfulgiving me renewed energy. 

I must have fallen asleep after dragging myself from the pool--aswoon-like sleep, from which I awoke in a confused, muddled state--onlygradually grasping my position and realising how long I must have beeninsensible, for the kopje above me was glowing as if on fire, bathed inthe glory which suffused the west. My horse was lying down a dozenyards away, with his head just raised; and in front, forming a charmingpicture, was a little herd of about a dozen graceful antelopes, somedrinking, some standing in the water, and another upon the top of a lowflat stone, with head erect and long horns gracefully curving over itsback as it kept a lookout for danger; a slight movement upon my part afew moments later making the beautiful animal utter a snort, and thenthe whole party were off like the wind. 

Their rush made Sandho spring to his feet with a neigh of alarm, andthen, as I made an effort and rose to a sitting position, he bounded upto me, whinnying with pleasure, and thrust his muzzle over my shoulder. 

To my delight, I found that, though painful and tender, the swelling ofmy arms and wrists had gone down; while much of the pain had left myleg, which was, however, stiff and helpless from the terrible wrench. 

My first movement was to get to the spring above where the little streamhad been trampled and discoloured by the antelopes; and after a gooddraught I stood up once more, feeling ready to attempt mounting again, and see if I could reach the spot my father had appointed for themeeting with Joeboy. I knew, too, from sundry symptoms, that I must bebetter--far better than I could have expected, for I was ravenouslyhungry; and as I realised this I could not keep back a laugh. A capitalsign this, though painful, for there was no chance of obtaining foodtill I could reach some farm; but I could recall no likely place on myway to the Nek, and so the hunger-pains had to be borne. 

Leaving Sandho browsing upon the rich grass near the spring in a daintyway, which, in combination with his appearance, suggested that he hadbeen feeding to his heart's content, I climbed over the rocks till Ireached the highest point of the kopje. There, lying down, I set myselfto carefully scan the open veldt in search of mounted men; till, satisfied there were none to be seen, I descended, mounted my horse, androde gently away, not suffering more than was to be expected after whatI had gone through. 

The country where I now was seemed fairly familiar, and I soon made outmountain-tops in the distance, which served as guides. One peak inparticular I marked down as lying to the left of Echo Nek, or at allevents near the gap in the mountains I was to reach; and towards thisSandho ambled for another hour, when the night began to close in fast. After marking down the direction of the peak as well as I could beforethe light died out on the misty horizon, I waited till it was quitedark, then I selected a star which I calculated was just over where Ihad last seen the peak, and once more rode on for what must have beenthree hours; but then, concluding that to ride farther might possiblymean going astray, I walked my horse till a tolerably suitable spotoffered itself for a halting-place till daylight, where I off-saddledSandho, turned him loose to graze, and settled myself down in a patch ofthorny bush to pass the night as I could. 

I longed to light a fire to keep off lions; but in avoiding one enemy Ifelt I might be attracting another; for if there were Boers anywhere inthe neighbourhood they would be certain to ride up, and then all myefforts would prove to have been in vain. Hence there was nothing forit but to take the risk. 

The night was glorious though cold, for I had been imperceptibly risinginto high ground. The stars sparkled as if there was frost; but I hadno eyes for the beauty of the scene, hemmed in as I was by enemies. Twice over I shivered as to the fate of poor Sandho, the deep, mutteringroar of the lions seeming to make the ground tremble and the airvibrate. If they scented my horse and drew near I was perfectlydefenceless, and could do nothing to save the poor beast. So alarmeddid I grow at last upon his account that I determined to risk beingseen, and hurriedly began to collect scraps of dead wood, twigs, andsuch pieces of dry grass as were likely to burn. I did not stop to findmany; but, startled by a loud barking roar that, in my nervous state, sounded very near, I knelt down and struck a match, holding it wellsheltered with my hands till the splint was fully alight, and thenstarted the grass and wood. Fortunately these were thoroughly dry andcaught readily; but the quantity was very small, and the blaze a meretrifle compared with what I wished to obtain. So, as actively as I wasable, I started collecting everything I could, and carefully piled itup; but with small success, for I had to depend entirely upon my handsto break off scraps, and they burned away almost as fast as I couldreach the fire. 

I had just thrown on as much as I could hug to my breast when I wasstartled by a heavy breathing; and, turning sharply, for a moment or twoI was certain that one of the fierce beasts had crept up. There, only afew feet away, were a pair of glistening eyes reflecting the fitfulflames, and I began to back so as to get the fire between me and my foe. 

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

MY NOCTURNAL VISITOR. 

As I moved it moved too; and I dimly saw the outstretched head and body, as I supposed, of a monstrous lion about to spring, when, the firehaving flashed up more brightly, I uttered a gasp of relief. It wasSandho, who had come quietly up to the fire for company and protection. 

I worked the harder then, and kept on hour after hour, having to takelonger and longer journeys as I exhausted the supply close at hand; andall the time I was perfectly conscious that lions were near, prowlinground our little apology for a camp so as to spring upon the horse andpull him down. Every time I started for more fuel I expected to hear aroar and feel one of the savage creatures spring upon me; but the nightwore on, with the fire giving a steadier glow as the time passed. Isuppose the fact of my keeping up a hurried movement, making a desperaterush here and there, with the light from the fire throwing up my figureplainly, was too much for the great cats, and they feared to attack. Whatever it was, they were kept at bay; and daybreak found me thoroughlyexhausted, the last growl having died out, the light showing the greatsoft footprints of our enemies round and round the clump of bushes, crossing and recrossing, and suggesting that there had been a party offour--an old lioness and her nearly full-grown cubs. 

It was a narrow escape; and, as if only too glad to get away from sodangerous a spot, Sandho so fidgeted to start that I had hard work tosecure the broken end of his rein to the ring of the bit withoutshortening it so much that I could not hold it in my hand. 

I took a good look round, however, before starting, and it was well Idid so, for, clearly seen now in the level sunbeams away to the north, there was a party of horsemen riding in my direction, and discoveryseemed certain, even if I had not already been seen. 

My first idea was to spring into the saddle and gallop off; but I was inno condition for springing into my saddle. Crippled as I was, it meanta slow and painful climb, and then in all probability the utmost I coulddo would be to walk my horse slowly away. 

To mount, lie down, and urge the horse round to the back of the clump ofbushes which had formed my shelter during the past night, and thencautiously strike off straight away towards the mountains at a walk, doing my best to keep the shelter of scrub between me and the enemy, seemed the wiser plan, and this I put into execution. 

I had several things in my favour by doing this: the distance between meand the horsemen was great; and I felt certain that, if it were aportion of the captain's troop, they had no glass of any kind. If theycaught sight of me in making my retreat, they would only fancy they sawthe figure of some peculiar, humpbacked-looking animal; and on makingfor the mountains my position upon Sandho's back would never lead themto suppose it was a horse bearing a rider. This supposition, too, wouldbe helped by the fact that there were still little herds and singlewanderers, the relics of the vast hosts of antelopes of various species, from the tiny gazelle-like animals up through the clumsy hartebeeste andwildebeeste to the huge eland; and at a distance I felt it possible thatmyself and steed might be taken for one of these. 

While thinking thus, and going through a painful struggle to get upon myhorse properly, it seemed to me that the party were visibly comingnearer; but, hidden as we were by the bushes, I could see, from where Ilay on my horse's back, as I turned my eyes in their direction, that sofar I was not discovered. The crucial test, however, was yet to come;for, though I could keep Sandho out of sight for half a mile possibly, the land was gradually rising, and in that distance or less, I knew, weshould stand out plainly in the clear air. Then, if seen, suffer what Imight, I was determined to urge my horse on to his greatest speed, leaving the rest to fate. 

I had no trouble with my well-trained steed, which obeyed every word orpressure; and with eyes so turned that I could keep the bush between us, I guided Sandho on till, as I had anticipated, the party of mounted mencame gradually into view--first only the men, but soon after theirhorses. So far, they were going only at a walk, to pass the trackdiagonally to my course and some distance away. 

As they were so visible, I felt they must soon see me, and tried hard toefface myself as much as possible, knowing that my dusky-brownish, homespun breeches, flannel shirt, and tanned high boots must assimilatewell with the coat of my chestnut horse, and this cheered me a little. 

Then, suddenly, I knew I was seen, for one of the men drew rein, lettingthe others go on a few horse-lengths before; and, as if in answer to asummons from the man behind, the rest of the party halted and sat gazingin my direction. 

The next minute the man who had halted by himself now dismounted, and Isaw a gleaming light glance from where he stood and then dropped down. It was too far off for me to see distinctly; but knowledge supplied whatmy eyes failed to grasp, and I knew the gleam was from his rifle-barrelreflecting the sun's rays, and the man's attitude that of one about totry a long shot at the uncouth animal in view beyond the thorny scrub. 

There is an old-fashioned saying about people's feelings in criticalmoments: that their hearts stood still. Now, I don't believe for amoment that mine ceased to beat; but it certainly felt as if it did, while I lay rising and falling, yielding to Sandho's movements, andgazing straight back at the little hole which I knew must be pointedstraight at me--invisible, of course; but the little puff of white smokewhich suddenly jetted into the air was plain enough to my eyes, and sowas the peculiar buzzing sound to my ears as the bullet passed over melike some strange bee in a violent hurry to reach its hive. Then camethe sharp crack as of a sjambok wielded by a strong and well-accustomedarm. 

"A miss, and no wonder!" I exclaimed; and I suppose I must have startedand given Sandho a familiar pressure, or else it was the instinct ofself-preservation at work in the sensible animal, for he suddenly made abound forward so unexpectedly that I was nearly unseated; but my armswere now free, and, reaching down and getting tight hold of his leathernbreastplate, I held on and let him go. The instinct ofself-preservation was also strongly to the fore in me, and I lay fullyexpecting to hear the whizzing of half-a-dozen more bullets and thecracking of the rifles, since naturally I could see nothing then, myface lying against the horse's neck, as he bounded on at an easy gallop. 

Were the enemy in pursuit?

I strained my hearing, but I could make out nothing more than theregular beat of my horse's hoofs; while, as no shots came, I feltcertain they had made out my figure and were coming on in full chase. 

"They'll have a long one, " I thought; for, though I was in great pain, Ifound, to my intense delight, that I could accommodate myself toSandho's long swinging gallop as he spurned the soft loose earth behindhim, the ascent being exceedingly slight; and we were progressing in aseries of antelope-like bounds. 

At last, after galloping for quite ten minutes, something in front madeSandho swerve round to the left; and, before raising my head to see whatit was, I turned my face sidewise so as to get a glance back at mypursuers, and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that no Boers werethere. It was not until I raised my head a little to gaze back in theother direction that I could see them far away in the distance, evidently pursuing the course they had followed before the incidents ofthe halt and shot occurred. 

Now I held on tightly and raised my head, endeavouring to make out whymy horse had swerved. There it was plain enough: another of the stonykops which rose up to block our way had forced him to gallop along theunencumbered ground at the foot of a great line of hills, beyond whichwas the peak I had marked down as being in the neighbourhood of EchoNek. 

Unfortunately the land here was all strange to me, my journeys neverhaving led me so far on this side of the mountains. Still, I felt Imust be going in the direction of the Nek, and that sooner or later Ishould come to some valley into which I could strike off to the right, and get through and round by the peak beyond which I now certainlybelieved Echo Nek must be. 

I made no effort to check Sandho, who was keeping on nearly levelground, but now raised myself upright in the saddle to watch for thatwhich I had forgotten during the time I was in danger, but now that Iwas comparatively safe seemed to be the very first thing I should seek. 

Many hours had now passed since, I had broken my fast; and at eighteenthe desire for food is a tyrant against which no growing boy or youngman can fight. But no. To my right were the rugged, barren hillsundotted by bullock or sheep; to the left a far-spreading stretch ofunfertile veldt; and though I cantered on for another full hour not ahomestead came into sight. 

At last, however, I saw a break in the continuous ridge of hills on myright, and eased Sandho down into his gentle amble, not willing to presshim hard, for I knew that at any minute I might be obliged to urge himto his greatest speed. 

In another half-hour we were bearing off to the right, for the hills hadopened into a broad valley, at the head of which the great peak I hadseen now rose up as if to block the way; and in spite of my hunger Ifelt lighter-hearted, for I was getting sure of my bearings. Yes, therebeyond the shoulder of the peak was the crag just below which lay EchoNek only a few miles away, not more than an hour's canter along thefairly even valley, and then--Oh, if Joeboy should not be there!

"He must; he is sure to be, " I said half-aloud. "Even if he were notthere, father would know how I should be pressed for food, and be therehimself. "

This was an encouraging and cheering thought; and, inspired with freshhope, I rode on, wondering that, though the veldt looked so unpromising, some one had not taken up land, if only in the hope of finding mineralswhere the soil forbade the fruits of fertile earth; but no. All wasbarren and strange; even the granite blocks and kops were rare, and Ilooked still in vain for some sign of human habitation, some track ofwheel or print of foot. The last I did begin to see now; but they werenot the prints of ironshod hoofs, only those of antelopes, large andsmall, and not too frequent. Still, here was sign; and as I looked moreclosely I twice saw the soft round prints of the great sand-colouredcats, and my eyes began now to roam afield in the expectation of perhapsseeing those which had made the marks. No; the open valley that twentyor thirty years earlier might have been alive with game was absolutelydesolate; not one of the vast herds which used to roam there, as the oldBoers had often told me, was to be seen. 

There was nothing whatever to break the long slopes of sand-colouredsoil. 

Ah! what was that on the ridge to my left, which ran down till it lostitself in the open bottom of the valley along which Sandho gentlycantered? Some white-feathered and familiar birds, displaying theirsoft plumes, which looked ostrich-like in the distance. What could itbe? I knew no bird, in spite of my wanderings, that ever looked likethat. Still, a bird was a bird, and game, and the thought of game atsuch a time was glorious; but my spirits sank again, for I had noweapon, and then the grapes seemed to be sour. 

"It isn't a bird; only a feather or two dropped by some old cockostrich, " I said aloud. 

No. The feathers began to rise from the edge of the ridge, and therewas a black face beneath them, then the broad breast, and finally thefull figure of a stalwart Kaffir warrior, his thin arms and anklesornamented with wool, his savage panoply of shield and assagai in hisleft hand, and his eyes shaded by his right hand, which cut straightacross his forehead just below the fillet holding the three whiteostrich feathers. He was evidently watching me. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

PERILS WHICH GROW. 

Upon making out what was before me, the little I had heard about the warrushed across my mind, and I saw at once that, catching the infection, at least one of the native tribes which had been disarmed, and werepreviously living at peace, had broken out, seizing the opportunity oftheir Dutch and English masters being at enmity to take one side or theother, possibly with some vague idea that they would thus regain theirindependence. 

What this warrior might be I could not tell at a distance, for he mightprove a Zulu still smarting under the defeat inflicted upon his nationby the British, or a Swazi who bitterly hated the Boers for their brutaltreatment during the past. 

I felt I ought to be able to tell at once by his appearance; but myknowledge was, after all, imperfect, and I certainly could not at adistance make out to what nation the man belonged. 

I had not long time for consideration, as Sandho was steadily carryingme nearer; but I decided to go as close as I could without gettingwithin range of an assagai; for it was worth some risk to get in touchwith a friendly native in my emergency, since I knew he would try all hecould to furnish me with food. 

So I rode slowly on, straining my eyes the while to scan the variouspoints in his slight dress, but keeping a sharp lookout right and leftto make sure that his companions, if he had any, were not, after theirfashion, crawling along under cover to outflank me. However, all seemedsafe, for there was no cover on either side; but below the blackwarrior, and behind the ridge, there was ample space for a couple ofhundred of his kin to be lying out of sight, ready at a signal to springup and make a furious onslaught. 

"And turn me into a sort of human pin-cushion, which they would fillwith their assagais, " I said half-aloud. "That wouldn't do, Sandho, oldboy; so be ready to gallop off when I pull your rein. "

My horse threw up his head and laid back his ears, beginning to boundoff at once; but I checked him. 

"Not yet, old boy; not yet. When I give the word you must make ahalf-turn, and we must try and circumvent them--if it is them, and notonly one. --How near dare I go?" I asked myself; and I decided thatforty yards would be as far as I ought to venture, being of course wellon the _qui vive_. 

The black--Swazi or Zulu--looked a terribly formidable enemy as he stoodabove me, clearly seen against the sky, and I was beginning to feel thatI must not go much farther; but I was still in the dark as to what hemight be, friend or enemy, when he mystified me still further bysuddenly striking an attitude, standing as if suddenly turned into abronze figure defying some one on his right. Directly after, he dashedinto a kind of war-dance, advancing, retreating, throwing imaginaryassagais at invisible foes, and then coming apparently to closequarters, screening his body with his long elliptic shield, and stabbingaway at men standing and others falling all around. 

I need hardly say I drew rein at once and sat ready to urge Sandho tohis greatest speed at a moment's notice, for I felt that theseevolutions might either mean defiance and a display of what he would doto me when I came within reach, or a feint to show his friendliness. 

I cast the latter idea aside at once, and came to the conclusion that mywarlike gentleman was on the watch for an opportunity to dash in afterthrowing me off my guard, and then I knew only too well what wouldhappen--that which had befallen many an unfortunate settler in the past:a couple of small assagais darted at him like lightning, and the throwerrushing in after them with his stabbing weapon, followed by the fataltermination. 

Still the grotesque dance went on, yet I felt pretty safe, for I wasfully fifty yards distant, and had often proved Sandho in encounterswith wild beasts; so I had no doubt of getting away in time when thesavage made his rush which was certainly coming, as I saw the litheactor was gradually working himself up to a sufficient pitch ofexcitement. His eyes were rolling, his powerful black limbs shone, andhe darted here and there, leaping in the air to deliver some thrust withgreater effect, and generally carrying on in a way that would have mademe burst into a hearty fit of contemptuous laughter at the childishexhibition, evidently meant to impress me with the fellow's greatbravery, had there not been, as I well knew, so terribly bloodthirsty anelement beneath it all. 

"There, Sandho, " I said softly as I leaned forward to stroke my horse'ssoft arching neck, "I think we've had enough of the idiot's nonsense, and we'll go. "

I was in the act of saying these words, keenly watching all round fordanger, as well as beyond the bounding black in the full expectation ofcatching sight at any moment of the plumed heads of a party of hiscompanions rising above the ridge, when, as if in a final effort or anattempt at a climax to the weirdly absurd performance, the black warriorproceeded to finish off with the slaying of about a dozen invisibleenemies around him. Bang went his stabbing assagai against his shield, and then _stab, stab, stab_, when he turned upon his feet as if upon apivot, darting his weapon as if he were some fierce creature armed witha terrible sting. I seemed to see in imagination an enemy go down atevery thrust; a strange thrill of horror ran through me, and an awfulkind of fascination held me seated there on my horse, as the blackwarrior stabbed away till his back was completely turned to me and hedelivered a tremendous thrust, uttering a horrible yell. Then I burstout into a hysterical peal of laughter, and nearly fell out of thesaddle. 

Why? Because never was anything more absurd. The warrior's face wasaverted, and the long elliptically-shaped shield no longer covered thegreater part of his person; and though I had failed in recognitionbefore, I knew him now by the tremendously cut-down trousers he wore. 

"Go on, Sandho, " I said, and my horse walked gently forward, while theactor gave three or four more thrusts to kill the rest of the dozeninvisible enemies, bringing himself face to face with me; and afterleaping high in the air, uttering a triumphant yell, he grinned at mefrom ear to ear, as he breathlessly cried:

"'At's a way kill um all, Boss Val. "

For it was Joeboy on the war-path, ready in his own opinion to slay allthe Boers in the state. 

CHAPTER NINE. 

THE FRIEND IN NEED. 

"Why, Joeboy, " I cried, wiping my eyes, "you're splendid. But where'sEcho Nek?"

"Dah!" he said, pointing behind him with the dangerous-looking assagaihe carried. 

"Did you see me coming?"

He nodded, it being one of his habits to say as little in English as hecould. 

"Tell me: have you got anything to eat?" I said. "I'm starving. "

He darted back to the other side of the ridge, and came back with thestrap of a big canvas satchel over his shoulder, the bag-part lookingbulky in the extreme. 

"Um Tant Jenny, " he said, frowning, as he shook the satchel, and thenproceeded to scrape off with the blade of his stabbing-assagai the largeants which had scented the contents and were swarming to the attack. "Is there any water near?" I asked. 

"Um, " said Joeboy, pointing towards the other side of the ridge. 

"Then there will be grass too, " I said. "Go on, and show the way. Quick!"

The great black nodded and went off at a trot, taking me over the ridgeand down a steep slope into a large gap in the side of the hill; and aquarter of an hour later we were alongside a bubbling stream, wherelong, rich, juicy grass grew in abundance. 

Directly after Sandho was grazing contentedly; and when I had drunk fromthe pure fresh water, I was devouring rather than eating the magnifiedsalt-beef sandwiches of which the satchel contained ample store, whileJoeboy grinned to see the way in which one disappeared. 

"Catch hold, " I said, pushing a great sandwich towards my blackcompanion; but he shook his head and shrank away. 

"Tant Jenny say all young Boss Val, " he said, and then he laughed anddisplayed a large packet carefully fastened to the inside of his shield. This packet he opened, took out a sandwich similar to mine, thensquatted down and began to eat. 

"Joeboy had plenty yes'day, " he said, and he gave his front a circularrub as if to suggest that it was still fairly stored, after which hewent on munching slowly as if to keep me company. 

"Now, " I said after eating a few mouthfuls, "what did my father say?"

"Big Boss say Joeboy go Echo Nek. Stop till son Val come. "

"Is that all?" I said wonderingly. 

"Yes; all Boss say. "

As he spoke, however, Joeboy laid his sandwich upon the shield besidehim, and then began to fumble behind him in the band of his cut-downtrousers, out of a leopard-skin pocket attached to which he drew apacket of common leather tied up with a slip of the same. 

I opened the leather packet with trembling fingers, and found a letter, which I eagerly read:

"Dear Val, --I take it for granted, my boy, that you will escape fromthose ruffians and be lying in wait for my message. I find, though, that Joeboy is missing, and if he does not return I shall have to comeand meet you myself, and then I can tell you what to do. I will, however, write this in the hope that I can send it, as I do not want toleave your aunt and Bob, for there is much to do, burying and hiding afew valuables in case we are ever able to come back. "

"Oh!" I exclaimed, and Joeboy half-sprang to his feet, but subsided asI went on:

"War has broken out, the Boers having defied the British Government. Ithas, of course, all been a surprise to me; but the news is coming infast. Hodson has been here, and he tells me the English are allreceiving orders to go. It is ruin to us, and after making such a home;but, God help us! we must do our best. 

"Of course you cannot serve against your own countrymen, and I don'tlike your having anything to do with the horrible business; but if youfeel that you must join in with our people and act as a volunteeragainst what is a cruel tyranny, I know you will act like a man. 

"I can write no more, and Heaven knows when we may meet again. I shallmake for Natal, of course, with as much as I can save out of the wreck--that is, as much as the enemy will let me carry off. Perhaps, though, that will be nothing; and I must be content with getting away with ourlives, for I hear that the blacks are getting uneasy, as if they smeltblood; and Heaven knows what may happen if they break out, for the whiteman is their natural enemy in their eyes, and, friends now, they may beour foes to-morrow. 

"God bless and protect you, my boy! Aunt Jenny's dear love to you, andshe is going to help me to hold Bob in, for the young dog is mad to comeafter you. 

"Your father, in the dear old home he is about to quit, perhaps forever. 

"John Moray. 

"_PS_:--Good news, my boy. Joeboy has just come back, in full fightingfig. He will bring this, and some provision for a day or two. I feelsure you may trust him. He has been showing me what he would do to anyone who tried to hurt young Boss Val. He is like a big child; but he istrue as steel. Good-bye. 

"Heaven be with you, my boy!"

That last line was in Aunt Jenny's handwriting, and there were bigblotches on the paper where the ink had run, and over them came a fewlines in Bob's clumsy hand:

"Val, old chap, the dad says I'm not to come along with Joeboy to join. I told him it was a shame, for I felt in a passion, and he knocked medown. 

"That's only my larks. He did knock me down, but not with his fist orthe handle of a--I don't know how you spell it; but I mean chambock. Heknocked me over with what he said. He told me it was my duty to stopand help him and auntie. He might want me to fight for him and her. Ifhe does, I'll shove in two cartridges--I mean only one bullet; and Idon't care if the old rifle kicks till she breaks my collar-bone. Imean to let the Boers have it for coming and upsetting us. I never knewhow nice dear old home was before. Old--"

That was the bottom of the paper; but upon turning it over, there at thevery top on the other side, and in the left-hand corner above the word"Val, " where my father had begun, was the word "Beasts, " which I hadpassed over unnoticed as being part of some memorandum on the paper whenmy father took it up hurriedly to write. 

I always was a weak, emotional sort of fellow--perhaps it was due to theclimate, and my having had the fever when we first came there--and thewriting looked very dim and blurry before my eyes; and yet I feltinclined to laugh over what Bob had scribbled. I did laugh when my eyesgrew clear again, for Bob had, apparently at the last, taken up the pento write along the edge of the paper, and so badly that it was hard toread:

"I say, Joeboy looks fizzing. He's been oiling himself over to make himgo easy, and sharpening his saygays with the scythe-rubber. "

"And so there's to be no more home, " I said softly as I carefully foldedup the paper and placed it in my breast. Then somehow the terriblefeeling of hunger died out, and I only drank some more water. 

"Boss Val eat lot, " said Joeboy, his voice making me start. 

"No more, now, Joeboy, " I said. "I'll wait a bit. "

"Wait a bit, " he said, nodding his head, and then carefully replacingwhat I had left in the satchel. 

"Fasten that to the back of my saddle, " I said. 

"Um! Joeboy carry. "

"No, no, " I replied. "We must part now, Joeboy. I can't go back home, nor stay here. "

Joeboy shook his head. 

"No stop, " he said. "All bad. "

"You don't understand, " I said. 

"Um!" he said, nodding. "Joeboy know. Boss Val fight Boers. "

"Perhaps; but you must go back and help my father if he has to leave thefarm. "

There was another shake of the head and a frown; then a silence, duringwhich the great black seemed to be thinking out what he was to say inEnglish to make his meaning clear. At last it came as he sat there withhis shield on one side, his assagais on the other; and, to my surprise, he took up the big stabbing weapon and one of the light throwing-shaftsbefore touching me on the chest with a finger. 

"Boss John big boss, " he said solemnly. "Boss Val little boss;" and heheld up the two spears to illustrate his words. "Big boss say, `Go'long my boy. ' Little boss say, `Go 'long my dad. ' Joeboy say, `Don'tcar'; shan't go. Got to go 'long Boss Val. '"

"My father told you this?"

"Um!" said the great fellow; "dat's all right. "

"But you would be so much use to my father, Joe, to manage the bullocksin the wagon. "

"No, " he said. "No bullock. Boer boy take 'em all away. Boss John nogot nothing soon. "

"You are sure my father said you were to go with me, Joeboy?" I saidafter a few minutes' pause. 

"Um, " he said, nodding his head fiercely. "Say, `Take care my boy, Joeboy. ' Joeboy take care Boss Val. "

He caught up his shield and sprang to his feet, with the assagaistrembling in his big hand, looking as if he could be a terribleadversary in a close conflict, though helpless against modern weapons ofwar. 

This thought made me think of myself and my own position. 

"Very well, Joeboy. I say you shall come with me. "

He nodded. 

"But you'll have to lend me one of your assagais till I can get arifle. "

"Boss Val got rifle gun, " he said sharply. 

"Where? No; I have only my knife. "

Joeboy laughed, and ran to the side of the rift, where he began toscratch in the sand, and a few inches down laid bare the muzzle of myrifle, gave it a tug, and it came out with the well-filled bandolierattached. 

I caught at it with a cry of eager joy, and began to carefully dust awayevery particle of sand that clung to it before slipping on the belt, forgetting the aching pains in my wrists and left leg, as something likea glow of confidence ran through me. Then came back the thought ofhome, with its smiling fields, orchard, and garden around the house wehad raised upon the land won from the wilderness; and the thought that Iwas to be exiled from it all in consequence of this war; and theinjustice of the Boers raised a spirit of anger against them whichhelped me to pull myself together and frowningly resolve to prove myselfa man. 

"Action, action, " I muttered. "I should have liked to go back and seethem all again; but I must begin at once, before I am taken. What wouldthey do with me?" I said aloud; and a glance at Joeboy's face showed methat, awkward though he was at speaking, he comprehended every word Ihad said. 

"Big Boss Boer, " he said, nodding, "say Boss Val come fight. No BossVal fight? _Whish, whish, whish, crack, cruck_!"

He went through the movement of one wielding a bullock-lash, andimitated the sound it made through the air and the loud cracking when itstruck home upon quivering flesh. Then he went on, "Boss Val no fightnow! _Bang, bang_!"

"Flog me the first time I refuse, Joeboy, and shoot me the next time. "

"Um. "

"Well, then, we will not give them the chance. "

Joeboy shook his head violently. 

"What Joeboy do now, Boss?"

"Rub my wrists, Joeboy, " I said, stripping up my sleeves and showing himtheir bruised state and my swollen arms. 

He understood why they were so, and took first one and then the other inhis big soft grey palms, to mould and knead and rub them with untiringpatience for long enough, the effect being pleasurable in the extreme. 

But I checked him when he was in the midst of it, and pointed to my leg. 

"Boer tie up leg?" he said wonderingly. 

I explained what was wrong, and he knelt before me, carefully removingmy laced-up boot, and giving me sickening pain as he drew off my coarsehome-knitted stocking, to lay bare the wrenched and swollen foot andankle. 

"Um!" he said. "Boss Val come to water. "

He lifted me to the edge of the stream as easily as if I had been achild, and when I sat down, carefully bathed the joint for fullyhalf-an-hour, dried it by pouring sand over it again and again, and thenas tenderly as a woman replaced stocking and boot, which latter he lacedvery loosely. 

"Boss Val go one leg when off Sandho. "

"Yes, Joeboy, " I said; "but it will soon get better. "

"Um!" he said, and he looked at me inquiringly, as if for orders. 

"Now we must be off, Joeboy, before the Boers hunt me out. "

"Um!" he said, in token of assent; and upon my calling Sandho to my sideJoeboy helped me to mount, securing the satchel to my saddle inobedience to my orders; and, making for Echo Nek, we went steadily on, my intention being to get through the pass and some distance on theother side towards the Natal border before dark. 

"We shall know the road better there, Joeboy, " I said after we had beenwalking some time; "it all seems strange to me here. "

"Joeboy know, " he said. 

"What! the way about here?" I said, in surprise. "When did you come?"

"Long while, " he replied. "Lost bullock. Come here. "

"Oh!"--then I remembered. "Of course. You were gone a fortnight. "

"Um!" said Joeboy. 

"And my father thought you had run away, and that we should never seeyou again. "

"How Joeboy run away? Bullock no run. Run other way. "

"Yes, " I said, laughing; "they are always ready to go in the wrongdirection. Do you know"--I was going to say something about the risingof one of the rivers up in the mountains somewhere near, but I stoppedshort, for my companion suddenly darted to Sandho's head and pressed himsidewise towards a pile of rocks which offered plenty of shelter fromanything in front. 

"What is it, Joeboy?" I said. "A good shot at something?"

For answer he pointed upward at the rocks beside the pass which went bythe name of Echo Nek--the place which we had nearly reached, this greatgap in the mountains being the only spot for many miles on either sidewhere a horse could cross. As to wagons, a far greater detour wasnecessary to find a road. 

I looked in the direction he pointed out, but for some moments I couldsee nothing. Then a faint gleam from something moving gave me warningof what had taken place, and directly after I caught sight of the bearerof the rifle from whose barrel the sunlight had flashed. 

CHAPTER TEN. 

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET. 

Under other circumstances I should have leaped down from my horse andcrouched; but my leg had grown still and cold, so I sat perfectlymotionless, trying to make out some plan of action I might follow out. To my dismay, the Boers had been quicker than I had given them creditfor, and had, so to speak, shut the principal gate in the huge wallwhich in that particular part closed in their country from Natal. Theman I had seen was doubtless one of their outposts, and for aught I knewto the contrary the pass might be held by hundreds of the sturdyburghers, every man a born rifleman. To go back by the way I came meantrunning into the arms of those who were scouring the country to retakeme, while to make a detour and get round to the other side of theopening meant getting farther into the Boer country, the more populouspart, where their troops would for certain now be on the move. 

It seemed there was no going backward; and upon turning to look atJoeboy he showed he was of the same opinion. "No go back, " he said;"all Boer. Wait till sun gone. "

"And try to steal through the pass then, " I said eagerly, "in the dark?"

"Um!" he said. "All dark. No see Boss Val; no see horse. "

"But they'll hear his hoofs. There are sure to be plenty of sentries. "

"Um, plenty much Boer. Go soft, soft. Then Sandho gallop. "

"And what about you?" I said, as I grasped that he meant we were tosteal along softly in the darkness till we were heard, and then that Iwas to gallop. "What about you?"

"Joeboy hold stirrup and run, " he said, with a laugh. "Boer better getout o' way. "

This seemed to be our only road out of the difficulty, and I carefullydismounted, Joeboy leading the horse farther in amongst what was nowbecoming a chaotic wilderness of stones; and here, pretty well hidden, but quite open to discovery by a wandering party of Boers at any time, we sat down to wait, listening to the steady _crop, crop_, as Sandhocalmly set to work to improve the occasion on grass. 

As far as I could make out, the sentry we had seen was about a fifth ofa mile distant; but in all probability there were others perched up onthe lookout in various points of vantage high on either side of thepass; while those below, I felt sure now, would be in strong force, fulfilling the double duty of preventing English settlers from passingout of the country save as the Boers pleased, and defending the place. 

"All Boer, " he said, pointing in various directions. "Can't go. Wait. "

"Yes, " I said; "we must wait till it is dark. "

"Boss Val wait. Sandho eat and rest, " he said. "Boss lie down. "

"No, " I replied. "I must sit here and watch. You lie down now. "

"Boss Val lie down, " said the black, shaking his head. "Boer see um. "

"Well, they'll see you, " I said. 

"Um!" he replied, with a nod. "Only black man. See Boss Val; come andcatch um. "

It was my turn to nod now, for his meaning was plain. If the Boers sawme, my chances of escape were gone; while if by ill-luck they caughtnight of him, the probability was that they would not trouble themselvesabout a solitary Kaffir. 

"You are right, Joeboy, " I said. "I'll keep hidden till it grows dark. "

"Um!" he said softly; "get dark. Then not see Boss Val. Joeboy go andlook how many. "

I was about to oppose this part of his plan, but upon second thoughts Idid not, but selected a better spot for my hiding-place by creepingamong the stones towards where Sandho was grazing, so as to keep himwell under my observation for fear he should stray too far, and not bewithin reach should danger arise. There he was, in a snug nook wherethe grass grew thickly consequent upon there being suggestions of atrickling spring. The spot was well surrounded, too, by stones, whichon three sides fenced him in, and between two of these, and with alarger one to form a support for my back, I settled myself ascomfortably as I could, for my leg was still very painful and my armsached terribly. In fact, I was so weary now the time for action wasover that I was quite content to subside, and sit leaning back watchingthe black while he crawled on hands and knees to Sandho, who suddenlyraised his head with a start at Joeboy's approach; but on seeing who itwas, he uttered a low whinnying sound and went on cropping the grassonce more, paying no further heed to the black, who proceeded to hobble, his two fore-legs to keep him from going too far, and then returned tome. 

"No go away now, " whispered Joeboy. 

"It wasn't necessary, " I said. "I shall watch him. "

"Um!" said the black, and then he pointed in the way he intended to go, laid the shield and two throwing-assagais by me, and then went rapidlyoff on all-fours, trotting like a huge black dog. 

I watched till he disappeared among the stones between me and thesentry, and twice I caught sight of him again, or rather, I should say, of his back; but only for a moment or two, and then he was gone, while Ilet my eyes rest again upon the spot where I had last seen the sentry. Then I watched my horse, and afterwards began to take more note of mysurroundings. 

It did not take long. There were blocks of stone everywhere in thewildest confusion, and among them here and there great stragglingpatches of unwholesome-looking, fleshily-lobed prickly-pears with theirhorrible thorns. Now and then, too, were miserable, dried-upkarroo-bushes, starved among the great blocks above the rich greenhollow where Sandho grazed. Everywhere else was parched loose red sand, and beyond rose up the sterile mountains on either side of the pass. 

Joeboy knew me better than I knew myself when he hobbled the horse, foras I sat there watching and thinking how solitary it all was, wonderinghow they were getting on at home, and whether the Boers were really inforce by the pass, a pleasant feeling of restfulness came over me, andthe mountains in the distance seemed to grow hazy and of a deliciousblue; the coarse bushes did not look so dry, nor the sicklyprickly-pears so unwholesome and like flat oval cakes of horriblyunwholesome human flesh joined together at their edges; while the littlepatch of pasture where Sandho was feeding appeared to be of anindescribably beautiful tinge of green. 

"I wonder how long Joeboy will be, " I remember thinking, as I drew myinjured ankle across my right knee and began to rub it softly. "Heought to come back soon. "

Then I ceased chafing the ankle, for it was very tender, and I wonderedhow long it would take to get well again, so that I could leap fromstone to stone as sure-footed as ever. 

It was a relief to leave it alone, and I let it glide back till it wasoutstretched upon the sand beyond the stones, where it lay resting, andthe pain began to die out. It was restful, too, for my arms; for assoon as I began to put any strain upon the muscles a peculiar gnawingsensation was set up, which was complete torture till I let them lieinert. 

"The brutes!" I muttered; "they must be half-savages still to treat onelike this; but it was all that wretched renegade's work. I wonderwhether I shall ever meet him again. I believe he's a miserable coward. I'll soon see if I do. Oh, if I can only get amongst our people, andjoin them!"

These thoughts made me feel hot, and I lay back picturing all that hadtaken place at our farm; but as the pain in my limbs died down, so didmy rage against the Irish captain, and I began looking round again, thinking how beautiful the desert place looked, and what effects wereproduced among the mountains by the changes in the atmosphere. Then Ifell to watching Sandho, and then the soft effects grew hazy, and--thenhazier--and very dark, but not so dark but that I could see Joeboy's bigface as he leaned over me and said softly, "Boss Val been asleep?"

"No, " I said sharply. 

"Um!" whispered Joeboy, laying his hand across my mouth. "Boer jus'there. Lots. Plenty horses. "

"Why, it's night, " I said in a whisper as I looked round in wonder. 

"Um!"

"Where's Sandho?"

Joeboy nodded his head; and, looking in the direction indicated, I couldjust see the shadowy form of my grazing horse, not above eight or tenfeet away. 

"Have I been asleep all this time?" I said, with a strange feeling ofshame troubling me. 

"Um! Plenty sleep, " replied Joeboy. "Now ready? Come 'long. "

"Yes, I'm ready, " I said eagerly; "but tell me, have you been up towardsthe pass?"

"Um!" he said. "Plenty Boer. All dark. "

"Do you think we can get through?"

"Um. Mustn't talk. "

He led Sandho forward, and went down on one knee to unfasten the strapwith which the horse was hobbled; then he offered me a leg up, and soenabled me to spring into the saddle without much difficulty. The nextminute he was leading the horse in and out among the rocks, Sandho'shoofs striking a stone with a sharp click; after which he checked theactive little animal, and we stood together listening. But all wasstill, and the night looked as if a black cloud had been drawn acrossthe sky. 

"Nobody can possibly see us, " I said half-aloud; "and if they do they'llthink it some of their own people. "

"Um!" said Joeboy, and as he said it I knew I was wrong, for I recalledwhat I had read, that in time of war sentries challenge, and, failing toreceive the password of the night, fire at once. It was a startlingthought; but we went on all the same, I for my part feeling I must trustto my good-luck. 

As we got farther in towards the mountains the obscurity increased andthe air grew cooler. I now began to feel how impossible it would havebeen for me to have come alone and found my way in the darkness, for ina few minutes I was quite helpless; but Joeboy seemed in nowiseconfused, and did not hesitate once. It was as much as I could do tomake out his black head and shoulders, and only at times found that thenodding ostrich-plumes were bobbing about just in front of me, as theirwearer walked steadily on, holding my horse's head. So we went on fornearly an hour, with Joeboy leading Sandho in and out among the greatblocks of stone which strewed our way, keeping him where the sand wassoft by getting well in front, so that the horse's steps were prettynearly in his own. I could make out that we were gradually rising, andthat the rocks towered up to a great height left and right; but though Irode with every sense upon the strain, I could neither hear nor see signof the enemy. 

Fortunately the night was cloudy, and I knew it would be long before thewaning moon rose--not, I hoped, till we had been right through the pass. In fact, as we went steadily on without interruption, I began tobelieve the Boer I had seen must have been one of a small outpost placedthere for observation during the daylight, and that they must haveretired at dusk, while I was asleep; for I thought we must now be prettywell through the highest part of the opening, and had there been any onethere I must have heard a challenge. 

I was just about to whisper my opinion to Joeboy when he stopped ourprogress and stood holding the horse's head tightly, showing mesomething was wrong. I raised myself in the stirrups to peer forward, but everything in front was nearly black; and though I listened, holdingmy breath, there was not a sound. Then suddenly a voice from somewhereabove on the right front demanded in Dutch, "Who goes there?"

For answer Joeboy stepped on at once, and for the first time Sandhokicked against a stone, one of his shoes not only giving out a sharp_clink_, but striking a spark of fire. 

It was as if that spark of fire struck by iron off stone had ignited thepowder in the pan of an old-fashioned gun; for from close at hand therewas a flash, the heavy report, and then a rolling volley of echoes. Ifelt Sandho bound beneath me; but the next moment he was walkingsteadily along, following the hand holding his bit, and he paid no moreheed when directly after another shot was fired on ahead, anotherbehind, and again another and another, raising what seemed to be acontinuous roar of echoes right, left, and in front, to go rolling amongthe mountains. 

The hot blood flew to my face, and a thrill of excitement ran through meas I involuntarily cocked the rifle I held across the saddle, sittingready to fire at the first enemy who presented himself; in fact, Inearly drew trigger once, but my common-sense prevailed, as I felt thatwe could not be seen, neither could we be heard in the roar of echoeswhich took up and magnified the reports. Joeboy was doing exactly whatwas right under the circumstances--going straight on; and, unless wefound a body of men confronting us and stopping our way, or an unluckybullet struck one of us, it seemed probable that in a very short time weshould have achieved our purpose. 

I had often heard of Echo Nek before, and had some vague idea that ifany one shouted there the tones of his voice would be reverberated fromthe face of the cliffs; but I had never realised the true reason as Idid now. 

The firing went steadily on, the Boer outpost being evidently under theimpression that their action would drive back the force approaching toget into their country. This being so, the reports increased to anextent that showed plainly enough the presence of a strong body of men, who had been lying inside the valley, ready to hurry forward to thedefence of the pass upon an alarm being given. 

I now began to wonder how it was that we were not seen through some oneof the flashes and hit by bullets sent spattering among the stones amongwhich we wended our way; but none came near. Every now and then I hearda sharp shock against the rock, followed by a pattering downpour offragments. Every shot struck high above our heads, and at the end of afew minutes, higher still; at which I wondered, till it suddenlyoccurred to me that Sandho was not climbing higher and higher up thepass, but descending. 

All this time Joeboy kept steadily on, apparently as unconcerned as ifhe were leading the horse home from grazing peacefully away upon theveldt. 

I too began to feel more at my ease, for we had gone on so far thatthere was a strong hope that we might be successful, unless there shouldprove to be another body lower down the pass. The next minute, though, I felt convinced this could not be the case, for if another body werelower down they would have been firing; or, on second thoughts, Iconcluded they must have fired first, since the Boers would neverconclude that a body of men was leaving their territory. 

The firing kept on for a few minutes longer, and then suddenly ceased;while as we proceeded, with Joeboy leading on as fast as Sandho couldwalk, we could hear voices behind us; men shouting and answering oneanother, though it was impossible to hear what was said; but it seemedas if they were asking one another what the firing was about, andwhether any one had seen the attacking party. Of course this is onlywhat I surmised; but it satisfied me at the time, and I could not helplaughing at the waste of powder and lead occasioned by the harmlessincident of a spark being struck from a stone by a horse's foot. 

We were soon, however, satisfied about one thing: that we were not beingpursued; for there was no more firing, and the voices soon died out aswe went steadily on along a rough winding track pretty free from stones. 

We must have been carefully making our way onward for about an hour, when suddenly we walked right into a mist, which made our progress moredifficult, for the great blocks of stone seemed to loom up suddenlyright in our way; and in avoiding these we somehow missed the track, good proof of which was given me by Joeboy's action; for he suddenlychecked the horse, stooped down, felt about, and ended by lifting astone as big as my head and casting it from him. 

"Why did you do that, Joeboy?" I said. 

"Boss wait, " was the answer, and I waited, to hear the stone strikedirectly after, and then keep on striking, as it went on by leaps andbounds, making me shudder slightly as I grasped the fact that Joeboy hadchecked the horse suddenly just on the brink of some precipice, downwhich the stone went rolling and plunging till the sounds of its blowsdied away along with the echoes it raised. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN. 

"What a narrow escape, Joeboy!" I whispered. 

"Um!" he said. "No good go that way. Sandho break knees. "

"Break his knees?" I said. "Yes, I should think he would! Can youfind the way back to the track?"

"Um! No. All thick; all dark. Come back little way. Sit down andwait. "

It was good counsel, and I sat fast--rather nervously, though--whileJoeboy backed the horse. And I had cause for my nervous sensation. Infact, what followed proved that, in the darkness and confusion caused byour ignorance, Joeboy backed the horse along the edge of the precipiceinstead of right away from it; for there was a sudden slip, and one ofSandho's hind-legs went down, making the poor beast give a franticplunge which nearly unseated me and drove Joeboy backwards. Then, asthe horse leaped up again, he made three or four bounds before standingsnorting and trembling; while I heard the rush and rattle of thedislodged stones as they went hurtling down into the gorge. 

"Um! Mustn't try any more, " said Joeboy coolly as he took hold ofSandho's bridle again, and petted and caressed the poor beast till hewas calm once more. 

"He'll stand now, " I said, rather huskily, as I mastered a strong desireto get down. "Feel round for this edge, Joeboy, and find out which isthe safe way to go. "

"Um!" grunted the black; and after giving Sandho a final pat on theneck, he went down on all-fours and crawled away through the darkness sosilently that at the end of a few minutes I began to feel alarmed, wondering whether he had made some terrible slip and gone over. 

It was vain to argue with myself, for the shock I had received when thehorse slipped had not passed away. No doubt my previous experiences hadweakened me, and made me less able to fight against what was a veryordinary trouble for a mountain rider. 

Another five minutes passed away--minutes which seemed terriblyprolonged as I sat there in the darkness knowing I dared not stir, andconvinced that we must be upon a projecting bracket of rock whose shapeI could mentally picture, with only one narrow pathway off, and thathidden by the mist. At last I could bear it no longer, and, leaningforward to try and penetrate the darkness beyond the horse's head, Icalled twice:

"Joeboy! Joeboy!"

"Joeboy here, Boss, " came from behind me, and I uttered a sigh of reliefas the great fellow seemed to rise up close by and laid his hand upon myarm. 

"Where have you been?" I said in a querulous, excited way. 

"Where, Boss Val say? Go all round. Better stop till morning. "

"Yes, " I said, with a sigh of relief. "Let's stop till morning. Here, help me to get down. "

I was obliged to ask for help, for the cold and damp air had made myinjured limbs so stiff and painful that I could hardly move them, and itrequired a good strong effort to keep down a groan when I lowered myselfon to my feet, and then gladly sat down upon the damp rock. 

I had no fear about Sandho, whose rein had been passed over his head andallowed to hang down, for he had been trained to stand, and havinggrazed for many hours, had no temptation to stir. 

Joeboy soon settled himself close to my feet, and then began our longand painful watching, hour after hour, through a night which seemed asif it would never end. I had no desire to question the black, for hisaction fully proved to me that our position must be perilous unless weleft the horse to shift for himself, and all this was sufficient to keepoff any desire for sleep; while a whisper from time to time wassufficient to satisfy myself that my companion was as wakeful as I. Asthe time passed on the mist seemed to thicken around us, with thispeculiarity striking me: it seemed to shut us completely in, so that nota sound reached our ears, the silence being to me perfectly awful. 

At last the morning was heralded by a faint puff or two of chilly airwhich came and went again, till at last it settled into a soft breeze, whose effects were soon apparent. All at once, as I looked up, a cloudof mist became visible, then floated away; and as if by magic the sky, of a soft dark grey, dotted with a faint star or two, came into sight. 

Then day began to advance with rapid strides, and I found my notion ofour being upon a bracket of rock was not too far-fetched, for we wereupon a jutting-out promontory of some fifty feet across, from whoseedges the rock went down in places perpendicularly, in others with atremendously steep slope, while the way by which we came on was notabove half-a-dozen yards wide. 

"You were very wise, Joeboy, " I said as I rose to look round. "It wouldhave been madness to try leading Sandho off there in the fog. "

"Um!" said Joe quietly; and then: "Look!"

He pointed away to our right, and, following his direction, I could hereand there make out the missing path down the pass, winding along inrough zigzags till lost in the distance. 

I was soon in my saddle again, and Joeboy led the horse off the perilousplace where we had passed the night, and then up the pass again for acouple of hundred yards to where the track had borne off a little to theright, but where we had kept on through the mist perfectly straight, with nearly fatal results. 

We looked anxiously up now as we turned off into the proper track, fullyexpecting to see outposts of the Boers who had fired as we crossed thehead; but none were visible. So we began to descend as rapidly as wecould, but only at a walk, for the track was terribly rough. 

It was only very gradually that the valley began to open out, our way attimes being along the stony bed of a mountain torrent; while right andleft the sides of what looked like a tremendous rift in the mountain, split open in some terrific convulsion of nature, towered up. 

We went along cheerily, for every yard carried us farther from risk ofcapture by the Boers; and once we were well clear of the pass a coupleof days would, I felt sure, place us safely in the land of my countrymenwith whom the Boers were at war. 

"How soon shall we stop and have breakfast, Joeboy?" I said as we werepassing through a perfect chaos of great stones which now hemmed us infront and back. "No fear of seeing any Boers now. "

The words had hardly left my lips when Sandho stopped short, and uttereda sharp challenging neigh, which was answered from some distance infront; and directly after, as I turned my horse sharply to get under thecover of a huge block we had just passed, there came the loud clatteringof hoofs and a shout, as a party of some five-and-twenty well-mountedhorsemen cantered out to bar the way. 

"Then they are there, " I muttered as I swung Sandho round again. Joeboylaid his left hand on the saddle, and away we cantered forward tocircumvent, if possible, the party in front whose horse had answeredSandho's challenge. 

The men behind yelled to us to stop. We paid no heed, but, regardlessof the stones, cantered on, Joeboy taking them at a stride in companywith Sandho's bounds. 

The next minute I was looking upon fully twenty mounted riflemen rightacross our path, and a glance right and left showed me that any attemptto get round them would be an act of madness, for no horse could pass. 

I turned in my saddle and looked back, to find that the party there wereclosing in upon us; and for a moment I felt ready to turn Sandho and goat them at full gallop, so as to try and cut my way through. I saw, however, this would be a greater risk than going in the other direction. 

"It's of no use, Joeboy, " I said hoarsely; "we're trapped. "

"Boss Val going to fight?" he said inquiringly, and as he asked hisquestion he fitted his long, elliptical shield well upon his left armand arranged his assagais handy for throwing. 

"Two against all those, Joeboy? No; it would be folly. "

There was no time for more words, for the party which had remained inhiding till we had passed were closing in fast; and then a couple ofyoung men suddenly darted out from those in front, set spurs to theirhorses, and seemed to race at us, leaping the stones in their waysteeplechase fashion. 

In almost less time than I take to describe it, one of them, agood-looking, frank young fellow in an officer's uniform, rose in hisstirrups and made a snatch at my arm; but, in answer to a touch of theheel, Sandho leaped forward, and my would-be captor passed me, riding onseveral horse-lengths before he could turn and come at me again; while, by a quick leap aside, Joeboy avoided the man who came at him, and stoodwith his back to a great stone, with his assagai raised to strike. 

"Surrender, you Dutch scoundrel!" roared my antagonist, drawing hissword, "or I'll cut you down. "

"Dutch scoundrel yourself, you ugly idiot of a Boer!" I cried asangrily, and I brought my rifle to bear upon him, holding it like apistol. 

"Here, don't shoot, " cried my adversary. "You don't talk like a Boer. "

"Why should I?" said I. "But you're not a Dutchman--are you?"

"Hardly, " he said, with a laugh. 

"What are you, then?"

"Making a mistake, it seems, " he replied. 

"But your people are Boers?"

"They're going to beat them, " he replied, "as soon as they get a chance. Have you seen them up the Nek yonder?"

"Yes; I was running away from them. They were shooting at us lastnight. "

"Hi; Robsy! Steady there!" roared my new acquaintance. "Steady, I say!Friends. --You, Black Jack, put down that spear, or it'll be the worsefor you. --It's all right, sir, " he continued as a grey-haired, military-looking man now rode up, followed by half-a-dozen more. "Thisis an Englishman running away from the Boers. "

"Then he's not an Englishman, " said the officer sharply. "Here, arrestthis man. --Now then, give an account of yourself, for you lookconfoundedly like a spy. Here, some one, cut that black fellow down ifhe resists. "

"Be quiet, Joeboy, " I cried; "these are friends. "

Joeboy dropped into a peaceable attitude and stood scowling at thehorsemen who surrounded us. 

"Now, sir, " said the officer, "why don't you speak?"

"Because you called me a spy, " I said. 

"Well, that seems to be what you are, you young scoundrel. How many ofyour friends are there up yonder?"

"I don't know, " I said. 

"Say `sir' when you speak to a gentleman, " cried the officer angrily, "and no nonsense. Speak out--the truth if you don't want to be shot. "

"Of course I don't want to be shot, " I said scornfully; "and I'm not inthe habit of telling lies. "

"How many Boers are there, then, up in the pass?"

"I don't know, " I said. "We crept by them in the dark. "

"Why? To come and see what forces we had here?"

"No, " I said. 

"Then why did you come?"

"To get away from the Boers. "

"Why did you want to get away from them?" cried the officer, gazing atme searchingly. 

I was so hot and indignant that I would not speak for some little time. 

"I thought so. Making up a good story--eh? You've caught the firstspy, Lieutenant. "

"No, sir, I think not, " said the young officer. 

"I think you have. --Now, sir, " he continued, "if you wish to save yourskin, speak out. Why did you want to get away from the Boers?"

"Because I was commandoed, " I said rather sulkily. 

"Oh, then you were afraid to fight--eh?"

"No; but I was not going to fight my own countrymen. "

"Oh!" said the officer, staring. "Here, tell me, how were yousummoned?"

I told him, and that the party was led by an Irishman named Moriarty. 

"Ah! yes, I know him. Tall, handsome, dashing young Irish cavalier--isn't he?"

"No, " I said; "a middle-aged, bullying, ruffianly sort of a fellow, witha red nose, " I replied. 

"Humph! Then where do you come from?"

"Cameldorn Farm. "

"Eh? Hullo!" cried the young man who had captured me. "I say, take offyour hat. "

"What for?" I asked. 

"Because I want to look at you. How's that scratch you got on the armfrom the lioness?"

"What do you know about the scratch?" I said, leaning forward to lookthe speaker full in the eyes. 

"Why, only that I shot her. What's your name? Of course, Val. "

"Mr Denham!" I cried in astonishment. 

"That's your humble servant, sir. "

"But you've got a beard now, " I cried, holding out my hand. "Oh, I say, I am glad to see you!"

"The same here, Val, my lad. I say, how you've grown! Here, Colonel, it's all right. I'll answer for this fellow. Why, Val, you werecommandoed, and cutting away?"

"Yes, " I cried excitedly. "Here, Joeboy, this is Boss Denham. "

"Um!" ejaculated the black, showing his teeth. 

"I was running away from the Boers so as not to serve, Mr Denham, " Isaid eagerly, for I wanted to wipe off the slurs of coward and spy. 

"Well, quite right, my lad, " said the Lieutenant. "But what were yougoing to do?"

"Get into Natal, sir, and join the Light Horse. "

"Well done!" laughed the Colonel, clapping me on the back; "then you'veregularly fallen upon your legs, my lad. That your horse?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Good, " he cried, looking me over, "and you ride him well. We're theLight Horse. I'm the Colonel, at your service, and I accept you at onceas a recruit. "

"You can go through the swearing-in business some other time, Val, " saidthe Lieutenant. "Now then, are the Boers in force and coming down thepass?"

I told him all I knew, and the Colonel laughed. 

"You've seen a sentry and heard a few shots fired, my lad, " he said. "Why, you're not worth calling a spy. "

"Am I one of the Light Horse now, sir?" I said eagerly. 

"Certainly. "

"Then send me back up to the Nek, and I'll try and prove myself a betterone. "

"I'll send you up, sir, " said the Colonel stiffly, "with a vidette, tofeel for the enemy and try to draw him out; but we don't call members ofthe Light Horse spies. If you go on such an adventure it will be areconnaissance. "

I felt humbled, and was silent. 

"This is an old friend of yours, then, Denham?" continued the Colonel. 

"Oh yes, " replied the Lieutenant. "His father, Mr Moray, was a mostkindly host to me during a long shooting expedition, and I am very gladto have his son with us. I hope, sir, you will place him in the sametroop as I am. "

"Certainly, " said the Colonel, who then turned to me in a frank, bluffway, and held out his hand. 

"Glad to have you with us, Mr Moray, " he said; "and I beg your pardonfor being so rough with you. Your appearance was a bit suspicious, though. But what about this black fellow?"

"He is my servant, sir, " I replied. 

"Humph! But we can't allow privates in this corps to bring theirservants. It is not a picnic nor a shooting expedition. "

Some one who heard these words cried "Oh!" loudly. 

"I beg your pardon, gentlemen, " said the Colonel, smiling; "it is. Ishould have said this is not a hunting expedition. We all have to roughit. "

"I beg pardon, Colonel, " said Lieutenant Denham, giving me a quick look. "Private Moray meant to say the black had been the servant at his home. I had forgotten the man. I remember him now. He was a good hunter andmanager of the bullock-wagon we took up the country. "

"Yes, sir, " I said eagerly; "and most useful in all ways. "

"Be able to forage a little for game--eh--if we run short of food?"

"Oh, yes, sir!" I cried. 

"That will do, then; let him stay with us. "

Joeboy was straining his ears to catch every word, and I saw his facelight up as he caught my eye, and he gave his assagai a flourish. 

"Yes, " said the Colonel dryly, for he had had his eye upon the bigathletic black; "but tell him that he must obey orders, and not begetting up any fighting upon his own account. "

"He'll obey me, sir, " I said, speaking so that Joeboy could hear; and helooked at me and nodded. 

"That incident is over, then, " said the Colonel sharply. "Now, MrDenham, take a dozen men and continue the advance. We know now themeaning of last night's firing; but see what you can find out about thestrength of the party holding the pass. Be careful of your party. Weare good shots; but recollect they are better, and I want information, not to see you bring back half-a-dozen wounded men. "

"I'll be careful, sir;" and ten minutes later, to my surprise anddelight at the way in which my position had altered during the lasthalf-hour, I was riding close behind Lieutenant Denham, while, proud ofhis position, Joeboy was on in front, his knowledge of the pass we hadjust descended being most valuable at such a time, the probabilitiestending to point out that he might be able to get well up to right orleft of the track and gain a pretty good idea of the strength of theBoers without drawing a shot, whereas the sight of the horsemen, wefelt, would have been the signal for a shower of bullets. 

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

INTO THE FIRE. 

"What about breakfast? Have you had any?" said Denham. 

"No, " I replied; "but I have some with me;" and taking out a portion ofwhat was left over from the previous afternoon, I proceeded to make upfor what was lacking, eating with the better appetite for seeing thatJoeboy was busy over one of the big sandwiches provided for him by AuntJenny. 

This done, I seemed to forget my injuries, and rode on with the littletroop, watching the agile way in which Joeboy made his way forward, wellin advance and showing no sign of fear. 

Mounted men advancing up the rugged pass had very little chance ofkeeping themselves concealed. Here and there a bend in the narrowvalley helped us; but there was always the knowledge that, if the enemywere in force up by the neck of the pass, they had plenty of nichesamong the mountains on either side to which they could climb and watchus till well within range of their rifles, when shot after shot and puffafter puff of white smoke would appear, with very different effect, Ifelt, from those fired in the darkness of the past night's scare. 

All this was very suggestive of danger; but somehow I did not feelalarmed. There was too much excitement in the business, and I wasflushed with a feeling of triumph at being so soon in a position toretaliate upon the people who had used me so ill. 

I rode on, then, for some distance behind my officer, as I now began toconsider him, till the valley opened out, and he reined up a little toallow me to come alongside, so that he could question me about the trackhigher up. I told him all I could, and endeavoured to impress upon himthat it would be a very bad position for his men if the Boers sightedthem. 

"You would find the ground so bad and encumbered with rough stones, " Isaid, "that it would be impossible to gallop back. "

"But we don't want to gallop back, " he said, with a laugh. "That's allcapital about the bad road, and sounds sensible as a warning; but youmust not talk about galloping back. If the enemy does show we shalldismount and use our rifles, retiring slowly from cover to cover. Butyou'll soon know our ways in the Light Horse. "

"I hope so, " I said; "but of course I am no soldier yet, and veryignorant. "

"Not of the use of your rifle, Val, my lad, " he said. "I used to envyyou. "

"Oh, nonsense!" I said. "Of course I could shoot a bit. My fatherbegan to teach me very early. "

"I don't believe I can shoot so well now as you did two years ago, whenwe went up the country. I don't know what you can do now. Why, Val, Iexpect you'll soon prove yourself to be a better soldier than any of us, for our drill is precious rough; but we are improving every day. "

"You have been farther up than this?" I said, to change theconversation, which was making me, a lad accustomed only to our solitaryfarm-life, feel awkward and uncomfortable, with a suspicion that mycompanion was bantering me. 

"No, " he replied; "only about a hundred yards farther than where we metthis morning. "

"Then you'll find the riding worse than you expect. "

"Well, it will be practice, " he said. "But I say, how that nigger ofyours scuffles along! He's leaving us quite behind. "

"He is sure-footed and accustomed to the rocks, " I said as I watchedJoeboy, who was getting higher and higher up the precipice to our left, as well as higher up the pass. "He wants to get up to where he can lookover the Boers' position. "

"He had better mind, " said Denham. "You ought to have taken away thosebits of vanity before he went into action. "

"What bits of vanity?" I said. 

"Those white ostrich-feathers. They make him stand out so clear to ashooter. Ah! he's down. "

Just then Joeboy was seen to drop forward right out of sight. 

"No, " I said; "that was one of his jumps;" and I spoke confidently, forI had often seen him make goat-like leaps when we had been out shootingamong the hills. 

"You're wrong, " said my companion confidently. "Poor fellow! let's getlevel with the place where he tumbled. I'm sure that was a fall. "

"Wait a few minutes, " I said, "and you'll see him perhaps a hundredyards farther on. "

I proved to be quite right, for we soon saw Joeboy climbing steadily onjust as I had said, and he kept on getting higher and higher till wewere up to the spot where I had passed so unpleasant a night. 

"My word, you did have a bad time of it! Why, if you had gone overthere it would have killed this beautiful little horse of yours. "

"Then I shouldn't have found the Light Horse, " I said quietly; but Icouldn't help feeling a bit of a shiver as I gazed at the depth belowwhere we had stopped. 

After that, as we rode on, keeping a good lookout, I began to ask a fewquestions about the war which had so suddenly broken out and come like asurprise upon us at our quiet and retired home. 

"Oh, " said my companion, "it is only what many people expected. TheBoers have never been satisfied about being under England. Plenty ofthem are sensible enough, and think that the proper thing to do is toattend to their farms and grazing cattle; but there are a set ofdiscontented idiots among them who have stirred them up with a lot ofpolitical matter, telling them they are slaves of England's tyrannicalrule, and that it is time to strike for their freedom, till they havebelieved that they are ill-treated. So now they have risen, and saythat they are going to drive all the Rooineks, as they call us English, into the sea, quite forgetting that if we had not helped them the savagetribes around them would have overrun their country and turned themout. "

"Will they drive us into the sea?" I asked. 

"What do you think?" said Denham, with a laugh. "Do you think we arethe sort of people to let a party of rough farmers turn us out of Natal, just because they have been stirred up to fight by a gang of politicaladventurers? Is your father going to give up his farm that he has spentyears of his life in making out of the wilderness?"

"What?" I cried angrily. "No! I should think not. "

"Well, that's bringing it home to you, my lad. I said your father'sfarm. His is only one instance. "

"It isn't as if we wanted to turn the Boers out, " I said. 

"Of course not. All we want is for them to behave like peaceableneighbours, and obey the laws. They want what they call freedom, whichis as good as saying that English laws make people slaves. We don'tfeel much like slaves--do we?"

"Is that the reason they are at war with us?"

"Something of that kind, " said the Lieutenant, "as far as I understandit. All politics, and they are the most quarrelsome things in theworld. People are always fighting about them somewhere. "

"But--" I began. 

"Oh, don't ask me, " said my companion; "that's as much as I understandabout it. All I say is that it's a great pity people should be shootingat one another over what ought to be settled by a bit of talk. But, Isay, look out. What does that mean? Halt!"

The men drew rein on the instant, as I looked forward, expecting to seea puff of white smoke ahead, for Joeboy suddenly dropped down behind ablock of stone high up in front, and from there began to make signals, just as if he were out in rough ground with me on the veldt and hadsighted game. 

"He has seen the Boers, " I said excitedly. "Look! He says there arehundreds of them. "

"No, he doesn't, " said my companion gruffly; "he's only flourishing hisarms about like a windmill gone mad. "

"But that's his way of signalling a big herd of game, " I said, "and--"

Before I could say more, _puff, puff, puff_ arose the tiny white cloudsof smoke, followed by the cracking of the rifles, taken up by the echoestill there was a continuous roar; while _phit, phit, phit_, bulletsbegan to drop about us, striking the stones, and others passed overheadwith an angry buzz like so many big flies. 

"Retire!" shouted my companion. "It's of no use to waste ammunition. They're in strong force up yonder. --Here, you, Moray, what are youabout?"

"Nothing, " I said sternly; "only looking for my man. "

"But didn't you hear my order?" shouted Denham; and before I could doanything to prevent him he caught Sandho's rein and put spurs to hishorse. 

"Don't do that, " I cried angrily. "I can't go and leave my poor fellowin the lurch. I'm afraid he's hit. "

"I can't stop here and have my little troop shot down on account of yourblack. "

"But--"

"Come on, sir!" shouted Denham; "obey orders. Here, you're a prettyrough sort of a pup for me to lick into shape, " he added, in a friendlyway, as he trotted back amongst the stones. "Recollect you're a soldiernow, without any will of your own. You hand everything over to yourofficer, and obey him, whether it's to ride forward into the enemy'sfire or to retire. "

"But it's horrible to leave that poor fellow to his fate, " I said. 

"More horrible to lose the lives of the party of men entrusted to me. Look here, my lad; it's an officer's duty never to throw away a man. Ifhe is obliged to spend a few to carry some point, that's war andnecessary; but to dash them bull-headed against double odds to gainnothing is folly. "

"But I can't go on. Let me stay back and try and help him, " I saidpassionately. 

"Certainly not. Be sensible. Look here: you don't know that he's hit. "

"But he dropped from behind that stone. "

"Yes; but that may be his dodge. Perhaps he's gliding back under coverfrom stone to stone. "

"Perhaps, " I said bitterly. "Look here: if this is your way of going towork I've had enough of soldiering. "

I rode on unwillingly, expecting to hear a furious tirade from mycompanion, who still held my rein; but he was silent for a few minutes, while the bullets kept on spattering and whizzing about us withouthitting any one. 

"So you're tired of soldiering--are you?" said Denham at last. 

"Yes, " I said hotly. "I never felt such a coward before. "

"Rubbish! Look here: you want me to expose my little detachment to thefire of that strongly-posted crowd of Boers, and get half of them shotdown, so as to try and pick up your servant. "

"No, I don't, " I replied sharply. "There's plenty of cover here. Ishould have got the men behind some of these blocks of stone andreturned the fire, so as to keep the enemy in check while I sent two mendismounted to try and bring my man--our guide--in, alive or dead. "

"Humph!" said my companion shortly. "Why, I begin to think you are abetter soldier than I am;" and, to my intense surprise, he halted theparty behind a huge block which divided our way, dismounted half, andsent them out right and loft to seek cover from whence they could replyto the enemy's fire. Then he turned to me. 

"You must hold two horses, " he said. "I'll send two fellows to steal upthe gap from stone to stone to try and pick up your man. "

"No, no, " I said excitedly. "I'll go alone. "

"Suppose you find him wounded, or--"

"Dead?" I said, finishing his sentence. 

"Yes: you couldn't carry him in. "

"No, " I said, with a sigh. "I'm lame still from the injury to my foot. It hurts me so badly at times that I can hardly ride. "

"Hurrah!" came from the right, and the cheer was taken up from the left, while _crack, crack, crack_, rifles were being brought well into play. 

"What does that mean?" said Denham. "Have they brought down one of theDutchmen?"

He pressed his horse's sides and rode out from behind the great stone, while I followed him, to learn directly what was the meaning of thecheering. It was plain enough, for there, about five hundred yards upthe narrow pass, was Joeboy coming after us at a quick run, dodginground the great stones, and pretty well contriving to keep them betweenhim and the enemy, whose rifles kept on spitting bullets fiercely afterhim. 

It was as Denham had suggested. Joeboy had leaped down from behind thestone as soon as he had drawn the enemy's fire, then started to followus, running the gauntlet of their bullets, and reaching us in a veryshort time, flushed, triumphant, and very little out of breath. 

"Well, " cried Denham, "see the Boers?"

"Um!" replied Joeboy. 

"Were there a great many of them?" I said eagerly, as I sat hoping thepoor fellow did not give me the credit of forsaking him in a cowardlyway. 

For answer he held up both hands with fingers and thumbs outspread;dropped them, and raised them once more; and would have kept on for longenough if I had not checked him. 

"You see, " I said to Denham, "they are in great force up there. "

"Yes, and no wonder, " was the reply, "for it's a very strong position. Now then, all here, and forward once more. "

The men ran back into the rallying-place as quickly as so many rabbits, mounted, and once more we were in full retreat, with Joeboy trottingbeside my horse holding on to the stirrup-iron, while Denham kept comingto me, to talk. 

"Just to give you a few lessons in the art of war, " he said, with hiseyes twinkling and a laugh beginning to show at their corners. "There, you see we have done exactly what the Colonel wanted us to do: made aregular reconnaissance and drawn the enemy's fire, proving that he isholding the pass. What the old man will do now remains to be seen. Hewon't go up here with us to try and dislodge them, but will try, Iexpect, to lure them down into the open somewhere, so as to give us achance at them. "

"They'll be too cunning, " I said. "They fight only from behind stones, and in holes. "

"Yes, they're cunning enough, " said Denham; "but, like all over-cleverpeople, they make mistakes, or find others quite as cunning. Look here:you'll have to propose some dodge to the Colonel to coax them out togive us a chance. "

"I propose a plan to the Colonel?"

"Yes. Why not?" said Denham, laughing. "You've begun your soldieringby teaching me, and--Oh!"

He uttered a sharp cry, and clapped his right hand round to his back. 

"What is it?" I said excitedly. "Not hit?"

"Yes, I've got it, " he muttered. "Just look. It hurts horribly. Isay, though, that's a good sign--eh?"

The men halted involuntarily behind the stones, and Denham bravely kepthis seat till all were under cover, when, refusing to dismount, heslipped off his bandolier and began to unbutton his tunic. 

"You had better let us help you down, " I suggested. 

"No; I don't feel bad enough, " he said through his teeth, speakingviciously as if in great pain. "I don't think I'm much hurt. See anyblood?"

"No, " I replied as he threw off his tunic and laid it across his horse'sneck. "Here, look. That's it. All! there it lies. " For I had made asnatch at a long-shaped bullet, missed it twice, and then sat pointingout where it had fallen. Joeboy snatched it up and handed it to me. 

"Humph!" said Denham; "then it hasn't gone through me, or it would havefallen from my back. "

"Instead of your chest, " I said. "It must have been partly spent withthe long distance it travelled. "

"I wish it had been quite spent, " said Denham through his teeth, "Oh, what a fuss I'm making about such a trifle! Nothing worse than having astone thrown at one. "

"It's gone right through the back of your jacket, " said one of the men. "Look, there's quite a big hole. "

"It has not broken the skin, " I said, examining his back. 

"No, of course not. Here, give me that jacket again, you. Let's get iton. This is all waste of time. "

He winced a good deal and looked very white; but he bravely mastered hisfeeling of faintness, and struggled once more into his tunic, sufferinggreatly, as I could see by the pallor breaking through his sun-brownedskin. 

"Stings a bit, " he said to me as he fastened the buttons; "but it mighthave been worse--eh, Val? I always was a thick-skinned fellow, and itturns out lucky now. How far is the nearest skirmisher?"

"A good thousand yards, I should say, " I replied. 

"Good, and no mistake, for the distance has saved me, Val, my lad. Butwhat's that: over half a mile--eh? Not bad shooting, and shows theymust have good rifles, bless 'em! Now then, hand me thatcartridge-belt, and I should be glad if you'd pass it over my head, forI'm not very ready to move. "

"You will have to let the doctor see the place, " I said as I extendedthe bandolier so as to pass it over his head. 

"Doctor? Faugh! What do I want with a doctor for this? I'm going tokeep quiet, my lad, or the doctor and the Colonel between them will bewanting to invalid me. "

"Oh!" I exclaimed sharply. 

"Hullo!" he cried. "Don't say you've got it too, lad!"

"No, no. Look here, " I said, and I held out the cartridge-belt to showwhere a case was flattened--the brass exterior and the bullet within--while the spring-like holder was broken, and the leather beneath sprayedwith lead. 

"What's the matter?" said Denham, looking round, and wincing with painas he changed his position. 

"It was no spent bullet that struck you, " I said, dragging out thedamaged cartridge. "You have the bullet in its brass case to thank forsaving your life. Look how they're flattened. "

He took the bolt in his fingers, and then held them out, examining allcarefully without a word. 

"Humph!" he ejaculated at last. "That was a narrow escape. I think Ishall save that flattened bullet. Not the sort of thing a man wouldchoose for a back-plate, but it did its work. Yes, I must save thatflattened bit and the bullet the Boer shot. They'll be worth taking outof a drawer some day to show people, if we got safe through the war. There, I'm all right now. Attention! March!"

The firing had ceased as he gave the orders, the first word in a sharpmilitary way, the second with a catching gasp, and he fell oversidewise. Fortunately I was close upon his left and caught him in myarms, which were none too strong or ready for such a task; but I managedto hold him tightly clasped round the chest as his horse moved off andhis legs sank to the ground. A couple of the men drew rein anddismounted directly to come to my help, they taking him from my arms tolay him upon the stony ground. 

"Fainted, " I said, dismounting painfully. "Who has a water-bottle?"

One was produced directly, and I was busily bathing the poor fellow'sface and trying to trickle a little water between his lips, when webecame painfully aware of the fact that we had moved out from cover, for_spat, spat, spat_, three bullets struck stones near us, making itevident that we were well in view, and that the Boers were makingtargets of the different members of the group. This was remedieddirectly; but in spite of the shaking he received in being moved to therear of the biggest stone, Denham did not open his eyes, but lay thereperfectly insensible; while, to add to our difficulties, one of our men, who had retaken their places in cover, to be ready to reply to the fireif a favourable opportunity presented itself, announced that the enemywas steadily advancing down the pass, and evidently with the intentionof clearing it of the party of cavalry which had entered between itsbarren walls. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

REALITIES OF WAR. 

I glanced round at the little group of men, every face wearing the sameserious aspect; then I lowered my eyes to continue my task of trying torestore Denham to his senses, while the moments glided by, and manyshots were fired at our position; yet there was no change in theofficer's condition. 

"He isn't dead--is he?" said one of the troopers. "Dead? No!" I criedangrily; but even as I spoke a chill of horror ran through me, for theutterly inanimate state of my new friend suggested that the shock of theblow might have been fatal. 

"But he doesn't seem to have a spark of life in him, poor chap!"

"He'll recover soon, " I said as firmly as I could, and determined to putthe best face upon the matter. 

"But we can't wait for `soon, '" cried another man impatiently. "In lessthan a quarter of an hour the Doppers will be down upon us, and thenit's either a bullet apiece or prisoners. "

"We must carry him down to where the Colonel is with the rest of thetroopers, " I said. "No, no. Set him on a horse. "

"He can't possibly sit a horse, " I said firmly; "and if you put him onone it will take two men to keep him in his place. "

"We can't spare them, " cried the first man who had spoken. "We want allour rifles to be speaking as we retire. "

Just then a thought struck me. 

"He must be carried, " I said. 

"It can't be done, sir, " was the reply. "The men can't be spared. Oneof us must have him in front of the saddle as we retreat. "

"No, no, " I said. "Here, wait a minute. --Joeboy!" I shouted, and, shield and assagai in hand, the black dashed to my side as if to defendme from some attack. 

"Can you carry this officer on your back down the valley, Joeboy?" Isaid. 

"Um!" was the prompt reply. "You take my spears. "

"Yes. Hang them to my saddle, " I said. "Quick!"

The next minute I helped to raise the insensible man carefully on to theblack's broad back as he bent down on one knee, Denham's arms beingplaced round Joeboy's neck; and then, at his request, the wrists werebound together with a sash. 

"Now, " I said, "can you do it?"

"Um!" was the reply; and, without a word being uttered by way of order, the man rose softly to his feet and set off at a slow, steady walk downtowards the little force of mounted rifles waiting, a couple of miles orso away, to receive our news. 

No sooner were we well out of the cover which had sheltered us than thefiring increased, showing that our movements were under observation; butthe pattering shots, which seemed to strike every spot save where wemoved at a pace regulated by Joeboy's steady walk, had no effect uponthe discipline of the little party. The sergeant, a middle-aged man, like a Cornish farmer, now took the command. He ordered half the partyto follow close after their wounded officer, and halted the second half, who stood dismounted and covered by their horses, to reply to theenemy's fire. 

Instead of checking the shots, our reply seemed only to increase them;but we had the satisfaction of knowing that the fire was concentratedupon us, and that Lieutenant Denham and his bearer were running no riskof being brought down. This was kept up for fully ten minutes, duringwhich our friends had got some distance. Then the order was given tomount; and, giving our horses their heads, we went in single fileclattering along the stone-strewn and often slippery track, followed bya scattered shower of bullets, horribly badly aimed, for we had takenour enemies by surprise. 

We could not go very fast; but the pace was fast enough to overtake ourcompanions soon, who formed up under the best cover they could find, leaving us room to pass and ride on to where Joeboy trudged manfully on, and then draw rein and walk our horses, listening to the pattering ofthe Doppers' bullets and the steady and regular reply of our men. 

"Has he moved or spoken, Joeboy?" I said anxiously as I rode alongside. 

"Um!" replied Joeboy. 

"'Fraid he gone dead, Boss Val. "

"No, no!" I said, laying my hand against Denham's neck. "I believe heis only stunned. Are you getting tired?"

"Um!" growled the great black. It seemed wonderful what expression hecould put into that one ejaculation, which sounded now as if he weresaying, "Tired? No: I could go on like this till dark. "

I said no more, but fell back into my place, where I found the next maneager enough to talk. 

"They brag about the Boers' shooting; but I don't think much of it, norof ours neither, if you come to that. I don't wish any harm to them whomade all this trouble; but I should like for our boys to bring down aman at every shot. It would bring some of the rest to their senses. Isay, you don't think young Mr Denham's going home, do you?"

"No, " I said sharply. "I think he only wants getting on to a bed, tolie till the shock of his hurt has passed away. "

"Yes, that's it, " said the trooper; "bed's a grand thing for nearlyeverything. I never knew how grand it was till I came on this businessand had to sleep out here on the stones. You haven't begun to find outwhat it is to be away from your bed at times. "

"I've slept out on the veldt or up in a kopje scores of times, " Ireplied, "and have grown used to it. "

"Oh!" said my companion, glancing at me to see if I was telling thetruth. Then, apparently satisfied, he continued: "I wish those who madethis war had to do all the fighting. I'm sick of it. "

"Already?" I said. 

"Yes; I was sick of it before we began to hit out. What's the sense ofit? Here am I, five-and-twenty, hale, hearty, and strong, trying to getshot. But of course one had to come. I mean to make some of them payfor it, though. "

"But you volunteered. "

"Of course. I say, though, I don't wonder at you making a run for it. Nice game to have to fight on the enemy's side! I should like that--ohyes, very much indeed! My rifle would have gone off by accidentsometimes and hit the wrong man. I say, though, oughtn't the Colonel tohear all this firing, and come up to help us?"

"That's what I've been thinking, " I replied. "I should be very glad ifwe saw him on ahead. But we must have a couple of miles to go yet tojoin them--mustn't we?"

"Yes, quite that; but, my word!" cried my companion, "they're going itnow. They're firing shots enough to bring down every one of ourrear-guard. "

"Yes; and it will be our turn again directly, when they trot on. "

"They ought to be here by now, " continued my new comrade. "I don'tbelieve they'll come. "

"Why?" I said anxiously. 

"They'll all be shot down. "

"Nonsense, " I said. "Listen; those are their rifles replying. "

"I suppose so, " was the reply, given thoughtfully. "But what a strangeecho the hills give back here!"

"Yes, " I said. "That's why it's called Echo Nek. "

"I suppose so; but--but--Here, I say, those are not echoes we can hearnow. "

"Nonsense! What can they be, then?"

"Some one else firing. Can't you hear? It sounds from right in front. "

"Well, that's how echoes do sound. The reports come down the pass andstrike against the face of the rocks, and are reflected off. "

"That's all very nicely put, comrade, " said the young man, "and I daresay it's scientific and `all according to Cocker, ' as my father used tosay; but you're not going to make me believe those are echoes we canhear right in front. Now, you listen. "

I did as he suggested, and the rattling of the Boers' rifles cameplainly enough, their many reverberations, as the reports seemed tostrike from side to side, almost drowning the feeble replies of our ownmen. Then, after a perceptible pause, fresh reports were heard, andcertainly these seemed to come from some distance away in front. 

"There!" cried my companion triumphantly. "What do you say to that?"

"That the shots echo again from some high hills in front. "

"Boss Val, " cried Joeboy just then, and I touched Sandho with my heels, making him spring on to where the big black was straining his neck tolook back, but trudging steadily on all the while. 

"What is it, Joeboy?" I said anxiously. "Has he moved or spoken?"

"Um! Not said a word; but some one shooting over-over. "

He nodded his head in the direction we were going, and now I grasped thefact that I had before doubted--namely, that firing was going on in ourfront. 

I drew the sergeant's attention to it directly, and he nodded. 

"That settles it at once, " he said. "Here have I been telling myself itwas all my fancy; but now you hear it I feel it must be fact. "

"I hear it; so does my man, and the trooper who rides next to me. "

"Yes; and we can all hear it now, " said the Sergeant. "Well, it's plainenough. We're in a tight place, my lad, for there's only one answer toit, and it explains why the Colonel hasn't sent us some support, for hemust have heard the firing. "

"What do you make of it, then?"

"That the Doppers are better soldiers than we give them credit forbeing, and they've got round to the Colonel's rear somehow, and shut himin this giant hogs'-trough of a valley. "

"Think so?" I said anxiously, as I thought of the Lieutenant. 

"I'm sure of it. Now then; that's not our business. Halt! Rightabout! Take position behind those stones. Dismount and cover theretreat. Here they come. "

The clatter of the horses of the other party came plainly to our ears aswe took our places ready to reply to the Boers' fire. I had intended tohave another look at the wounded man before this took place, and wastherefore much disappointed; but there was no help for it, and I stoodwith Sandho fairly well sheltered behind a stone five feet high, uponwhich my rifle rested. Then the party we were to relieve cantered by, with two men wounded and supported on their horses; and as I watched thepuffs of smoke and listened to the bullets spattering and splaying therocks, with the buzz of the high shots now sounding so familiar, Iwondered at being able to take it all so coolly. 

"I suppose it's because I'm beginning to get used to it, " I thought. Then I began to speculate as to what would happen now if the sergeantwas right, and we were to be attacked front and rear; and what it wouldfeel like if I were hit, as seemed very likely now that the enemy weregetting so near. But I glanced right and left at my companions, just intime, to see the Sergeant start back, to stand shaking his right handvigorously, and directly after I saw the blood beginning to drip fromhis finger-ends. 

"Much hurt?" I asked, hurrying to his side, dragging out myhandkerchief the while. 

"No!" he roared; "only a scratch. Back to your place, sir! Who toldyou to leave? Here; stop! As you are here you may as well tie that raground it. "

He said these last words more gently, and smiled as I rapidly bound uphis injury as well as I could. 

"Thank ye, my lad, " he said. "I must preserve discipline, and we'regetting pressed. Taken off a bit of the middle finger--hasn't it?"

"Half of it, I'm afraid, " I said. 

"What have you got to be afraid of? Might have been worse. Suppose ithad been the first finger; then I shouldn't have been able to drawtrigger--eh? That'll do--won't it? I'm in a hurry. "

"I haven't stopped the bleeding, " I replied. 

"Never mind. Mother Nature will soon do that. Now then, back you go. Show them how you young farmers can shoot. "

I was on my way back to my place when the clattering of hoofs made meturn my head, and I saw a man in the Light Horse uniform come gallopingup, utterly regardless of the danger he ran from obstructing stones. 

"Back!" he shouted. "Retire on the main body as fast as you can go. Colonel's orders. "

We were in full retreat at once, after emptying our rifles upon thesteadily advancing enemy, who came on, running from stone to stone, cleverly taking advantage of every bit of cover. We soon came in sightof the men we had relieved, who were hurrying to the rear as fast asthey could get their wounded men along; while, to my great satisfaction, there was Joeboy striding along at a tremendous rate: it was a walk, butsuch a walk as would have compelled me to trot to keep up with him. Hecould not have kept it up much longer, I could see, for the perspirationwas streaming down his face and neck, and he was breathing hard; but atthe end of another quarter of a mile, as the firing in front grew louderand louder, I saw about a couple of dozen of the troopers coming to ourhelp, four of whom dismounted, giving up their horses to comrades, andquickly spreading a blanket upon the ground. 

It struck me at once that Joeboy would refuse to give up his load; but Igot up to him just in time, and at a word from me the young officer, still perfectly insensible, was lifted from the big black's shoulders, laid upon the blanket, and then the four men took the corners in a goodgrip and trotted off at the double. Joeboy, grinning with satisfaction, now took hold of my saddle-bow and ran by my side till we reached thestrong position in a great notch in one side of the valley, where theColonel was defending himself against a large body of the enemy comingon from the plains below. 

It was a capitally chosen spot, as I soon saw, for there was a smoothopen part in front of the notch, which backed right into the side; andthe stones across the path, front and rear, formed capital breastworksfor the dismounted men who lined them, all the horses having been turnedinto the gap in the huge wall, where they were quite out of the line offire. 

"Splendid!" said the Sergeant to me, as we waited to take our turn atthe defence. 

"But we shall be attacked on both sides, " I said. "Oughtn't we to getin there with the horses?"

"No, you recruit, you, " said the Sergeant. "We shall be between twofires; but don't you see how the enemy will be crippled? Every shotthat goes over us, whether it's upward or downward, goes among theDoppies. They're firing at us, but at their own friends as well. "

"Of course, " I replied. "I did not see that. "

"I didn't at first, " he said; "but our Colonel's got his head screwed onthe right way, and the position is famous. Well, why don't you say`Hurrah!' or `Bravo!' or something of the sort?"

"Because I don't feel satisfied, " I said. 

"You young fellows never are, " said the Sergeant. "What's the matterwith you now?"

"We can hold out, of course, " I said, "as long as our ammunition lasts;but what about afterwards?"

"Bother afterwards!" he said sharply; "a hundred things may happenbefore it comes to afterwards. "

"Then, if they determine to hold on, they can force us to surrender. "

"Never, " said the Sergeant; "so no more croaking. "

"But what about provisions?"

"Every man has his rations in a satchel. "

"But water?"

"Every man has his bottle well filled, my lad. "

"But when the water-bottles are empty and the food is done? What aboutfeeding the horses? What about watering them?"

"Yah!" growled the Sergeant savagely. "Call yourself a volunteer? Whatdo you mean by coming here prophesying all sorts of evil? Do you wantto starve the horses and see 'em die of thirst? Here, I say, my lad, "he whispered, "don't let any of the boys hear that. You've hit the weakpoint of the defence a regular staggerer. You're quite right; but wemust hold on, and perhaps after a good peppering they'll draw off. Ifthey don't, it means forming up and making a dash, and that's what theColonel won't do if he can help it, on account of the loss. "

I had no more time for talking, for directly after I was ordered to takemy place behind one of the stones to make the best use I could of myrifle in keeping back the enemy, who were now descending the pass ingreat numbers, while the firing from the rear was so furious that it wasplain enough that the ascending force was stronger than the one withwhich they were trying to join hands. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

HOW I USED MY CARTRIDGES. 

It was a strange experience for one who had come fresh from a home life;and in the intervals of tiring I could not help wondering whether it wasnot all a dream. The reality, however, forced itself on me too stronglyas the light went on, the spaces about the stones being literallylittered with battered bullets which had assumed all kinds of strangeshapes after coming in contact with the stones--flat, mushroom-shaped, twisted, the conical points struck off diagonally, and the like; but wewere so sheltered that if the Boers fired low we were unhurt, and ifthey fired high their shots went over among comrades. Signals were nowmade from above and below, with the result that the attacking partycoming down the pass divided, to line the sides of the place as far asthey could, so that their shots crossed our defences, and the attackingparty from below followed their old tactics; thus our defences wereswept by a cross-fire, and fewer Boers fell by the bullets of theirfriends. But these movements on the part of the Boers had brought thembetter within range of our pieces, for they were more exposed uponclimbing up the slopes; and I had plain evidence of the loss theysustained. 

At last night began to fall, and the firing of the attacking force, dropped off. It was plain that the Boers were retiring, possiblydisheartened by their heavy losses. Then, soon after dark, lights beganto appear, just out of range, both up and down the pass; but it wasprobable that the fight would be resumed as soon as it was daylightagain. 

Two-thirds of the men were now set at liberty to take what rest andrefreshment they could, the remaining third being upon sentry-duty, ready to give the alarm should a night attack be attempted; but of thisthere was little probability. 

Taking advantage of not being on sentry-duty, I made my way to the nichein the mountain-side which had been taken for hospital purposes, andhere found Denham rolled up in a horseman's cloak and sleepingpeacefully. I felt his forehead gently, and then his wrists and hands, to find all cool and comfortable; but I knew I must not wake him. Justthen a figure close by stirred, and I started, for a voice said, "He'sasleep. "

"Yes, I know, " I replied; "but has he been awake?"

"Yes; an hour ago. "

"How did he seem?" I asked. 

"Said it hurt him a deal, just as if his ribs were broken. Ah! hedoesn't know what pain is. "

"Do you?" I said. 

"Rather!" said the man. "One of their bullets went right through mythigh just about six inches below my hip. That is pain. It's just asif a red-hot iron was being pushed through. "

"Can I get anything for you?" I said. 

"No, " was the gruff reply; "unless you can get me a heap of patience tobear all this pain. "

I tried to say a few comforting words to him, but they only seemed toirritate. 

"Don't, " he said peevishly. "I know you want to be kind, my lad; butI'm not myself now, and it only makes me feel mad. There, thank ye forit all; but please go before I say something ungrateful. "

I crept away and tried to find the doctor who was with the corps; but hewas busy with his wounded men, of whom he had about twenty. Giving upthe satisfaction of getting his report about the young Lieutenant, Iwent to where Sandho was picketed with the rest, and stood by his headfor about half-an-hour, petting and caressing him, before going backtowards the rough breastwork--partly natural, partly artificial--whichserved as a shelter from the bullets. 

I soon came upon one of the sentries, who challenged me; but he maderoom for me beside him after a few words had passed. 

"Oh yes, " he said, "you can stay here if you like; but why don't you goand lie down till you have to relieve guard?"

"Because I feel too excited to sleep, " I replied. 

"Humph! Yes, it has been warm work, " said the sentry; "but I suppose weshall get used to it. I'm excited; but I feel as if I'd give anythingto lie down for an hour. "

"Well, lie down, " I said. "I'll keep watch for you. "

"You will?" he said joyfully. "No, no; I'm not going to break down likethat. Don't say any more about it. It's like tempting a man. Here, Isay, " he whispered eagerly, "how quiet they are! You don't thinkthey're going to make a night attack--do you?"

"No, " I said; "it's not likely. What good could they do when theycouldn't see to shoot?"

"None, of course. It's not as if they were soldiers with bayonets. Theonly thing they could do would be to stampede the horses. "

"What!" I whispered excitedly. "Oh, I say, don't talk like that. "

"Only a bit of an idea that came into my head. Don't see anything--doyou?"

"Nothing, " I replied. "It's dark; but there's a curious transparentlook about the night, and I think we should see any one directly if hewere advancing. "

"How? I don't see that's at all likely. "

"If any one passed along it would be like a shadow crossing the greystones. They look quite grey in the starlight. "

"Well, yes, they do, " he said; "and--I say, what's that?"

He pointed towards the Boers' camp-fires, and, startled by his tone, Ilooked eagerly in the direction pointed out; but there were the piles ofgrey stones looking dull and shadowy, but no sign to me of anythingelse. 

"Fancy, " I said. 

"No. Just as you spoke I saw something dark go across one of thestones. Shall I fire?"

"Certainly not. It would be alarming every one for nothing. We talkedabout seeing things pass the grey stones, and that made you think yousaw some one. "

"Perhaps so, " he said thoughtfully. "Anyhow, there's nothing here now. I say, that seems to have woke me up. "

"It would, " I said; and then I crouched a little lower, shading my eyesfrom the starlight and keenly sweeping the chaotic wilderness of rocksagain and again, but seeing nothing. 

I heard, though, the steps of the sentry away to my left, and soon aftera faint cough to my right sounded quite loudly. 

"It wouldn't have done for you to have gone to sleep with me taking yourplace, for I suppose some officer will be visiting the posts before verylong, and then you'd have been found out if I hadn't woke you in time. "

I said this in a low tone not much above a whisper, in case any one wasgoing the rounds; but he did not take any notice. 

"It wouldn't have done, you know, " I said. 

There was a low, heavy sighing breath, which made me start in wonder, and then turn towards my companion, to find that his rifle was restingagainst the stone, and that he had sunk sidewise against another and wasfast asleep. 

"Completely fagged out, " I said to myself, with a feeling of pity forhim. "He did fight bravely against it; but the drowsiness was too muchfor him. "

One moment I felt ready to take hold of his arm and shake him, but I didnot. I was there with his rifle ready to my hand, and if I kept hiswatch, perhaps only for a few minutes, he would wake up again, refreshedand better able to keep it till he was relieved. 

"It often is so, " I said to myself. "One drops asleep after dinner, andthen wakes up ready to go for any length of time. It's being a goodcomrade to the poor fellow, " I thought; and, picking up his rifle, Itook over his duty just as if it were my own, keeping my eyes wanderingover the dark grey stones in front, and sweeping the whole space. Thenmy breath suddenly felt as if checked in my surprise, for about thirtyyards away, as near as I could guess, there was a dark shadow passingone of the great blocks. 

"Fancy, " I said to myself as soon as I could recover from my surprise;and, treating myself as I had treated my fellow-trooper, I mentallydeclared I had thought about it till I seemed to see it. 

"It's all imagination, " I said again; and then I lowered the rifle Iheld, a thrill running through me as I distinctly saw the dark shadowagain, but nearer than before. This time I was certain it was notimagination. A figure--enemy or no--was cautiously stealing towards ourlines! My first impulse was to fire at the figure and give the alarm;but on second thoughts I hesitated to go to such an extreme. Fixing myeyes upon the dark, shadowy form, I cocked my rifle, and called hoarselyupon whoever it was to stop. 

"Ah! No shoot, no shoot, " cried a familiar voice. 

"Joeboy!" I exclaimed. 

"Um!" was the reply; and, to my astonishment, the black came hurryingtowards me, bending under a load which stuck out curiously from hissides and back. 

"Why, what have you been doing out there?"

"Been get all these, " he said as he forced his way between a couple ofstones, which caught his bulky load and checked him for a few moments. 

"You idiot!" I said in a low tone, for I was afraid now that I hadalarmed the sentries on either side; but though Joeboy's load on oneside bumped against my companion sentry, he was so utterly wearied outthat he did not stir. 

"Um? Idiot?" said Joeboy. "Boss Val going to be hungry. Joeboyhungry. Been to get all these. "

"What are they--forage-bags?"

"Um!" he said. 

"But where did you get them--whose are they?"

"Doppies'. All in a heap. Brought them all along. "

A little further questioning made it all clear--that under cover of thedarkness the plucky fellow had crept up the valley, taking advantage ofthe shelter afforded by the stones, passed the lines of the Boers, andhunted about till he came upon something worth having in the shape of apile of canvas forage-bags containing the men's provender, which theyhad left together and in charge of a sentinel, so as to be unencumberedin their attack upon us. 

"But what about the sentry?" I said suspiciously. 

"Um? Fast asleep, " said Joeboy. 

"What! all the time you were loading yourself with these bags?"

"Um!"

"You did not send him to sleep, did you?" I said suspiciously. 

"Um? Killum?"

"Yes. "

"No, " said Joeboy coolly. "Didn't wake up. Lot more couldn't carry. Plenty to eat now. "

"Then you actually went foraging up there, and got back safely with thisload?"

"Um!" said Joeboy. "Boss Val must have plenty to eat. Doppies nearlycaught um. "

"So I should expect, " I said. "But you nearly got shot, stealing up tothe lines like this. "

He laughed softly. 

"Boss Val wouldn't shoot Joeboy. Doppies nearly ketch him. Big lotcoming down now. "

"What!" I said excitedly. "Some of them coming down?"

"Um! Big lot coming down to fight. "

I began to grasp now that after all there was some night expedition onthe way, and that the pile of haversacks Joeboy had found had beendeposited there to leave the men free and unfettered. 

"Look here, " I said sharply; "are you sure that the Doppies are comingdown?"

"Um! Great big lot. "

"Here, you, " I whispered, "wake up!" and I shook and shook the sentryroughly, making him spring up and make a snatch at his rifle. 

"Thank ye, " he said. "I say, I was nearly dropping off to sleep. "

"Very, " I said dryly; "but keep awake now. My man here has just broughtin news that the enemy are coming on down the pass. "

"What--for a night-attack?"

"Yes. "

"The beasts!" he cried, and he raised his rifle to fire and give thealarm. 

"No, no, " I said; "don't fire unless you see them. I'll go and give thealarm. Stand fast till reinforcements come. --Here, Joeboy, bring yourload into camp. "

I led the way straight to the Colonel, being challenged twice before Ireached the side where he, in company with his officers, lay sleeping intheir horsemen's heavy cloaks. 

All sprang up at once, and each started to rouse his following, with theresult that in a few minutes the whole force was under arms and dividedin two bodies to join the line of sentries who paced up and down thepass. 

It was only now I became aware of the Colonel's plan of strategy, whichwas to defend the position as long as seemed wise, and then for eachline to fold back, making the pivot of the movements the ends of thelines by the niche in the hillside where the horses were sheltered. Then, on the performance of this evolution, there would be a double linefacing outward for the defence of the horses, in a position enormouslystrong from the impossibility of there being any attack from flanks orrear. 

So far we had no news of any attack threatening from the Boers who heldthe lower part of the pass; but scouts had been sent out in thatdirection to get in touch with the enemy, and their return was anxiouslyawaited where the men were in position; but the minutes glided by in themidst of a profound silence, and I began to feel a doubt about thecorrectness of Joeboy's announcement. 

I was in the centre of the line which would receive the shock of thedescending Boers, and Joeboy had stationed himself behind me as soon ashe had bestowed his plunder in safety; and at last, as there was nosound to indicate that the enemy was on the move, I began to growterribly impatient, feeling as I did that before long the Colonel andhis officers would be reproaching me for giving a false alarm. 

"Are you quite sure, Joeboy?" I whispered, turning to him where hesquatted with assagai in hand and his shield spread across his knees. 

"Um?" he whispered. "Yes, quite sure. Come soon. "

They did not come soon, and I grew more and more excited and angry; butI refrained from questioning the black any more, feeling as I did theuselessness of that course, and being unwilling to bring down uponmyself the reproof of the officers for talking at a time when the orderhad been passed for strict silence, so that the Boers might meet with acomplete surprise. 

It seemed to me that an hour had passed, during which I stood behind thenatural breastwork of a stone upon which my rifle rested, gazingstraight away up the pass, and straining my sense of hearing to catchsomething to suggest that the enemy was in motion; but there was not asound in the grim and desolate gap between the hills, and my beatingheart sank lower and lower as I glanced back at Joeboy, who reachedtowards me. 

"Doppy long time, " he said, hardly above his breath. 

"They won't come, " I whispered back angrily. "You fancied it all. "

"Um?"

"You fancied it all. They would not come on in the night. "

"Boss Val wait a bit. Come soon. "

"Ugh!" I ejaculated; and a voice somewhere near whispered, "Silence inthe ranks!" The command was needed, for a low murmur was beginning tomake itself heard. 

All was still again directly after, and the time glided slowly on again, till that which I expected came suddenly; for I heard the trampling offeet behind me in the darkness, and a voice whispered, "Where's that newrecruit Moray?"

"I am here, sir, " I said. 

"Quick! the Colonel wants you. "

I left my post, and another man stepped into my place, while I followedthe sergeant who had summoned me. 

"I say, young fellow, " he said, "you're in for a bullying. TheColonel's horribly wild about your false alarm. Are you sure theDoppies were coming on?"

I told him what I had learned, and that I had felt obliged to report it. 

"Humph! Yes, of course; but it's a great pity, when the men wantedrest. "

The next minute I was facing the Colonel in the middle of the pass, where he stood with a group of the officers, about half-way between thetwo lines of men facing up and down, but lying so close that they wereonly visible here and there. 

"Oh, here you are, young fellow!" were the words that saluted me, spokenin a low, angry whisper. "Now then, where are these two attackingparties of Boers?"

"I only reported that one was coming, sir--one descending the pass. "

"Very well; you shall have credit for only one, then. Well, where isit?"

"I can't say, sir, " I replied. "I was warned of it by my nativeservant. "

"Then just go back and flog your native servant till you have given hima lesson against spreading false alarms to rob tired men of their rest. It is perfectly abominable--just when we want all our strength for thework in hand for us to-morrow. "

"I'm very sorry, sir, " I said. 

"Sorry? What must I be, then? I can't fight unless I have plenty toeat and as much sleep as I can get. There, get back to your post. Iwish to goodness you had stopped at home or joined the Boers, or donesomething else with yourself, instead of coming and giving thisconfounded false alarm. Be off. --Here, call in the men again, and--Yes, what now?"

"Enemy coming up the pass in great strength, sir, " said one of thescouts, who had come breathlessly back. 

"What!" said the Colonel in a hurried whisper. "Could you make themout?"

"Yes, sir; two or three hundred, I should say. "

"You got near enough to see?"

"I couldn't see much, sir; but I could hear. They seemed to spreadright across from the side I was on. "

"Here, you, Moray, " said the Colonel, turning to me, for at thisannouncement I had stood fast. "Get back to your post; and I beg yourpardon. --Yes; who are you?"--for another scout came in to endorse thewords of the first. He had scouted down the other side of the wideningpass, and according to his report the enemy could not be a quarter of amile away. 

"Thank goodness!" said the Colonel fervently. "Mr Moray, I spoke inhaste and disappointment. Now then, gentlemen, perfect silence, please. I believe we shall hear some signal from below, and that is what theparty above are waiting for. Then they will attack simultaneously, togive us a surprise, and we're going to surprise them. Every one to hispost, please; and then, at their first rush, let it be volleys and slowfalling back, so as to keep them from breaking our too open formation. "

The next minute every man was in his place, and the pass so dark andstill that it was impossible to believe that a terrible conflict was soclose at hand. As I stood waiting and listening for the enemy's orderto attack, I could feel my heart go _throb, throb, throb, throb_, sohard that I seemed to be hearing it at the same time making a dull echoin my brain. 

Still there was no sign; and at last I began to go over my briefinterview with the Colonel, and to wonder whether he would turn now uponthe two scouts and charge them with having deceived themselves, foraccording to their report the enemy ought to have been upon us longbefore. I had got to this point when all at once I felt an arm upon myshoulder, and could just make out at the side and front of my face a bighand pointing forward towards the stones a hundred feet away. 

"Um!" whispered Joeboy, with his lips close to my ear. "See um now. Big lots. "

"I can see nothing, " I whispered. 

"Joeboy can. Lie down ready. Boss Val going to shoot?"

"When I get the order, " I said softly, and my heart beat more heavilythan ever, for I felt now that the black must be right. I had had foryears past proofs of the wonderful power of his sight, and had not adoubt that, though they were invisible to me, a large body of the enemywere clustering among the stones ready for the assault upon ourposition. 

Then I heard from somewhere below a faint, rushing, whistling sound, asof a firework, followed by a crack, and the white stars of a rocket litup the sides of the pass and made the stones in front visible in a softglare. The next instant from front and rear, almost simultaneously, there were flashes and a scattered roar, while the sides of the passtook up the reports, forming a deafening roll of thunder running downtowards the plain. 

Before this was half-over there was the rush of men before us, thestones and the spaces between seeming to be alive with running andleaping Boers, shouting and cheering like mad as they came on, theirpurpose being to scare us and frighten the horses into a stampede, which, if it had followed, must have been equally fatal to theircomrades attacking from the rear as it would have been to us; but, instead of the enemy being gratified by hearing the clattering ofhundreds of hoofs, they were received by a series of sharp volleysproceeding from our two lines of men. These were so inadequatelyreturned that the officers in the rear ran to and fro bidding us standfirm and keep up the fire, no attempt being made to fall back towardsthe gap where the horses were tethered. 

Those were tremendously exciting minutes, and in the confusion, thecrack of the rifles, and the reverberations, I hardly know what I did, except that I kept on firing without taking aim, for the simple reasonthat there was nothing visible in the smoke and darkness unless one hadtried to aim at a spot from whence flashes came; and as the menattacking us were constantly on the move, that would have been useless. 

I found afterwards, on talking to the men above me, that they hadbehaved in precisely the same way as I did--they kept on firing; whileall were in constant expectation of having to club their rifles to beatback the enemy should they come on with a rush. 

However, we never came to close quarters that night; for, failing insweeping our men back in the first surprise, the enemy drew off a shortdistance till all were well under cover, and then kept up their fire, each party of the enemy seeming utterly regardless of the risk to theirown comrades beyond us. 

In the midst of the roar and reverberation I was startled by a hand laidupon my shoulder, and, turning sharply, I found the sergeant by my side. 

"Fall back, " he said; and as I obeyed I thrust my hand to mycartridge-belt so as to reload, when, to my utter astonishment, I foundit was two-thirds empty. This was soon remedied; for, as we--that is tosay, about half the defenders of the upper side of our stronghold--stoodfast, non-commissioned officers came running along and thrust packets ofcartridges into our hands. 

It was, as I have said, very dark; but I could just manage to seebeneath the canopy of smoke which rose slowly that half the lower lineof defenders had fallen back. Directly after, we were all hurried tothe front of the great niche and ordered to man the rocks there in frontof the horses. 

While settling ourselves in every advantageous position we could find, the firing went on as briskly as ever, the Boers blazing away at our twolines of men, who replied as fast as they could load; and, as far as Icould tell by the sound, the fusillade did not slacken. 

Then I began to understand what was about to happen, and could not helplaughing to myself when I saw the part of our line we had left firingsuddenly come hurrying in, to pass through an opening in our ranks; andno sooner were they safe than the lower line fell back and came runninginto the shelter, to join up with the others. 

As soon as these detachments were out of the way we had orders to firefour cartridges each, half of us firing as well up the pass as possible, the other half to fire as far downwards as they could. After these fourrounds each we were to cease firing: this was, of course, to prevent theBoers from noticing that our fire had slackened and then ceased; and itanswered exactly as the Colonel had intended, for the bull-headed andobstinate enemy went on for the next half-hour firing away at the stoneswhere we had been, each side believing that a portion of the reports andechoes were caused by our firing, and all the time our men stoodlaughing and enjoying the blunder, and pretty sure that the enemy mustbe bringing down some of their own comrades. Whether the enemy foundthis out at last, or were dissatisfied at not being able to silence ourfire, I don't know; but suddenly there was another train of sparksrushing up through the smoke, and the bursting of a rocket far on high, sending down a dingy bluish light through the overhanging cloud. Thenthe firing stopped as if by magic. 

Instantly every man was on the _qui vive_, the front of the nichebristling with rifles ready to deliver volley after volley as soon asthe rush we all expected began; but we waited in vain. When skirmisherswere sent out to feel their way cautiously in the darkness, throughwhich the smoke was slowly rising, we still waited and listened, expecting to hear them fired upon; but again we waited in vain. Bothparties of the enemy had retired for the night; and, as soon as theColonel was satisfied of this, the necessary advance-posts were sent outand stationed, and the men then ordered to lie down on their arms andget what sleep they could. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

THE SERGEANT'S WOUND. 

There were the hard stones for our couches, and the air up in the passwas sharp and cold; but we were all pretty close together, and in fiveminutes it did not seem as if any one was awake, though doubtless thefew poor fellows who had been wounded--I may say wonderfully fewconsidering what we had gone through--did not get much sleep. I was oneof those who did lie awake for a time, gazing up at the clear, brightstars which began to peer down through the clearing-off smoke, but onlyfor a few minutes; then a calm, restful feeling began to steal over me, and I was sleeping as sound as if on one of the feather-beds at thefarm, where in course of years they had grown plentiful and big. 

We were not, however, to pass the night in peace; for directly after, asit seemed to me, I started up in the darkness, roused by firing. Thenthe trumpet-call rang out, and we were all up ready for the rush thatwas in progress; while I was startled and confused, and unable tounderstand why the now mounted Boers should be guilty of such an insaneaction as to attack us there, nestling among the stones. We were allready, but no orders came to fire, and all crouched or stood with fingeron trigger, gradually grasping what it all meant, and listening to thetrampling of hoofs going steadily on, till at last the Colonel'sfamiliar voice was heard from close to where I stood. 

"Hold your fire, my lads. We should be doing no good by bringing a fewdown. Let them join their friends. They've come to the conclusion thatthis is too hard a nut to crack. "

This is what happened: the enemy's lower party had waited till nearlydaylight, and then approached quietly till their coming had been noticedby our outpost sentries, who fired to give the alarm, when they made asudden dash to get up the pass to join the detachment of Boers above. This they were allowed to do unmolested, the Colonel saying that nothingwas to be gained by stopping them, and that an advance up the pass waswork for infantry, not for a mounted force. 

Daylight came soon afterwards, I suppose; but I did not watch for thedawn, for, as soon as the last of the horsemen had passed and the wordwas given, I sank down again and slept as a tired lad can sleep. Again, as it seemed, only a few minutes expired before the trumpet once morerang out, and I had to shake myself together, when the first face thatlooked into mine was that of Joeboy, who was standing close by me with aheap of haversacks at his feet, and grinning at me with a good-humouredsmile. I didn't smile, for I felt stiff and full of aches and pains;but before long fires were burning and water getting hot. I had a goodshower-bath, too, in a gurgling spring of water which came down a riftby the gap in the pass. Then sweet hot coffee and slices of bread andcold ham out of one of the haversacks Joeboy had foraged for seemed toquite alter the face of nature. Perhaps it was that the sun came outwarm and bright, and that the blue sky was beautiful; but I gave thebread, ham, and coffee the credit of it all. Ah! what a breakfast thatwas! It seemed to me the most delicious I had ever eaten; but before itwas begun I had been to see Denham, who was sitting up with his chesttightly bandaged. He was ready to hold out a hand as soon as he saw me. 

"Hullo, Moray!" he cried, "how are you this morning?"

"It's how are you?" I replied. 

"Oh, I'm all right. A bit stiff, and I've got a bruise in the back, thedoctor says, like; the top of a silk hat. "

"You haven't seen it?" I said. 

"Have I got a neck like an ostrich or a giraffe? No, of course Ihaven't. "

"But is anything broken?" I asked anxiously. 

"No, not even cracked. The pot's quite sound, so the doctor hasn't putin a single rivet. "

"I am glad, " I said heartily. 

"That's right--thank you, " said the poor fellow, smiling pleasantly, andhe kept his eyes fixed upon me for some moments. Then in a lightbantering way he went on, "Doctor said the well-worn old thing. "

"What was that?" I asked. 

"Oh, that if it hadn't been for that bullet and brass cartridge-case, backed up by the thick leather belt, that Boer's bullet would havebored--now, now, you were going to laugh, " he cried. 

"That I wasn't, " I said wonderingly. "What is there to laugh at?"

"Oh, you thought I was making a pun: bored a hole right through me. "

"Rubbish!" I said. "Just as if I should have thought so lightly aboutso terribly dangerous an injury. "

"Good boy!" he cried merrily. "I like that. I see you've been verynicely brought up. That must be due to your aunt--aunt--aunt--What'sher name?"

"Never mind, " I said shortly; "but if you can laugh and joke like thatthere's no need for me to feel anxious about your hurt. "

"Not a bit, Solomon, " he cried merrily. "There you go again, trying tomake puns--solemn un--eh? I say, though, you do look solemn thismorning, Val. I know: want your breakfast--eh!"

"Had it, " I said, smiling now. 

"I do, my young recruit. I'm longing for a cup of hot coffee or tea. But I say, Val, my lad, " he continued, seriously now, "I haven't felt ina very laughing humour while I lay awake part of the night. "

"I suppose not, " I said earnestly. "It must have been very terrible tolie here listening to the fighting--wounded, too--and not able to joinin. "

"Well, yes, that was pretty bail; but I didn't worry about that. I knewthe Colonel would manage all right. I was worried. "

"What worried you?" I said--"the pain?"

"Oh no; I grinned and bore that. Here, come closer; I don't want thatchap to hear. "

"What is it?" I said, closing up. 

"It was that business yesterday, when I was hit. "

"Oh, I wouldn't think about it, " I said. 

"Can't help it. I did try precious hard to carry it off before I quitebroke down. "

"You bore it all like a hero, " I said. 

"No, I didn't, lad. I bore it like a big boarding-school girl. Oh! itwas pitiful. Fainted dead away. "

"No wonder, " I replied, smiling. "You're not made of cast-iron. "

"Here, I say, you fellow, " he cried; "just you keep your position. Noneof your insolence, please. Recollect that you're only a raw recruit, and I'm your officer. "

"Certainly, " I said, smiling. "I thought we were both volunteers. "

"So we are, old fellow, off duty; but it must be officer and private onduty. I say, tell me, though, about the boys and the Sergeant. Didthey sneer?"

"Sneer?" I cried indignantly. "You're insulting the brave fellows. They carried you down splendidly, and I believe there wasn't a man herewho wouldn't have died for you. "

"But--but, " he said huskily, "they must have thought me very weak andgirlish. "

"I must have thought so too--eh?"

"Of course, " he said, in a peculiar way. 

"Then, of course, I didn't, " I cried warmly; "I thought you the bravest, pluckiest fellow I had ever seen. "

"Lay it on thick, old fellow, " he said huskily; "butter away. Can't youthink of something a little stronger than plucky and brave--and--don'ttake any notice of me, Val, old lad. I'm a bit weak this morning. "

"Of course you are, " I said sharply, and dashed off at once into a freshsubject. "I say, I must go and hunt out the Sergeant. That was a nastywound he got after you were hit. "

My words had the right effect. 

"The Sergeant?" he cried. "Oh, poor old chap! we can't spare him. Washe hurt badly?"

"Oh no, he laughed it off, just as you did your injury; but I am afraidhe has lost one finger. "

"Ah, my young hero!" cried a cheery voice, and I started round andsaluted, for it was the Colonel. "How's the wound--eh?"

"Oh, it isn't a wound, sir, " said Denham rather impatiently. "Only abad bruise. "

"Very nearly something worse. --Morning, my lad:" this to me, and I feltthe colour flush up into my cheeks. "You behaved uncommonly well lastnight, and we're all very much indebted to you. Pretty good, this, fora recruit. I heartily wish you had been with us two or three months, and you should certainly have had your first stripes. "

I mumbled out something about doing my best. 

"You did, " said the Colonel. "I'm sorry I spoke so hastily to you in myerror. I didn't know you two were friends. "

"We are, sir, " said Denham warmly. 

"Oh, of course; I remember. You shot together some time ago. "

"Yes, sir, " said Denham, "and I had a grand time with Val Moray, here--big game shooting. "

"Not such big game shooting as you are going to have here, " said theColonel. "I'm glad to see you so much better, Denham. Be careful, andmind what the doctor says to you. "

He hurried away, and as soon as he had passed out of sight the Sergeant, with his arm in a sling, came up from where he had been waiting to askhow his young officer fared, giving me a friendly nod at the same time. 

"Oh, there's nothing the matter with me, Briggs, " said Denham. "I shallbe all right now. Thank you heartily, though, for what you did for me. "

"Did for you, sir?" said the Sergeant gruffly. "I did nothing, onlyjust in the way of duty. "

"Oh, that was it--was it?" said Denham. "Then you did it uncommonlywell--didn't he, Moray?"

"Splendidly, " I said, with a fair display of enthusiasm. 

"Look here, you, sir, " said the Sergeant very gruffly as he turned uponme; "young recruits to the corps have got all their work cut out tolearn their duty, without criticising their superior officers. So justyou hold your tongue. "

"That's a snub, Moray, " said Denham; "but never mind. --Look here, Sergeant, how's your wound?"

"Wound, sir?" he replied. "I haven't got any wound. "

"Then why is your arm in a sling?"

"Oh, that, sir? That's a bit of the doctor's nonsense. He said I wasto keep it on, so I suppose I must. But it isn't a wound. "

"What is it, then?" said Denham sharply. 

"Bullet cut my finger; that's all. "

"Did it cut it much?" asked Denham. 

"Took a little bit off, and I went to the doctor for a piece o'sticking-plaster, and he as good as called me a fool. "

"What did you say, then, to make him?"

"I said nothing, sir, only that I wanted the plaster. "

"Did he give you some?"

"No, sir; but I suppose he wanted to try his new bag o' tools, and gothold of me. `Hold still, ' he says, `or I shall give you chloroform. '`Can't you make it a drop o' whisky, sir?' I says. `Yes, if you behaveyourself, ' he says. `Look here, I can't plaster up a place like this. Your finger's in rags, and the bone's in splinters. ' `Oh, it'll soongrow together, sir, ' I says. `Nothing of the kind, sir, ' he says;`it'll go bad if I don't make a clean job of it. Now then, shut youreyes, and sit still in that chair. I won't hurt you much. '"

"Did he?" said Denham. 

"Pretty tidy, sir; just about as much as he could. He takes out a toolor two, and before I knew where I was he'd made a clean cut or two andtaken off some more of my finger, right down to the middle joint. `There, ' he says, as soon as he'd put some cotton-wool soaked with nastystuff on the place, after sewing and plastering it up--`there, that'llheal up quickly and well now!'"

"Of course, " said Denham. "Made a clean job of it. "

"Clean job, sir?" said the Sergeant. "Well, yes, he did it cleanenough, and so was the lint and stuff; but it's made my finger so ugly. It looks horrid. I say, sir, do you think the finger'll grow again?"

"No, Briggs, I don't; so you must make the best of it. "

"But crabs' and lobsters' claws grow again, sir; for I've seen 'em do itat home, down in Cornwall. "

"Yes; but we're not crabs and lobsters, Sergeant. There, never mindabout such a bit of a wound as that. "

"I don't, sir--not me; but it do look ugly, and feels as awkward as ifI'd lost an arm. There, I must be off, sir. I've got to see to ourpoor fellows who are to go off in a wagon back to the town. "

"How many were hurt?" said Denham eagerly. 

"Five; and pretty badly, too. "

"Any one--" Then Denham stopped short. 

"No, sir, not one, thank goodness; but those lads won't be on horsebackagain these two months to come. Doctor wanted me to go with the wagon, but I soon let him know that wouldn't do. "

"Poor fellows!" said Denham as soon as the Sergeant had gone. "That'sthe horrible part of it, getting wounded and being sent back tohospital. It's what I dread. "

"You won't attempt to mount to-day?" I said. "You'd better follow inone of the wagons. "

"Think so?" he said quietly. "Well, we shall see. "

I did see in the course of that morning. For, when the order was givento march, and the column wound down in and out among the stones of thepass, Denham was riding with the troop, looking rather white, and nodoubt suffering a good deal; but he would not show it, and we rode away. For a despatch had been brought to the Colonel from the General incommand of the forces, ordering the Light Horse to join him on the veldta dozen miles away as soon as the British regiment of foot reached themouth of the pass; and, as I afterwards learned, the Colonel's orderswere to keep away from the kopjes and mountainous passes, where theBoers had only to lie up and pick off all who approached, and wait foropportunities to attack them in the open. 

It was Denham who told me, and also what the Colonel said, his wordsbeing, "Then we shall do nothing, for the Doppies will take good carenot to give us a chance to cut them up in the plains. "

As we rode down the pass we could see some of the enemy's sentries highup among the mountainous parts; but we were not to attack them there;and, with a good deal of growling amongst the men, we kept on. Thenevery one seemed to cheer up when, a couple of hours later, we came insight of a long line of infantry steadily advancing, and the rocks rangsoon afterwards with the men's cheers as they drew up to let us pass. 

"No fear of the Boers getting past them, " said Denham to me. "Ishouldn't wonder if their orders are to mount the pass, go over the Nek, and hold it. Maybe we shall meet them again after we've made a circuitand got round the mountains and on to the plain. "

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

ON THE MARCH. 

Our next week or two seemed to be passed in doing nothing but ridingfrom place to place for the purpose of cutting off parties of Boers. Information was sent to the Colonel, generally from headquarters; but, whether because we were too long in coming, or because the Boers weretoo slippery, we always found they had not stopped to be cut off, butwere gone. There was no doubt they had been at the places we reached, generally some farm, where the old occupier and his people received usin surly silence, and invariably declared there was nothing left to eat, for the Boers had stripped the place. This sullen reception was notbecause we were going to plunder them, for the orders were thateverything requisitioned was to be paid for; it was solely from afeeling of pitiful racial hatred. 

We reached a big and prosperous-looking farm one afternoon after a longhot ride, and I had been chatting with Denham more than once, andremarking how rapidly he had recovered from his injury, which heattributed to the healthy open-air life, and had also spoken with thesergeant, whose injury troubled him very little; while of our men, thirty who had received slight injuries had refused to go into hospital, and were now ready to laugh at any allusion to wounds. 

We had reached, as I said, a big and prosperous-looking farm on the openveldt, hot, fagged, hungry, and thirsty; and the first thing we saw wasthe disorder left after the encamping of a large body of men. Therewere the traces of the fire they had made, the trampling and litter leftby horses, and the marks where wagon after wagon had been placed to forma laager; while in front of the long, low house a big, old, grey-beardedBoer stood smoking, with his hands in his pockets. 

One of the officers rode forward to tell him that we were going to campthere for the night, and that he must supply sheep, poultry, grain forthe horses, and fuel for the corps, at the regular market-prices, forwhich an order for payment would be given to him. 

The officer was received with a furious burst of abuse in Dutch. Therewas nothing left on the farm. The Boers had been there and cleared theplace; and if we wanted provisions of any kind we must ride on, for weshould get nothing there. 

The officer was getting used to this kind of reception, and he rode backat once to the Colonel, who nodded and gave an order, riding forwardwith the other officers to take possession of one of the rooms. In aninstant the men began to spread about and search, and the farmer dasheddown his pipe in a fury, to come running towards the officers, ragingand swearing in Dutch as to what he would do; while, as soon as he sawhalf-a-dozen men approach the corrugated-iron poultry-house and proceedto wrench off the padlock, the old man rushed back into his house, andreturned followed by his fat wife and two daughters, all well armed insome fashion or another, the farmer himself bearing a long rifle andthrusting his head and arm through a cartridge-belt. There seemed nodoubt about his meaning mischief, but before he could thrust a cartridgeinto his piece it was wrested from his hands by one of the troopers; andothers coming to the trooper's aid, the fierce old fellow was bundledback into his house, his people following, and a sentry placed at thedoor. 

Rude and cruel? Well, perhaps so; but we were in an enemy's country--the country of a people who had forced a war upon us--and the Colonelhad a couple of hundred people waiting to be fed. So we were fed amply, for the farm was amply stocked; and the order the officer left in theold Boer's hands in return for his curses was ample to recompense himfor what had been forcibly taken. 

Denham and I slept pretty close to one another in one of the barns thatnight, revelling in the thick covering of mealie-leaves which formed ourbed. Sweet, fresh, and dry, it seemed glorious; but I did not sleepsoundly all the time for thinking of what might happen to us during thedarkness. Once it was whether the farmer would send on messengers tobring back the Boer party who had preceded us, and give us an unpleasantsurprise. Another time, as I lay on my back peering up at the openingsin the corrugated-iron roof through which the stars glinted down, Ifound myself thinking of how horrible it would be if an enemy's handthrust in a lighted brand; and in imagination I dwelt upon the way thedry Indian-corn leaves would burst into a roaring furnace of fire, inwhich some of us must perish before we could fight our way out. It wasnot a pleasant series of thoughts to trouble one in the dead of thenight, and just then I heard a sigh. 

"Awake, Denham?" I whispered. 

"Yes--horribly, " he replied. "I say, smell that?"

"What?" I replied, feeling startled. 

"Some idiot's lit his pipe, and we shall all be burned in our--beds, Iwas going to say: I mean in this mealie straw. "

"I can't smell it, " I said. 

"What! Haven't you got any nose?"

"Yes: I smell it now, " I said; "but it's some one outside--one of thesentries, I think. "

"Don't feel sure--do you?"

"Yes, I do now. Strict orders were given that no one was to smoke inthe barns. "

"Did you hear the order given?"

"Yes; and Sergeant Briggs muttered about it, and said it would serve theold Boer right if his hams were burned down. "

"So it would, " said my companion; "but I don't want us to be burned inthem. Oh dear!"

"What's the matter?" I said. 

"I wish this old war was over, and the same wish comes every night whenI can't sleep; but in the daytime I feel as different as can be, andbegin desiring that we could overtake the Boers and all who caused thetrouble, and give them such a thrashing as should make them sue forpeace. I say--"

"Yes, " I replied. 

"That's all. Good-night. I can't smell the smoking now. "

Neither could I. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

WE MAKE A DISCOVERY. 

"Oh, I don't like it; I don't like it, " cried Denham to me, as he rodeup to my side while we were cantering over the veldt one day. "Wealways seem to be running away. "

"Manoeuvring, " I said, with a laugh. 

"Oh, hang so much manoeuvring!" he muttered. "The Boers set it all downto cowardice, and hold us in contempt. "

"It doesn't matter what they think, " I said, as we rode on over thesplendid open highland, with the brisk bracing air whistling past ourears, and our horses seeming thoroughly to enjoy the run; "we've shownthe enemy time after time that we are not cowards. "

"But we're running away again; we're running away again. "

"Nonsense, " I said; "we're altering our position. I declare I'm gettingto be a better soldier than you are. Would it be right to stand fasthere and let the Boers surround us and lie snugly behind the rocks totake careful aim and shoot us all down, horse and man?"

"Oh, I suppose not, " groaned my companion; "but I hate--I loathe--running away from these bullet-headed double-Dutchmen. They think it socowardly. "

"Let them, in their ignorance, " I said. "It seems to me far morecowardly to hide one's self behind a stone and bring down with a rifle aman who can't reach them. "

"Perhaps so. But where are we making for?"

"That clump of rocks right out yonder, that looks like a town. "

"But they're making for that too, " said Denham, shading his eyes bypulling down the rim of his soft felt hat. 

"Yes, " I said; "and there's another body behind us, and one on eachflank. We're surrounded. "

"Then why doesn't the Colonel call a halt and let us stand shoulder toshoulder and fight it out with the ring?"

"Because he wants to save all our lives, I suppose. "

"`He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day, '" saidDenham, with a bitter sneer. "Oh, I'm sick of it. Look here; thosebrutes of Boers will reach that great kopje first, drop amongst thestones, and shoot us all down just when we get there with our horsespumped out. "

"Yes, " I said, "if you keep on talking instead of nursing your horse. "

"Are you aware that I am your officer?" he cried angrily. 

"Quite, " I replied; "but I was talking to my friend. "

"Friend be hanged!" he snapped out. "Keep your place. "

"I am keeping my place, " I said--"knee to knee with you; and our horsesare going as if they were harnessed together. I say, what a race!"

"Yes, it's splendid, " said Denham excitedly. "Oh, how I wish the bruteswould stand fast and let us charge right into them--through them--cutthem to pieces, or ride them down! I feel strung up for anything now. "

I nodded at him, and panted out something about his knowing that theenemy would not stand for a charge. 

It was exciting. By accident, of course, in following out certaininstructions from the General in command, to take a certain course andcut off a commando of the Boers, we had somehow managed to get into anawkward position, no less than four strong bodies of the enemy hemmingus in. 

There was nothing for our commander to do but make for the nearestshelter, and this presented itself in the distance in the shape of whatlooked like one of the regular piles of granite rocks, which, if wereached it first, we could hold against the enemy, however greatly theyoutnumbered us; though even then it seemed plain enough that they werefar more than ten to one. 

"Shall we do it?" said Denham as we rode on, having increased our paceto a gallop. 

"Yes, " I said; "I don't think there's a doubt of it now. We're onbetter ground, and they're getting among rocks. "

"The flanks are closing in fast, " said Denham. 

"Yes; but we shall be out of the jaws of the trap before it closes, " Isaid, "and we're leaving the last lot behind fast. "

"Oh, " said Denham between his teeth, "if we can only get time to hurrythe horses into shelter and give the enemy one good volley before theysneak off!"

"Well, it looks as if we shall. But look! look!" I said excitedly;"that's not a kopje. "

"What is it, then?"

"A town, with a fort and walls. We're riding into a solid trap, I'mafraid. "

"Nonsense; there's no town out here. "

"But look for yourself, " I said excitedly. "It's a fort, and occupied. I can see men on the walls. "

"Impossible. There's no fort or town anywhere out here. "

"I tell you I can see plainly, " I said stubbornly, for I had in thosedays capital eyes, well trained by hunting expeditions to seeing greatdistances. 

"I tell you you can't, " cried Denham. 

"I can, and that's what the Boers are doing. They're driving us into atrap, and that troop that has been racing us is fighting to get herefirst so as to cut us off when we find out our mistake and try to getaway. "

"I say, are you talking foolishness or common-sense?" said Denham. 

"Common-sense, " I replied; "the sort that nobody likes to believe. "

"If you are we're galloping into a horrible mess; the Colonel ought tobe told. Yes, I'm beginning to think you're right. Ah! I can see thepeople there. They're manning that tower in the middle; I can just makethem out. Val, lad, your horse is faster than mine. You must try anddrop out, or spin forward, or do something to get to the Colonel's sideand tell him what you can see. "

I made no reply, but rode on stride for stride with my companion; but Ikept my eyes fixed upon the strange-looking rocks and edifices in front, and made no effort to change my position. 

"Did you hear what I said?" cried Denham. 

"Yes, I heard, " I replied. "But how is it to be done?"

"Don't ask me how it's to be done, " he said angrily; "do it. "

"There's no need, " I said; "the enemy is scuttling off as fast as he cango. "

"Retreating?"

"Seems like it. Why, Denham, can't you see?"

"See? No! What? Speak out, before it's too late. "

"Look again, " I said, laughing. "It's a troop of baboons. "

"What!" cried Denham. "Well, of all the absurd things! So it is. "

There was no doubt about the matter, and five minutes' gallop brought usclose up to where a mob of two or three hundred of the fierce and hardyhalf-doglike creatures were racing about over the rocks, after leavingthe walls and battlements of the great buildings in front of us, andleaping higher and higher amongst the rocks of the great clump whichstood like an island in the midst of a dried-up sea. 

There was no time for natural-history studies of the ape. The squadronof Boers we had been racing to get first to the ruins--as we now sawthem to be--were only far enough off to afford us time to pull up, spring from our horses at the foot of a huge wall, and, from our steadyposition, give the advancing enemy a volley with such good effect thatover a dozen saddles were emptied, and the whole body wheeled round anddashed off to join the rest of the advancing force. 

This gave us a few minutes' respite, during which the horses wererapidly led into shelter by half our party, who found a way through thegreat wall; while the other half rapidly manned wall, rock, and tower, ready to receive the enemy with a steady fire, which they were notlikely to stand, for in every direction now the veldt stretched away, bare of such cover as our enemies loved to use. 

It was close work, and the Boers swept round right and left to attack usin the rear. Our men were, however, too quick for them; and, climbinghigher, knots of them reached the highest portions of the rocks beyondthe ruins, and opened fire upon the enemy, so that in a short time ourassailants drew back to a distance, but kept their formation of fourparties. As soon as they were beyond range, we could see three men fromeach of three bodies gallop off to join the fourth, evidently to hold acouncil of war concerning their next movements. This afforded us timeto make something of an examination of the stronghold so opportunelyoffered as a refuge, and gave the Colonel an opportunity for taking thebest advantage of our position. 

The ruined buildings had undoubtedly been constructed for purposes ofdefence; and, to every one's intense delight, on passing through anopening in what proved to be a solid cyclopean wall, strengthened withtower-like edifices, there was a wide courtyard-like enclosure, quitebeyond the reach of bullets, into which our horses were led, the wallsthemselves being of ample width to be manned, and with sufficientshelter from which our marksmen could command the whole kopje; and onthese walls about fifty of our men were stationed. 

"We're safe enough here from any attack they can make, " said theColonel. "What we have to fear is the want of water and provisions ifthey try to invest us. "

Which they would not do, was the opinion of all who heard his words. Wehad our haversacks pretty well lined, and each man had, of course, hiswater-bottle; but the possibility of being held up for over twenty-fourhours was enough to make the Colonel give orders for an examination ofthe ruins and the rocks of the kopje around, to see if water could befound. 

To Denham was given the task of making the search, and he nodded to meto accompany him, and afterwards called to Sergeant Briggs, who eagerlycame to our side. 

"We're to go upon a foraging expedition, Briggs, " said Denham, "in casewe want food and water. "

"Well, it won't take much looking to prove that there isn't a mouthfulof food to be got here, sir, " said the Sergeant, "unless we take toshooting some of those pretty creatures hiding amongst the stones. They're as big as sheep, but I should want to be more'n usually hungrybefore I had a leg or a wing. "

"Ugh!" shuddered Denham. "I'd sooner eat hyena. "

"Well, no, sir; I won't go as far as that, " said the Sergeant. 

"As to water, " said Denham; "this has been a city at some time, so theremust have been wells somewhere, for no river has ever been hereabout inthe plain. "

"Wells or tanks, no doubt, sir, if we can find them, " said the Sergeant;"but I expect we shall find they have been filled up or covered by thestones that have crumbled down from these towers and walls. "

"What a place to build a city in, out in the middle of this wide veldt!"I remarked. 

"It's more a fort or castle than the ruins of a city, " said Denham. "It's a puzzle, and it must be very, very old; but I say bless thepeople who built the place, for it's a regular haven of refuge for us. Why, we could hold these old walls against the whole Boer army. "

"Two of 'em, sir, if we'd got anything to eat. "

"And drink, " I added. 

"Yes, " said Denham. "That's the weak point; but there must be a bigwell somewhere, and we've got to find it. "

"I believe the horses would find it, sir, if we led one about--a thirstyone. They're good ones to smell out water when they want it. "

"Well, we'll try one if we can't find it without, " said Denham. "Comeon. "

We "came on, " searching about in the inside of the place, while theouter works and the rocks were held by our troops; and after carefullyexamining the enclosure where the horses stood looking ratherdisconsolate, as they snuffed at the chaotic heaps of broken andcrumbling stones, we passed through what must have been a gateway builtfor defence. The sides of this gateway were wonderfully sharp andsquare, and the peculiarity of the opening was, that it opened at onceupon a huge blank wall not above six feet away, completely screening theentrance to the great court, and going off to right and left. So that, instead of going straight on to explore the exterior of the court, wehad the choice of proceeding along one of two narrow passages open tothe sky, but winding away just as if the court had originally been builtwith two walls for an enemy to batter down before they could reach thecentre. 

No enemy had battered down these walls, not even the outer one. Timehad been at work on the upper part some thirty or forty feet above ourheads, where many stones had been loosened and others had fallen; butthe greater part of the walls stood just as they had been built by theworkmen when the world was much younger, possibly two or three thousandyears ago. Had time permitted, I for one should have liked to wanderabout and climb here and there, and try to build up in imagination atheory as to what race or age the old builders of the place belonged. 

"It's a puzzle, " said Denham, in answer to a remark of mine; "but theywere not of the same race or kind of people as the tribes of niggers whohave lived here since, and who have never built anything better than akraal. But look here, Val; we mustn't stop mooning over old history;we've got to find water for the horses, and there must be some about, for people couldn't have lived here without. "

I roused myself at once to my task, and we struck off to the left, walking and climbing over blocks of stone which had dropped in from theouter wall and encumbered the narrow passage, every now and then beingsaluted by one of the men, who, rifle in hand, was perched on high, watching the Boers, and ready, as Denham put it, to administer a bluepill to any one impudent enough to come too close. 

After getting along for about a hundred feet we came to a big opening onour right--a wide gap where the huge stone wall had been broken down byman or through some convulsion of nature, and now forming a rugged slopefull of steps, by which our men had mounted on either side of theopening to the top, where, as stated, they had ample space for movingand shelter from the enemy's bullets. 

"What are you looking for?" said one of the troopers from the top. "There's no one here. "

"Water, " said the Sergeant gruffly. 

"Then you'll have to wait till it rains, " said the sentry. 

"Humph! we shall see about that, " said Denham in a low tone, intendedfor my ears only; and we climbed on over a heap of debris, at the top ofwhich we had a good view outward to where one of the Boer parties haddismounted and were resting their horses before retiring or makinganother attack. 

Upon descending the farther side of the heap of broken stones, there wasa continuation of the open passage, always about six feet wide, butwinding probably in following the course of the rock upon which theplace was built, so that we could not at any time look far along thepassage. 

"This doesn't seem like the way to find water, " said Denham. 

"One never knows, " I said. "Let's see where the passage leads to. "

"Of course; but it seems waste of time. The old city, or temple, orwhatever it was, must have been built with two walls for security, and Idare say once upon a time it was covered in so as to form a broadrampart. "

"Right!" I said eagerly, and pointed forward. For we had just come insight, at a bend, of a spot where great stones were laid across fromwall to wall; and on passing under them we found our way encumberedbeyond by numbers of similar blocks, some of which seemed to havecrumbled away in the middle till they broke in two and then dropped. 

"Oh yes, " said Denham, in reply to a remark, "it's very interesting, ofcourse, but we're not ruin-grubbers. I dare say the place was built inthe year 1; and the knowing old codgers who understand these thingswould tell us that the people who built the place had dolly something, or square heads; but we want to find out which was the market-placewhere they kept the town-pump. "

"And as the pump is most probably worn out, " I said laughingly, "we'llbe content with the well. "

"Oh, if we find the well the pump-handle's sure to be at the bottom, and--Hullo! what have we got here?"

I shared my companion's wonder, for upon rounding a curve of the passagewe came upon an opening in the great stones of the inner wall--anopening that was wonderfully perfect, being covered in by thecross-stones, which were in place over the passage where the doorwayshowed. 

"Dark, " I said as I passed in. "No; only just here. There's anotherwall, and quite a narrow passage not above three feet wide, and thenit's light again. "

"Let's look, " said Denham. "Stop a minute, though. Don't go in, or youmay drop down some hole. Here, I'll strike a light. "

The next minute a little match was lighting up the narrow place, withthe wall close in front and then a passage going off to the right. 

"Why, it's like Hampton Court Maze done in stone, " said Denham. "Butthere, what did I say? Look at that hole. "

He pitched the remains of the burning match to the right, and it droppeddown out of sight, lighting up the narrow way and then going out. 

"That's the well, I believe, " I said. 

"Let well alone, " replied Denham. "We don't want to tumble downthere. --I say, Briggs, pick up that bit of stone, and reach in and pitchit down. "

The sergeant rested his rifle against the wall, picked up a block ofstone, and reaching in, threw it to his left so accurately, by goodchance, that it must have dropped right in the middle of the opening andgone down clear for some distance before it struck against stone, andthen rebounded and struck again, rumbling and rolling down for somedistance before it stopped. 

"Cheerful sort of place to have gone down, " said Denham. "Tell youwhat; that's the way down to the wine-cellars. The old races were rarepeople for cultivating the grape and making wine. "

"I believe it's the way down to the vaults where they buried theirdead, " I said. 

"Ugh! Horrid, " cried my companion. "Here, let's light another match. "

He struck one, held it low, and stepped in and then to his right, andstood at the very edge of a hole in the rough floor of crumbled stone. Then, to my horror, the light flashed in the air as if it was beingpassed through it rapidly. 

Then Denham spoke. 

"It's all right, " he said. "You can step across. It's only about threefeet over. Wait till I've lit another match. Yes, " he said as thelight flashed up, "it's just as wide as it is across. I believe thatoriginally the place was quite dark, and this hole was a pitfall for theenemies who attacked. There, come on. "

It was easy enough to spring over, and the next minute Briggs followed, and we continued our way down a narrow passage whose roof was open tothe sky at the end of a couple of dozen yards, so that there was no riskof our stumbling upon a pitfall; and, after passing along this passagefor a time in a curve, we came upon what seemed to be its termination ina doorway, still pretty square, but whose top was so low that we had tostoop to enter a kind of building or room of a peculiar shape, wider atone end than at the other, in which there was a rough erection; while atone corner, some ten yards away, there was another doorway leading, probably, to another passage. 

"Why, it must be a temple, " I said, "and that built-up place was thealtar. "

"Does look like it, " said Denham thoughtfully. 

"You gentlemen know best, I dessay, " said the Sergeant; "but it strikesme that this here was a palace, and the bit we're in was kitchen. "

"Nonsense, " said Denham. "It was a temple, and that was the altar. "

"Wouldn't want a chimbley to a temple, would they, sir?"

"Chimney?" I said. "Where?"

"Yonder, sir. Goes back a bit, and then turns up. You can see thelight shining down. "

"Yes, " I said, as we stepped close up to the supposed altar; "that musthave been a chimney. "

"That's right enough, " said Denham sharply. "Burnt sacrifices, ofcourse. This place was covered in once, and that chimney was to carryoff the smoke. But there, let's get on. We're not finding water. Isit dark through this doorway?"

Inspection proved that it was rather dark; but the absence of stones inthe roof enabled us to see our way without a match. At the end of tenfeet of narrow passage, whose floor was very much scored and broken up, there was a square opening similar to that which we had passed beforeentering the so-called temple. 

"I shouldn't be surprised if that hole communicates with the first, " Isaid. 

"Pretty well sure to, " said Denham. "Here, sergeant, fetch one of thosesquare bits of stone that lay by the other. "

Briggs stepped back, and returned with a curious-looking and roughlysquared piece of stone, handing it to Denham for throwing down; but ashe took it I checked him. 

"Don't throw that, " I said; "it has been chiselled out, and is curious. It may show who the people were that did all this. "

"Humph! Maybe, " said Denham. "Take it back, Sergeant, and bring usanother. "

Briggs went back and fetched another block. 

"This here's the same, sir, " he said, "and cut out deeper, as if to fiton something. "

"Yes, that's more perfect, " I said. "Throw the first one down. "

"Seems a pity, " said Denham, looking first at one block and then theother. "They are curious; why, they look as if some one had tried tochisel out a hand-barrow on a flat piece of stone. "

"Yes, sir, " said Briggs gruffly, "or one o' them skates' eggs we used tofind on the seashore at home in Mount's Bay. "

"Look here, " I said, kicking at the flooring and loosening a shaleypiece of stone about as big as my hand; "I'll throw this down. "

I pitched the piece into the darkness below, and we listened for it tostrike, but listened in vain for a few seconds, and then:

_Plosh_!

"Water!" I cried. "Why, we've found the well. "

"Hurrah!" cried Denham; "well done us!" and he stepped back to where Ihad kicked out the piece of broken stone, and was about to throw anotherpiece down, when, as the light from above fell upon it, I snatched itfrom his hand. 

"Don't do that, " he cried angrily. "I want to judge how deep the placeis. "

"Don't throw that, " I said huskily. 

"Why not?"

"It isn't a well. "

"What is it, then?"

"Look at this piece of stone, " I said, and I held the under part upwardso that the light fell upon two or three scale-like grains and a fewfine yellowish-green threads which ran through it. "It's an ancientmine, and this is gold. "

"Right!" cried Denham excitedly. "Then that old place back there withthe chimney is the old smelting-furnace. "

"Right you are, gentlemen, " cried Briggs, slapping his thigh; "and Iknow what those two hand-barrow stones are. I've seen one like 'embefore. "

"What?" I said eagerly. 

"Moulds, sir, as the old people used to pour the melted stuff in. Theyused to do it near my old home in Cornwall, only the metal there wastin. "

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

THE OLD FOLKS WORK. 

"Then this isn't a well, after all, " said Denham, who seemed struck withwonderment. 

"No, " I said excitedly, as all kinds of Aladdin-like ideas connectedwith wealth began to run through my mind; "but there's water in it, andit will serve us as a well. "

"Yes, of course, " cried Denham. "I say, you two have made a discovery. "Then he lit a match, got it well in a blaze, and let it drop down thesquare shaft, when it kept burning till, at about a hundred feet belowus, it went out with a faint hiss, which told that it had reached thewater. 

"It'll do for a well, sir, " said Briggs; "and I wouldn't mind gettingdown it at the end of a rope. I've done it before now, when a well'sbeen rather doubtful, and we've had to burn flares down it to start thefoul air. That hole's as clear as can be. "

"How do you know?" said Denham. 

"By the way that match burned till it reached the water, sir. If theair down there had been foul it would have been put out before itreached the surface. "

"But there will be no need for you to go down, sergeant, " I said. "Wecan reach the water with a few tether ropes. "

"To get the water--yes, my lad, " said the sergeant, with a queerscrewing up of his face; "but I was thinking about the gold. "

"Oh, we've no time to think of gold, " said Denham shortly. "But I say, Val, isn't this all a mistake? Who could have built such a place andworked for gold--making a mine like this?"

"I don't know, " I said, "unless it was the ancient traders who used togo to Cornwall in their ships to get tin. "

"What! the Phoenicians?" said Denham. 

"Yes, " I said. "They were big builders too. They built Tyre andSidon. "

"Val, " cried my companion, slapping me on the shoulder, "you've hit itright on the head. They were the builders. We know they went to Scillyand Cornwall for tin. They must have come here for gold. "

"Oh no, " I said. "They could sail from Tyre and Sidon, keeping withinsight of land all the way along the Mediterranean, through the Straitsof Gibraltar, and then up the coasts of Spain and France, and across toour country; but they couldn't sail here. "

"Well, not all the way; but I can recollect enough of the map to knowthat they'd most likely have ships at the top of the Red Sea, and couldcoast down from there till they got somewhere about Delagoa Bay orDurban, and gradually travel across country till they got here. "

"Rather a long walk, " I said. 

"Long walk? Of course; but it was done by the people in the course ofhundreds of years perhaps--settlers who came into the country after itsproducts. There, I believe it, and we must have made a find. Here, come back and let's have a look at the old furnace and chimney. "

We went back, and were soon satisfied that we had the right idea. Onfurther examination we found that some of the stones were calcined, andat a touch crumbled into exceedingly fine dust; while one corner at theback--below the chimney opening, where it was a good deal broken--showedsigns of intense heat, the face of one angle being completely glazed, the stone being melted into a kind of slag like volcanic glass. 

"Oh, there's not a bit of doubt about it, " cried Denham. "What do yousay, Sergeant?"

"Not a bit o' doubt about it, sir. I've seen smelting-furnaces enoughour way for copper and tin, and this might have been one of such places, made by old-fashioned folks who didn't know so much as we know now. It's an old smelting-shop for certain; but I don't see as we've anythingto shout about. "

"What!" cried Denham; "when we've made a discovery like this? Are youmad?"

"Not as I knows on, sir. It's only like coming to a corner of the beachat home and finding a heap of oyster-shells. "

"What do you mean?" said Denham angrily. 

"Why, sir, it only shows as there was oysters there once, and thatsomebody came and dredged them, opened 'em, and ate 'em, and left theshells behind. Here's the shell, plain enough; but the old Tyre andSidems, as you call 'em, took away all the gold, sure enough. Trust'em!"

"What!" cried Denham, laughing. "Is it likely? Here's a gold-mine, sure enough; but if there's one here, don't you think there must beplenty more places in this country where people could dig down and getgold?"

"May be, sir, " said Briggs, scratching his ear. 

"Is there only one tin-mine in Cornwall, Sergeant?" I said. 

"Only one tin-mine in Cornwall!" cried Briggs in disgust. "Whatchertalking about? Why, the country's full of 'em. You find tin whereveryou like to cut down to one kind o' rock as is what they call quartz, and where there's tin in it there's a lot o' red powder as well; andwhen you break a bit there's the tin, all in pretty little black shinygrains. Oh, there's plenty o' tin in Cornwall, only it costs a lot todig and blast it out o' the mine. "

"So you may depend upon it there's plenty of gold here, sergeant, " saidDenham, taking the piece of stone I had picked up and holding it out tothe sergeant. "There's a specimen of the ore, and I'll be bound to saythere's tons of it to be found. "

"Humph!" said the Sergeant, examining the piece of stone; "p'r'aps thembits o' threads and them scrappy bits may be gold; but if you broke thatup and melted it, the gold you'd get would be such a tiny bead that itwouldn't be worth taking away. "

"Perhaps not, " said Denham, giving me a look; "but there'd be agood-sized bead out of a ton. The ancient miners didn't work fornothing, I'll be bound. But come along; we've found what we werelooking for, and--"

He stopped short, for just then a shot was fired, which made us start onour return along the narrow passage. 

"Mind the hole, " I shouted to Denham, who was first. 

"Jingo!" he cried, "I'd forgotten it;" and he made a bound which tookhim clear, proving that I had spoken just in time. 

Before we were out into the wider passage open to the sky, three or fourmore shots rang out, followed by a volley, and then there was a cheer. 

"Ahoy, there!" cried Denham, hailing the men on the top of the outerwall. "What is it--enemy come on?"

"Eh? Oh, it's you, sir, " cried one of our troopers, looking down. "Yes, and no. Enemy, but not the Boers. "

"What do you mean?" cried Denham sharply. 

"Troop of those baboons got together and making a rush, barking like apack of dogs, at our fellows out yonder among the rocks. They had togive 'em a few pills to scatter 'em. The savage little beasts have goneoff now. "

"I thought we were going to be out of a fight, " said Denham to me as wequickly retraced our steps, to make our way to the Colonel, whom wefound at last in the court amongst the horses, talking anxiously to aknot of officers. 

"Oh, there you are, Mr Denham, " said the Colonel as we went up. "I wasbeginning to think you'd come to grief. I could have searched the placehalf-a-dozen times over by now. You've come to say there's no water, ofcourse?"

"No, sir; I've found plenty. "

"What!" cried the Colonel, whose whole manner changed in an instant. "You've found plenty?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Splendid news, my dear boy. There, I forgive you for being long, " headded good-humouredly. "The horses want a drink badly. Show the menwhere to lead them at once. "

"My news is not so good as that, sir. It's hard to get. "

"What! At the bottom of a well?"

"Of a well-like place; and I think there's an ample supply. "

"See to getting ropes, Sergeant, " said the Colonel, "and--we have nobuckets with us?"

"No, sir; but there's a couple of those zinc-lined nose-bags in thetroop. "

"Capital. They'll do. Take what men you want, and set to work drawingwater at once. You must try and clear out some hollow among the stonesnear the mouth of the well, so that the horses can be led to drink asfast as the men can haul the water up. "

I was in the party told off to help; and the first thing to be done wasto find the nearest part of the court to the interior building where themine-shaft was. It proved to be an easier task than we anticipated. What was better, we came upon a pile of stones in one corner, close upto the wall, which looked as if they had been heaped up there by handfor some reason or another; and they attracted me so that I drewDenham's attention to them, and told him what I thought. 

"You're right, " he said. "Here, half-a-dozen of you, come and help. "

He was about to set the men to work to drag the stones away; but Iproposed that the tethering raw-hide ropes of two of the horses shouldbe attached to their saddles and the ends made fast to the great roughslabs of stone. This was done, and the horses set to draw, when one byone a dozen massive pieces were drawn aside, leaving a little opening, through which I dropped a stone, with the result that those who listenedheard a deep-sounding _plosh_! and set up a cheer. Then other two slabswere dragged away, to lay bare a roughly squared hole six feet across, from which the water could be easily drawn up. 

"That communicates with our shaft, then?" said Denham to me in aquestioning tone. 

"No doubt, " I said. "I dare say there are tunnels running in severaldirections. Did you tell the Colonel about the gold?"

"Not yet, " he replied. "He thinks a good deal more about the water nowthan he would do about gold. But, I say, do you think it will be gooddrinking-water?"

"Certainly, " I said. "Gold isn't copper. "

"Thank you, " he said sarcastically. "I found that out a long time ago. I never could do anything like so much with a penny as I could with asov. --Here, Sergeant, " he cried as the first water-bag was pulled up, dripping, and with the sound of the water that fell back echoingmusically with many repetitions underground, in what seemed to be a vastplace. "Water good?"

"Beautiful, sir. Clear as crystal and cold as ice. "

"Then I'll have a taste, " said the Colonel, coming up. "Excellent!" hecontinued, after taking a deep draught from the portable cup he tookfrom his pocket. "Now, what are you going to do?"

"Keep on pouring it into that hollow among the stones, sir, " saidDenham, pointing to a little depression. Into this one of our makeshiftbags was emptied, and the impromptu trough proved quite suitable. 

Then the men worked away at lowering and raising the nose-bag buckets, drawing up sufficient in a few minutes for watering half-a-dozen horsesat a time. 

While this was progressing the Colonel returned from where he had beeninspecting the top of the wall, and rearranging the men so as to takethe greatest advantage of our position, to make sure the Boers could notbreak in through the weakest spot--the opening where the wall hadfallen. 

"Ha!" he said to Denham and me, "you two deserve great credit forhunting out the old underground tank of this ancient fortress. Now, with plenty of provisions and fodder for the horses, we might hold thisplace for any length of time. I think the General ought to know of it, and place two or three companies of foot here. I see that good sheltermight be contrived by drawing some wagon-sheets across the top of thesedouble walls. "

"Yes, sir--easily, " said Denham. "As you say, there would be no horsesto keep if the place were held by foot. "

"Exactly, " said the Colonel, who seemed much interested in the drawingof the water, and listened intently to the echoes of the splashing fromthe impromptu buckets. "Why, Denham, that tank seems to be of greatsize; quite a reservoir, and tremendously deep. "

"It is, sir, " said Denham dryly; "only it isn't a tank. "

"What is it, then--a well?"

"No, sir: a gold-mine, " said Denham in a low tone. 

The Colonel looked at him sternly, and then smiled. 

"Oh, I see. Metaphorical, " he said. "Yes, to thirsty folk a perfectgold-mine. Liquid gold--eh?"

"You don't understand me, sir, " said Denham quietly. "I was notspeaking in a figurative way, but in plain, downright English. Thatreally is part of an ancient gold-mine, in which the water has collectedin course of time. "

"Really? Are you sure?" said the Colonel. 

"Yes, sir, " replied Denham. Then in a few words he told the Colonelthat we had discovered two shafts within the walls, as well as the oldfurnace-house and the ingot-moulds. 

"You astound me, " said the Colonel. "Here, come along and let me see. "

He followed Denham, and I went too, as one of the discoverers. TheColonel examined everything with the utmost interest. 

"Not a doubt about it, " he said at last. "You two lads have made a mostcurious discovery. It may be valuable or worthless; but here it is. Ithink that, besides being a splendidly strong place for a base, it isotherwise worth holding. "

"You feel sure it is an old gold-mine, then, sir?"

"Undoubtedly, and it must have been of great value. This explains whyit was made a favourite station by the ancient settlers who discoveredthe riches on the spot. I've heard rumours of old workings about herein the veldt; but I never thought much about them, or that they were ofany consequence. I shall begin to think now that we must fight harderthan ever to hold this part of the country. Which of you two made thediscovery?"

"Both of us, " said Denham. "No; Moray first stumbled upon the holethere. "

"We were together, " I said quietly; "and Sergeant Briggs helped. "

"I didn't see much of his help, " said Denham dryly. "We pushed, and hedid the grunting. "

"You shall have the credit of the discovery, never fear, " said theColonel, "and your share of the profit, if there is any; but we havesomething else to think about now. Come up here; I want to see how ourenemies are going on. "

He led the way back to the walls, and we followed him to the highestpart of our fortress. The strength of the place seemed to explain agreat deal, suggesting, as it did, that the builders must have had goodreasons for the tremendous labour expended in making the place thestronghold it must have been. 

"Ah, " said the Colonel, shading his eyes and gazing over the walls atthe rocky part of the kopje, "I don't want to be unmerciful; but I'mafraid we must clear the rocks of the enemy. "

"The apes?" said Denham. 

"Yes; the vicious little brutes have bitten two of the men; but they hadto pay for it, for three were killed and I don't know how many woundedbefore the pack was driven off. You should both be well on the lookoutwhen wandering about, and ready to use your revolvers, for the apes havesteel-trap jaws, and muscles nearly as strong. It is astounding thestrength there is in an ape. "

"But if you come to the question of strength, sir, " said Denham, "itseems to me that everything in nature is stronger than a man. Look atinsects. "

"No, thank you, Mr Denham, " said the Colonel sarcastically. "I havesomething else to look at, and no time to listen to your lesson onnatural history. Some evening, perhaps, when there is no danger, and Iam sipping my coffee over a quiet pipe, I shall be happy to listen toyou. "

"Thank you, sir, " said Denham. 

"Is that meant to be sarcastic, my dear boy?" said the Colonel, laughing. 

"Oh no, sir, " said Denham in an ill-used tone. 

"I say `Oh yes. ' But I didn't mean to snub one of my smartestofficers. --Well, Moray, this is another reason for giving you yourstripes. Work away, my lad, and master all your drill. I would promoteyou directly; but it would seem too much like favouritism in the eyes ofyour seniors. You may rest assured that I am not forgetting you. "

"I am quite satisfied, sir, " I said warmly. "Every one treats me moreas a friend than as the latest recruit. "

"I'm glad of it, and that Mr Denham here seems to look upon you as acompanion--a brother-in-arms, I ought to say. "

"Yet I've a lot of trouble with him, sir, " said Denham mockingly. "He'sa very impudent young brother-in-arms sometimes. "

The Colonel made no reply, but took his field-glass from its case, andsat down on the highest point of the old fortress, while he proceededcarefully to examine the country round, dropping a word or two about hisobservations from time to time. 

"The Boers seem as if they mean to stop, " he said softly, and there wasa pause as he swept the horizon with his glass. "A good twelve hundredmen if there's one, " then came, and he had another good long look. "Letit stand at twelve hundred, " he muttered; "but I believe there aremore. " There was another pause. "Take some grass to keep all thosehorses, " he muttered--"that is, if they stay. " Another pause. "Be nextdoor to madness to try to cut our way through them. "

"Yes, sir, " said Denham. 

"I beg your pardon, Mr Denham, " said the Colonel, lowering his glass tolook at my companion. 

"Beg pardon, sir; I thought you spoke, " replied Denham, and he cockedhis eye comically at me as the Colonel renewed his observations. 

"They evidently mean to stay; and if we made a rush for it, every manwould be down upon his chest delivering such a deadly fire as I dare notexpose my poor, fellows to. "

"No, sir, " said Denham to me silently--that is to say, he made a round"O" with his mouth, and then shaped the word "sir" as one would intrying to speak to a deaf and dumb person. 

"They'd empty half our saddles, and kill no end of horses, " continuedthe Colonel, as he kept on sweeping the plain with his glass. 

There was a long pause now; and then, still speaking in the same low, distinct voice, and without doubt under the impression that he was onlyexpressing his thoughts in silence: "That's it, " he said at last, as ifhe had quite come to a decision as to the course he must pursue. "Inthe dark. A quiet walk till we are discovered by their outposts, andthen gallop and get through them. Say to-morrow night, when the horsesare well rested. "

Another pause, during which Denham shook his head violently. Then: "No. The poor horses would be hungry. It will have to be to-night. Let mesee; there is no moon. Yes, it must be to-night. "

_Click_! went the field-glass as it was closed, and at the same momentthe Colonel turned, to see Denham nodding his head violently at me inacquiescence with our chief's remarks, but in profound ignorance, tillhe saw my eyes, of the fact that the Colonel was watching him curiously;then he met the Colonel's glance, and blushed like a girl. 

"Don't do that, Mr Denham. You'll injure your spine. "

"Oh!" went Denham's mouth, and he stamped his foot, as the Colonelwalked away--both movements, of course, in silence. 

"There, " said the Colonel loudly, as if for us both to hear; "I don'tthink I need try to see any more. Ha!" he ejaculated as, with a sharpmovement, he began to open and focus his glass again, and lookingtowards the west for some time. "Worse and worse. They mean to haveus. I suppose they look upon us as a danger that must be crushed outonce and for all. "

"If they could do it, sir, " said Denham. 

"They evidently mean to try, Denham, " replied the Colonel, with a sigh. "Some of us will have to bite the dust before this business is over. There's a fresh commando of quite five hundred men coming up yonderunder the sun, and before dark we shall be regularly ringed round. "

"Well, let them come, sir, " said Denham bitterly; "they can't all hit atus at once. What you said was right. "

"What I said was right?" replied the Colonel, staring. "Why, what did Isay?"

"Something about advancing to-night in the darkness; and then, as soonas we were discovered by the outposts, making a gallop for it. "

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Not a bad plan either, " said the Colonel, his face wrinkling up. 

"No, sir; just the exciting rush I love. "

"Humph!" said the Colonel. "Well, gentlemen, we may as well go down. "

"`Well, gentlemen, '" whispered Denham to me, with a laugh, as soon as hehad the opportunity. "I say, recruit--private--whatever you callyourself--why don't you blush?"

No more was said then, as orders were given for every man to make a goodmeal from his haversack; and as soon as the order was passed along, themen looked at one another and began to whisper. 

"We're not going to stop here for to-night, " said one. "I had pickedout my corner for a good snooze. "

"The Colonel was afraid the ruin would be too draughty for us, anddidn't wish to see his boys getting up in the morning with stiff necks, "said another; and plenty of laughing and banter went on amongst the men, who in all probability would be engaged in a deadly struggle before manyhours had passed. 

I thought of this for a time, and I ate my bread and cold salt porkslowly and without appetite, for the thoughts of the pleasant old farmcame back; and I began to wonder how father and Bob were, and what AuntJenny would be thinking about. Then, between the mouthfuls, a vision ofJoeboy's black face and grinning white teeth seemed to rise up; and Ifell to thinking how disappointed he would be when he returned from theforaging expedition to find that the corps had been suddenly called out. 

"Poor old Joeboy!" I thought to myself; "it's a pity father didn't keephim at home. It would be horrible if he were to be shot by the Boers. "But I was eating again heartily soon, the conversation of the men takingup my attention, for they were discussing what was to be done thatevening. 

"It's only a reconnaissance, " said one. "We're going to give theDoppies a stir-up to show them we're `all alive, oh!'"

"Nonsense, " said another. "We shan't do anything; the Colonel don'tcare about working in the dark. "

"That's right, " said another voice. "It would be absurd to move fromsuch a strong place as this. Why, we could laugh at twice as many asthey could bring against us. "

"Don't you talk nonsense, my lads, " said a familiar voice which made meturn my head sharply. 

"Who's talking nonsense, Sergeant?" said one of the troopers. 

"The man who spoke, " was the reply. "What's the good of a strong placelike this to us if we've got no provisions for selves and horses?"

"The horses might be driven out to graze under the fire of our rifles. "

"How long would the scanty grass round here last? No: the chief's rightenough, and as soon as it's dark the orders will come, `Boot andsaddle. ' We've got to cut our way through that mob of Dutchmento-night. "

"Oh, very well, " said one of the men who had not yet spoken; "this israther a dreary sort of place, so by all means let us cut. "

The men grew very quiet afterwards as the twilight began to fall, and Inoticed that most of them, after finishing their meal and getting adraught of water freshly drawn up out of the old mine, walked up totheir horses and began to make much of them, patting and smoothing, andthen examining girths, bridles, and every buckle and strap. 

The night was coming on fast now, and the Boers began to mingle with thehaze in the distance. We saw they had filled up all the gaps betweentheir lines, opening out till they formed a complete hedge of dismountedhorsemen around our stronghold; and they looked a very formidable bodyof men. 

"Yes, " said Denham, who had drifted to my side again, according to whathad now become a custom of his--for I could not go to him--"we'reregularly ringed round, Val. "

"Yes, they're very strong, " I said. 

"No, they're not, lad, for a ring's very weak, and bends or breaks ifit's pushed from the inside; but if pushed from the outside it takes adeal to break it. We'll both bend and break it to-night. "

We sat talking for a bit, and watched the Boers till they were quiteinvisible. Then we could do nothing but wait for orders, no onebelieving that any attack would be made by our mounted enemy. However, about an hour after it was quite dark an alarm was suddenly given; butevery man was on the alert, and the entrances to our fort were doublystrengthened. For there was the sound of shouts and horses thunderingover the plain towards the fort; and at last the order was given tofire, a sharp fusillade ringing out in the horsemen's direction. It hadits effect, for the enemy turned and galloped away, the sounds of theirretreat rapidly dying out; and all seemed quiet till one of thedefenders of the gap in the wall challenged, with the customary "Halt!or I fire!"

"Um!" cried a familiar voice. "Don't shoot. On'y Joeboy. Want BossVal. "

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

BATHING IN HOT WATER. 

"Why, Joeboy, " I cried excitedly, "how in the world did you manage toget here?"

"Um! Walk very fas'. Then crawly till Doppies hear and shoot. Thenrun very, very fas'. Water: Joeboy thirsty. "

The faithful fellow had followed the troop as soon as he returned fromhis mission; and as he afterwards told me, with a broad smile upon hisface, he tracked us by following the Boers. 

"Joeboy know they try to ketch sojers, " he said. Soon after this, theBoers having withdrawn to their former position, as was carefully testedby the scouts sent out, the Colonel and the officers held a littlecouncil of war, at which Denham was present. And then the Colonelannounced his plans to this effect: He had made up his mind it wasimpossible to hold the ruined fortress without provisions, though hewould have much liked to keep it as a base from which to make a seriesof attacks upon the enemy. It was perhaps possible to get help; buttthis was doubtful, for the General's hands were very full. Then, bysending out several messengers with a despatch, one of them would besure to reach headquarters; but, even if he did, the reply wouldprobably be to the effect that it would be madness to despatch adetachment of infantry right out into the veldt at a time when the forceat disposal was so very small. So the Light Horse must make a dash toextricate themselves from their awkward position. These, Denham said, were the details of the Colonel's plan. 

"`That's how matters stand, ' said the Colonel in conclusion, `and Ipropose starting about two hours before daylight, going due east incolumn, and as quietly as possible, till we come in touch with theiroutposts, and then charge and cut our way through them before they haverecovered from their surprise. Now, ' he said, `I am open to considerany better suggestion if either of the senior officers can proposeone. '"

"Did any one make a suggestion?" I asked. 

"Of course not. Every one thought the plan splendid, " replied Denham. 

"Then we're going to try it?" I said. 

"We're going to do it, " cried my companion warmly; "but I don't likegiving up a rich gold-mine like this now we've found it. "

"No, " I said thoughtfully; "and, besides the gold, it is such a grandarchaeological discovery. "

"Well, yes, I suppose it is, " replied Denham; "but I was thinking of thegold. I say, though, you'll have to sit fast, squire--regularly grow toyour saddle. "

"Of course; but I'm afraid we shall leave a lot of our poor fellowsbehind. "

"Not we, " cried Denham warmly. "Our fellows can ride, and there'll beno firing. The Doppies won't try to shoot for fear of hitting their ownmen, as it will be too dark for them to aim for us. Besides, we maysteal through without being discovered. "

"Not likely, " I said. "They'll be too cunning. Depend upon it, they'llhave vedettes out all along the line. "

"Then the vedettes had better look out, for those we meet when we chargethrough in column will be in a very awkward position. "

"Yes, very, " I said thoughtfully. 

"The Colonel then said all those not on duty were to lie down and sleeptill they were roused up half-an-hour before the start. "

"Oh yes, " I said bitterly; "we shall all feel quite ready for and enjoya good sleep with a ride like this in prospect. "

"Well, why not? I know I shall sleep, " said Denham. "So will you. Sohere goes. "

As he spoke I noticed that the men were lying down in the soft sandypatches among the stones; and, after seeing to my horse--just as amatter of course, though there was no need, for Joeboy had gone to hisside--I returned to where I had left Denham, and found him wrapped inhis cloak, fast asleep, and announcing the fact gently to all around inwhat sounded like an attempt to purr. 

"I may as well lie down, " I thought, after seating myself on a block ofstone, and gazing round at the high walls which encompassed us, and atthe bright stars overhead looking down peacefully upon our camp, as ifthere were no such thing as war in the world. Then I began thinkingabout home again, and wondered what they were all doing there, andwhether the Boers had interfered with my father because he was anEnglishman. This brought up the thought that if the war went againstthe Boers they might go so far as to commandeer both my father and Bob. The thought was horrible. 

"It doesn't matter so much about me, " I meditated; "but for them to bedragged off, perhaps to fight against us--oh! it would be terrible. "

There had until now been a sad feeling of restfulness about my position;but as I drew a mental picture of two forces drawn up against eachother, with my father and brother forced to fight on one side, andmyself a volunteer on the other, the rock upon which I was seated beganto feel horribly hard, and I changed my position, to lie down on thesoft sand at my feet. 

Well, I had been very hard at work all day; and Nature intended thelying-down position to be accompanied by sleep. In less than a minute, I suppose--in spite of home troubles, risks in the future, and, aboveall, that one so very close at hand--my eyes closed for what seemed tobe about a moment. Then some one was shaking my shoulder, and the someone's voice announced that it was Sergeant Briggs going round to all themen of his troop. 

"Come, rouse up, my lad! rouse up!" he whispered. "We're off in lessthan half-an-hour. "

I sprang to my feet, just as Denham came up. "Oh, there you are, " hesaid drowsily. "I was just coming to wake you. I say, get right upbeside me. We may as well go through it close together, and give oneanother a help--if we can. "

That was a weird and strange business, moving about in the darkness, with the horses snorting and sighing as the saddle-girths weretightened, and bits and curbs adjusted for a ride where everythingdepended upon horse and man being well in accord; but the preparationsdid not take long, and we were soon all standing in our places, bridleupon arm, and in as regular order as the roughness of the stone-litteredcourt would allow. 

I now learned that the men posted upon the walls had been withdrawn, andthat every one was in his place, waiting for the command to start upon aride at the end of which many would not answer to their names. 

Then, from out of the darkness, the Colonel's voice rose low and clear, giving the order "March!" and in single file the men moved off, leadingtheir horses towards the openings, through which they passed; then theybore off to their right to take up position in line till all were out, our troop being last. Next came the order, softly given to the firsttroop, to mount; and the same order was quietly passed along from troopto troop till it reached us, and we sprang into our saddles almostwithout a sound. 

"First come first served, " said Denham to me in a whisper. "I shouldhave liked to be in front so as to do some of the scouting and feelingfor the enemy, besides having first go at them before they grew thick. I say, Val, we must mind that we don't get cut off and taken prisoners. "

"Ugh! Yes, " I said, with a shiver. "I say, isn't it rather chilly?"

"Be warm enough presently, " said Denham bitterly. "Bah! This is toobad. I did want to be first in the column. "

"Form fours--left!" came from the front. 

I felt electrified as, quite accustomed to the command, the horses swunground to the left. 

Then came the word "March!" and our column moved off, with Denhamwhispering to me. 

"Talk about luck, " he said. "Why, we're going round the other way, andwe are to open the ball after all. "

For so it was. We had made up our minds that we were to be last, butthe Colonel's determination was to bear round to the left instead of theright; and in consequence of the movement the rear troop led. We rodeon at a walk till we had passed round by the rocks which harboured thebaboons, and then on till we were nearly opposite the opening by whichwe had entered the old stronghold. 

Then the order came, "Right!" and we struck off straight away for theBoer force opposite, an advance-guard and supports being sent out farahead; while the silence of the night was only broken by thesoftly-muffled tread of the horses, and once in a way by an impatientsnort. 

"That's the danger, " said Denham to me softly. "Just at the nick oftime our nags 'll be telling the Doppies we're coming. "

"Perhaps not, " I replied. "Where they are they have horses about themin all directions; and if they heard a snort, why shouldn't they thinkit was from one of their own ponies?"

"I hope they will, " said Denham impatiently. "But, I say, the chiefisn't going to keep us at this snail's-pace--is he? I want to gallop, and get it done. --Hullo! old Dark Night; I didn't know you were there. "

This was to Joeboy, who was walking with one hand on the cantle of mysaddle. 

"Um!" said Joeboy; "come along take care of Boss Val. "

"Good boy!" said Denham banteringly. "Take care of me too. "

"Um! Yes! Take care too, " replied the black; and just then an ideastruck me, and I hastened to communicate it to my companion at once. 

"Why, Denham, " I said, "we ought to send Joeboy right on in front, awayin advance of the guard. He wouldn't be noticed in the dark, and wouldbe able to get close to the outposts and let us know when it is time tocharge. "

"Silence in the ranks there!" said a stern voice. "Not a word there!Who's here?"

"Denham, sir, " replied my companion. 

"Then you had better go to the rear. I want trustworthy officers infront during this emergency. "

"Yes, sir, " said Denham bitterly; and he was in the act of falling outfrom his place when, feeling unable to contain myself, I broke out:

"I beg pardon, sir; it was my fault. I spoke to propose--"

"To propose what?--Silence!"

I was mutinous in my excitement, for I continued:

"To send on this black we have with us right in front. He could getclose up to the outposts without being seen. "

I expected a severe rebuke before I had finished; but, to my surprise, the Colonel--for it was he who had ridden up to the front--heard me tothe end. 

"A black?" he said. "Is he to be trusted?"

"I'll answer for him, sir, " I said eagerly. 

"Here, Mr Denham, " said the Colonel, "stay in your place. Yes--sendthe black scout on at once to creep forward far in advance of thecolumn, and tell him to come back and give us full warning of how nearwe are to the enemy. "

The Colonel drew rein as soon as he had spoken, and we passed on, whileas soon as we were getting out of hearing Denham gripped my arm. 

"You brick!" he whispered. "Now then, send on your Joeboy. --Do youunderstand what for?" he now asked the black. 

"Um!" replied Joeboy. "Find the Doppies, and come back. "

"That's right, " said Denham eagerly. "Creep up as close as you can, andthen come and warn us. Oh, what a blessing to have a black skin, and noclothes to hide it!"

"Joeboy go now?"

"Yes. Off, " whispered Denham, and the black uttered a peculiar clickwith his tongue, leaped out sidewise, and then bounded forward without asound. One moment we saw his black figure dimly; the next he seemed tohave melted away or been absorbed into the blackness right ahead, andfor some time we were following the track of what had been like ashadow. 

I listened as our horses tramped quietly on through what was, now thatthe kopje had been left behind, like a sandy desert, whose soft surfacecompletely muffled the hoofs. Once in a while there was a faintrustling as the horses brushed through a patch of thick bush or theyellow-flowered thorn; but not a stone was kicked away or sent forth asharp metallic sound. So quiet was it that Denham turned to me andwhispered:

"Who'd ever think there were four hundred of our fellows on the marchbehind us?"

"And somewhere about twelve or fifteen hundred of the enemy in a circleround about. "

"Yes; but they're standing still, " he said. "Think your Joeboy willmake them out?"

"I'm sure of it, " I said. 

"That's right. Then in a few minutes we shall be at them with a rush. I don't like this fighting in the dark. "

"It will be a shout, a rush, and we shall cut our way right through, " Isaid. 

"Perhaps; but don't you cut, young fellow. If you come at any one therein front, you give point; don't waste time in cutting. I say, Val; if Idon't get through, and you can get to where I'm found--"

"What are you talking about?" I whispered sharply. 

"About my will, " he said quietly. "I leave you my watch and my sword. "

"And I'll leave you my rifle and Sandho. He's a splendid fellow to go. "

"Stuff and nonsense!" said Denham, interrupting me. "You won't behurt. "

"That's more than you know, " I said peevishly, for his words upset me;and when he went on I made no reply. Even if I had replied I should nothave been able to finish my speech, for Joeboy now came up at a longloping run. He caught at Denham's bridle, checking the horse, whileSandho and the three troopers on my right stopped short, and the wholeline of horsemen suddenly halted. 

"What is it?" said Denham. 

"Doppies all along, " said Joeboy. "All this way; all that way, " hecontinued, gesticulating. 

"How far?" I whispered. 

Joeboy shook his head, and seemed to feel puzzled how to answer thequestion. At last he raised his face and whispered, as he pointedforward:

"Far as two sojers over dah, " he said, "and far again. "

"Twice as far as the advance-guard, " I interpreted his words to mean. 

At that moment the Colonel rode up, and Denham repeated the black'swords. 

"That's right, " he said in a low tone, with his face turned so that asmany of the troop as possible should hear. "Lieutenant Denham, I shallnot alter our formation. Your orders are, `Forward' at a walk, and assilently as if the horses were grazing, till the advance-posts give thealarm. Then gallop straight away. Not a shot to be fired. Forward!"

There was a low murmur as of many drawing a deep, long breath. Then thecolumn was in motion, and I felt a thrill of excitement running throughme like a wave, while unconsciously I nipped Sandho's sides so that hebegan to amble. This brought back the knowledge that I must be cool, soI gently checked the brave little horse, and softly patted his archingneck, when he promptly slowed to a walking pace like the others. Then Ifound that Joeboy had crept round to my right side, between me and thenext trooper, and, assagai in hand, was holding on to my saddle with hisleft hand. 

All was perfectly still; and though we had gone on fully a hundredyards, there was nothing to be heard or seen of the enemy in front. 

Suddenly Denham leaned towards me, and gripped my shoulder for a momentbefore loosening his grasp and holding his right hand before me. 

"Shake, " he said in a low whisper. 

Our hands pressed one another for a brief moment or two, and then weboth sat upright, listening. 

All was yet silent. Then, far away, but so loudly that the air seemedto throb, came the deep, thunderous, barking roar of a lion, followedfrom out of the darkness ahead by the rush and plunge of a startledhorse. 

"Quiet, you cowardly brute, or I'll pull your head off!" came loudly inDutch, as a horse somewhere to our left uttered a loud, challengingneigh. This was answered directly by Denham's charger; and in aninstant a horse in front followed the first horse's example. 

I heard a faint rustle as every man threw his right arm over the reinsto seize the hilt of his sabre, and the feeling of wild excitement beganto rush through me again as I gripped my own and waited for the order todraw. 

Now the darkness was cut by a bright flash of light right in front;there was the sharp crack of a rifle, and right and left _flash, crack, flash, crack_, ran along a line. 

As the first report was heard Denham rose in his stirrups. "Drawswords!" he yelled; and then, "Gallop!"

There was the rasping of blades against the scabbards, three or fourclosely following digs into the soft sandy ground, with our horses'muscles quivering beneath us, and then we were off at full speed, tearing after the outposts, which had wheeled round and galloped back, while with our sabres at the ready we went straight ahead. 

"Keep together, lads, " cried Denham in a low, hoarse voice; but theorder was needless, for, after the manner of their nature, our chargershung together; and as we raced along it seemed to me that we should passright through the enemy's lines without a check. 

Vain thought! Away in front, as we galloped on, a low, deep hum seemedto be approaching; and I knew the alarm had spread, and that the Boerswere rapidly preparing for us. More than that, we had convincing proofthat they were prepared. 

Suddenly, flashing, glittering lights, as of hundreds of firefliesplaying about a hedge extending right and left as far as I could see, began to sparkle and scintillate; but only for a moment, for now camethe crackling roar of irregular firing, the flashes being partiallyobscured. Then, in a few brief moments more, we were closing up to thelong line of riflemen. 

"Now for it!" cried Denham close to my loft ear, his voice sounding likea husky whisper as we raced on knee to knee, and then our horses rose, as it were, at a fire-tipped hedge to clear the smoke. 

There was a crash, yells of rage and defiance, and we were through, tearing away with the roar of our long line of galloping horses closeafter us. There was no time to think of danger--of shots from theenemy, or being crushed down by the hoofs of the troopers tearing afterus; all was one wild state of fierce excitement, which made me feel asif I must shout in triumph at the result of our successful charge. 

Contrary to expectation, there was now a new sound--the buzzing hiss ofbullets overhead. Then, away to my left, yet another peculiarannouncement of what might happen; for, clearly above the heavy thud ofhorses' hoofs and the loud jingle of bits and chains, I could hear acurious _zip, zip, zip, zip_--a sound I had learned to know perfectlywell: it was the striking of the Boers' bullets upon inequalities of theground, and their ricochetting to hit again and again, as though ademoniacal game of "Dick, duck, and drake" were being played upon thesurface of the ground instead of upon the water from off the shore. 

Suddenly some one tore along to the side of our column, and a voiceshouted, followed by the clear notes of a trumpet. 

The horses wanted no touch from rein or spur. Those right and left ofme bore round, and naturally mine went with them. Left incline, and wetore on still in as wild and reckless a race through the darkness as wasever ridden by a body of men. 

The bullets overhead buzzed, and the ricochets sounded _zip, zip_; but, as far as we could tell, no one was hit, nor had a man gone down fromthe false stop of a horse. 

Unexpectedly, though, I heard a cry from somewhere behind, then a heavyfall, and another, as a couple of horses went down, and caused someconfusion; but to stop to help the unfortunates was impossible at such atime. It was the fortune of war, as we all knew; and we tore on, till anote from the trumpet rose from our left; then another, and the fiercegallop was changed to a trot, and evolution after evolution was executedto bring the retiring regiment into formation of troops. Soon afterthis was completed a fresh call brought us to a walk, and directly afterto a halt to breathe the panting horses. 

"Dismount, my lads, " cried the Colonel. This order was to enable thebrave beasts to have the full advantage of our halt. 

"Hurt?" was asked excitedly on all sides; but every answer was in thenegative, and we stood there by our troopers and chargers in thedarkness, listening to the wild excitement from the distance. 

The firing was still going on, but in a confused, desultory way; and forthe moment it seemed as if we had made good our escape, and had nothingto do but mount and ride quietly away. That was how it struck me, and Isaid so to Denham. 

"Oh no, " he said anxiously. "Didn't you see?"

"See what?" I asked. 

"Why, we were riding straight on into another body of the enemy after wehad cut through the first. "

"No, " I said. "Who could see through this darkness?"

"Well, I didn't at first; but when the Colonel dashed up with thetrumpeter and turned us off to the left, I looked out for the reason, and there it was: a long line of the brutes, blazing away in ourdirection. You must have heard the bullets. "

"Yes, I heard them, " I said, "but I thought they came from behind. "

"Some of them did, my lad, and I'm afraid we've left a good many poorfellows behind. But them, it can't be helped. The thing now to besettled is which way we are to go next. Listen; the officers are nearlyall with the chief now, and the whole plain seems to be dotted with theenemy. "

Denham had hardly done speaking when a movement a short distance from usresulted in the officers joining their troops and squadrons. Then theorder to mount was passed softly from troop to troop, and we waited forthe little force to be put in motion again. 

"It's of no use for the chief to try the same ruse again, " whisperedDenham. "It was right enough as a surprise; but the enemy is on thealert now. It seems to me we are as completely surrounded as before. "

"Never mind, " I said, as cheerily as I could; "we shall do it yet. "

"Oh yes, we shall do it yet, " replied my companion; "but it must be donequietly and quickly, while it's dark. I say, though, what about yourblack boy? He couldn't have kept up with our mad gallop. "

"Joeboy?" I said in an excited whisper. "Joeboy? I forgot all abouthim;" and a pang of misery shot through me. 

"He was holding on by your saddle--wasn't he?"

"Yes, " I said huskily; "but from the moment I drew my sword and wecharged, I never thought about the poor fellow till you spoke. "

"Advance at a walk!" was the next order; and as we started, the Colonelcame up to where Denham and I rode at one end of the leading troop. 

"Here, " cried the Colonel; "where's that Matabele fellow? He may leadus out of this crowd. "

"Gone, sir, " said Denham quietly. "We lost him in the gallop. "

"Tut, tut, tut!" muttered the Colonel; "he would have been more usefulthan ever now. Forward at a walk! They can't see us, nor tell us fromone of their friendly troops riding about the veldt. Silence in theranks!"

"He needn't have spoken, " said Denham in a low voice, as the Coloneldrew rein and let us pass. "We shall get through yet, as you say. "

However, the odds seemed to be terribly against us, for whichever way weturned large bodies of the enemy were evidently in front; and afterchanging our direction again and again during the next two hours, theColonel at last halted the corps. 

"It's of no use, " I heard him say to one of the senior officers. "We'reonly tiring out the horses and men. We must stand fast till daybreak, then select our route, make for it, and try what a good charge will do. We shall clear ourselves then. "

Directly afterwards the order was passed for the men to dismount andrefresh themselves with such water and provisions as they had, andsilence once more reigned among us; for, not far off, large bodies ofthe mounted Boers were in motion, and twice we were passed at apparentlysome two hundred yards' distance, our presence not being detected. 

"We ought to be able to get through, " whispered Denham to me soon afterthe second body had gone by. "They must be thinking by this time thatwe have got right away. Where do you think we are facing now? North, Ishould say. "

"East, " I replied, pointing away straight in front. "That's the morningbreaking. "

"For the beginning of another day, " said Denham softly. "Well, I shan'tbe unhappy when this one's work is done. "

"Nor I, " was my reply. "I half-wish we had stayed among the ruins. "

"To be starved, " said Denham bitterly. "No; this is far better. Itgives us something to do. "

"Yes, " I replied; "and there's some more, for the Colonel's coming up. "

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

WHAT PEOPLE THINK BRAVE. 

The Colonel was coming up, and it was quite time, for day was breakingfast, and the black darkness which had been our friend during the nightwas gradually dying away. 

There was but one thing to be done: to select the best direction formaking our dash; and, glass in hand, the Colonel stood near us, carefully scanning the country round. We who were waiting did the same, and saw the distant hills which seemed to turn the broad plain which hadbeen the scene of our night's encounter into a vast amphitheatre. Itwas too dark yet to make out much of the enemy's position; but rightaway to our left, and not many miles distant, was the heavy-looking massof the great kopje and the ancient buildings we had left. 

For some time we sat waiting, with the grey dawn broadening, and at lastI could clearly make out bodies of the mounted Boers in nearly everydirection; while, as I still scanned the distance, I gradually grew lesssurprised that we were evidently so thoroughly hemmed in, for the plainseemed to be alive with the enemy, though the nearest party must havebeen about half a mile off. Still there was no movement on the part ofthe enemy towards us, as doubtless, in the dim morning light, ourdust-coloured jackets and broad-brimmed felts caused us to be mistakenfor some of their own people. 

However, it was only a few minutes before a change took place. TheColonel had made up his mind, and the horses' heads were turned for theopen country, where there was a gap in the hills; and away we went at asteady walk, orders being given for the corps to break up its regularmilitary order and ride scattered in a crowd, after the fashion of ourenemies. This served us for a few minutes, during which we covered amile in the direction we were to go; but the light had grown stronger, and it became evident that a body on our right was moving slowly to cutus off. Before another minute had passed another body was advancingfrom the left; and, ignorant as I was of military evolutions, it wasplain enough to me that, long before we reached them, the two bodieswould meet and join in line to impede our advance. 

I was right, though I did not feel certain; for the orders were given, "Trot!" and then "Gallop!" and away we went for the closing-up gap infront. 

"We shall never do it, " said Denham to me as we galloped on. 

"We must, " I cried, and then no more words were spoken. To a man weknew, as we went along at a steady hand-gallop, that every body of Boerswithin sight was aware of what was going on, and moving forward to takeus in a gigantic net whose open meshes were closing in. 

There was no cheer, but a savage sound as if every man had suddenlyuttered the word "Ha!" in token of his satisfaction; for, as the twobodies of the enemy in front were racing over the veldt to meet andcrush us as we tried to get through, our trumpeter sounded a blast whichsent us along at full speed; and then another call was blown, and weswept round till, going at right angles to our former course, we wereriding exactly in the opposite direction to the detachment of Boers onthe right. Our object was, of course, to get round by their rear; and, being an irregular and only partially drilled body, the result of theColonel's manoeuvre was that the enemy, in their efforts to reversetheir advance, fell into confusion. Some were trying to pull up, otherstried to sweep round to right or left and meet us; while, to add totheir confusion and turn them into a mob of galloping horsemen, the leftbody charged full among their own men. The result was that we came uponthe struggling rear of the enemy's right wing, scattering and ridingover them; and had the country beyond been clear, we could have made ourescape. 

Unluckily it was the fortune, of war that, just as we had cleared thescattering mob, with every man riding for his life, there appeared infront another and stronger line, with bodies of the enemy coming in fromright and left. 

Our chief turned in his saddle to glance backward; but it was only tosee the two bodies we had passed struggling to got into something likeorder, so as to pursue us. For another minute no alteration was made inour course; but the attempt was hopeless, for we should have beenoutnumbered twenty times over, while the enemy in front now opened fire, their bullets whizzing overhead. 

The trumpet rang out, and we wheeled round as upon a pivot, ourwell-drilled horses never losing their formation; and away we went assoon as we were facing our loosely-formed, mob-like pursuers, straightfor their centre. 

The trumpet again rang out; and, sword in hand, every man sat well downin his saddle, prepared for the shock of the encounter which in anotherminute would have taken place. 

This, however, was not the style of fighting the Boers liked; and, already upset by the collision of the two bodies resulting in a confusedmob, they declined our challenge, and pulled up, tried to ride off toright and left, and again got themselves into a disorderly crowd; but asthey opened out we dashed through them, tumbling over men and horses, and with, a cheer galloped to reach an open part of the plain. 

It was a wild and exciting rush before we got through; and I have butlittle recollection of what took place beyond the fact that I struck outright and left in melee after melee, wherein blows were aimed at us withthe butts and barrels of rifles, and shots fired at close quarters, butin almost every case I believe without effect. Then the call rang out, "Halt!" and, with our enemies at a distance, we formed up again, to giveour panting horses breathing-time. 

It was then, I remember, that Denham--who had not been missed--almostbreathless, and with uncovered head, edged in to my side, and as soon ashe was able to speak panted out:

"Glorious, Val! Glorious! Oh! we did let them have it; but there'snothing for it except to die game or surrender, and I'll be hanged ifI'll do either, and so I tell them. "

"Which way are we going now?" I said, taking off my soft hat andoffering it to him, as I wiped the perspiration from my face with myhand. 

"Do you want to insult a fellow?" he cried, laughing. "Who's going towear your old hats?" Then, seriously: "No, no; keep it, old chap. Which way next? Who knows? I'm sure the Colonel doesn't. It's allchance. I don't like running; but run we must if they'll only open ahole for us. "

"It's horrible, " I said. 

"Not a bit of it. They're getting it worse than we are. "

"Yes; but look at their numbers. "

"I've been looking, old fellow, and there's more than I can count. Ididn't think there were so many Doppies in the country. There are toomany for us to kill, and so many that they won't run away. Why, we'renowhere. Yah! Cowards! That's the Boer all over. Look at them, lyingdown at a distance to pick us off. I don't call that fighting. Oh, Colonel, Colonel, this won't do!"

He said the words to me, and the men within hearing laughed. There was, however, good cause for Denham's words, the bullets beginning to fallabout us, aimed from different directions; and it was quite plain that, if we stood grouped together in troops, it would not be long before aperfect hail of bullets would be pattering among us, many of them goingstraight to their goals, and decimating our little force, or worse. 

The officers needed no telling; and in a few minutes we were off again, first in one direction, then in another, our leader giving up ashopeless the idea of making straight for any particular opening in thedense ranks, but picking out the smaller parties of the enemy--that isto say, mobs not more than double our own strength; and when we couldget within striking distance they were punished and scattered like chaffbefore the wind, in spite of the scattered volleys they sent at usbefore they fled. 

This could not last, of course, for it was always at the cost of some ofour poor fellows and of many horses, who had to be left to fall into theenemy's hands. 

At last we managed to charge home right into a body of our foes at leastthree times our strength--numerous enough, in fact, to surround us as wefought our way through them, thus rendering us more and more helpless;but our men fought desperately, till about half of the corps forcedtheir way through, and, making an attempt to keep well in formation, dashed on. 

I was with about a dozen quite fifty yards in the rear, half-mad withpain and excitement, for one of the Boers had clubbed his rifle in themidst of the melee and struck at my head. I was too quick for him, wrenching myself sidewise; but the rifle glanced all down one side, giving me for the moment a terrible numbing sense of pain. Yet my headwas quite clear, and I rode on, feeling a wild kind of exhilaration fromthe knowledge that with one quick thrust I had passed my sword throughhis shoulder. Now I was urging on poor bruised and frightened Sandho tokeep up with the dozen or so of our men who were trying to overtake themain body. We were in no formation, only a galloping party; and, consequent upon my injury, I was last. As we tore on we passed one ofthe corps trying to drag himself from under his fallen horse, which waslying across his legs. I couldn't let him lie like that; so I pulledup, leaped down, and, shouting to Sandho to stand, dashed at the fallenand wounded horse's head, caught him by the bit, and dragged at him tomake him rise. The poor beast made a desperate effort, and got uponthree legs; but sank back again with a piteous groan, for it had steppedinto some burrow and snapped its off hind-leg right in two. However, the horse's effort had saved its rider, who struggled to his feet, hisface blackened with powder and bleeding, and passed his hand across hiseyes. To my astonishment I saw who it was, the long drooping moustachetelling me in spite of his disfigured face. 

"Well done!" he said hoarsely; "but I'm hurt, and you can't help me. Mount and be off. I'm done. "

I glanced behind me, and saw that the Boers were getting together againas if to come in pursuit, while a long line was coming up from the leftat a steady trot, and bullets were whizzing by. It was only a momentaryglance to see what our chances were; and in answer to the Colonel'swords I shouted to Sandho to come round to my side. 

"Poor wretch!" groaned the Colonel; "you've done your part. I can't seeyou suffer like this;" and, to my horror, he took out his revolver, placed it to his charger's forehead, and fired. The shot had a doubleeffect that was nearly fatal to our chance, for at the clear-cuttingreport the Colonel's charger laid his head slowly down, and a quiver ranthrough his frame; but Sandho reared up, made a bound, and was in theact of dashing off. Almost instinctively I gave out a shrill whistle, which brought him up, and he trotted back to my side. 

"Now, " I cried, half-wild with excitement and the feeling of exaltationwhich had come over me, "mount and gallop after our men. "

"What! No, boy, I can't do that, " he said, smiling, as he clapped me onthe shoulder. "I've played my part, and if it means exit I'll go offthe stage like a man, for I suppose the brutes will shoot me for whatI've done. "

"Nonsense!" I cried, wildly now. "Jump on, and gallop. "

"No, " he said, recocking his revolver. "Mount, my lad, and ride foryour life. "

"I won't, " I said. "You get up and go. "

"What!" he shouted, with his face lowering. "Mount, sir. I order you. "

"Don't be a fool, " I yelled at him. "They'll be after us directly. There, some of them are firing already. Get up, or you'll lose my poorold horse. "

He turned upon me in a rage, with his revolver raised. 

"Bah!" he cried. Then a change came over him, and he turned to lookback at the enemy. "Can you run?" he said. "I can't; my right leg'scut. "

That was plain enough, for his breeches were gashed above the knee, andthere was a great patch of blood spreading. 

"Yes, I can run, " I said stubbornly; "but I won't. "

"You shall, " he said, as he thrust his foot into the stirrup and swunghimself up on Sandho's back. "Now then, on my right here. Catch holdof the holster-strap, and we'll escape together, or fall: the brave ladand the fool. "

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

I HAVE MY DOUBTS. 

"Too late; too late, " I muttered through my teeth as, sword in hand, Imade a bound to keep up with Sandho, who dashed forward. It was luckyfor me I did so; as it was, I nearly lost my hold. The poor beast hadbeen sadly punished in the melee; and between temper and dread he washardly controllable, and bearing hard against the curb in a wild desireto rush off. In fact, I fully expected at any moment to be shaken frommy grasp, as, oddly enough, even in that time of peril, I recalled thegymnastic sport of giant strides of my schooldays, and held on; but Iwas certain we were now too late, and that it was only a matter ofmoments before we should be overtaken and cut down or taken prisoners bya strong party of the Boers who were in full pursuit. 

Then my exaltation increased, and I thought that Sandho would be able togo faster if relieved of my clinging hand, and so save the Colonel; andin another instant I should have let go, when--as he told meafterwards--the Colonel seemed to divine my thoughts, and I felt hissword strike against my back as it hung loosely by the knot to hiswrist, while his strong right hand was thrust under and gripped myleather cartridge-belt. 

"Hold on tightly, my lad, and we'll do it somehow, " he cried. 

These words drove all the heroic thoughts out of my brain, and I triedto look back to see how near our pursuers were; but I could not turn myhead round, but only listen to the shouts, while _crack, crack, crack_came the reports of rifles--badly aimed by the mounted men, who firedfrom the saddle, holding their weapons pistol-wise--the bullets fromwhich went whizzing and buzzing past our ears. 

"It's all over, " I thought, and a deep sense of depression was coming onat the thought of the Colonel falling wounded and a prisoner into theBoers' hands; but the depression was only momentary, being chased awayby a wild feeling of excitement as I thought I had misjudged the gallantlads of the Light Horse. For as soon as they had pulled themselvestogether, under command of their remaining officers, and had discoveredthe loss of their chief, in response to our Major's orders they drewrein and divided into two squadrons, which swung round into line, with ashort distance between them, and gallantly charged down upon ourpursuers. 

They were none too soon. I remember feeling a strange choking sensationas, with a wild cheer, they swept round us, and, sword in hand, rodeover and cut down those of the enemy who stopped to face them, themajority taking flight. Then our men came thundering back, seeming tosweep us up and carry us along with them, while the Boers in our rearand on both sides began to fire at our hurrying troopers. 

I was nearly breathless, and must have dropped but for the Colonel'sstrong grasp; and I was curiously giddy till I heard his voice justabove me give the word for the men to halt. His orders were echoed bythe troop-leaders, who and the racing retreat was checked. 

"Bring one of those horses here for me, " shouted the Colonel; and I nownoticed that just ahead were half-a-dozen of the brave beasts whosesaddles had been emptied but had kept their places in retreat, charge, and retreat again. 

"That's right, " cried the Colonel as he released my belt, so that Istood, hardly able to keep my feet as, with swimming eyes, I saw himstagger forward and mount the fresh charger, though evidentlyexperiencing great suffering. 

"Now then, my lad--Moray--what's your name?--mount. "

His words seemed to galvanise and bring me back to a knowledge of myposition, while Sandho helped to rouse me by turning and coming closeup. 

I hardly know how I did it, but I managed to climb into the saddle, andfrom that moment, as we cantered away together, with the bulletswhizzing after us, the terrible burning sensation of exhaustion fromwhich I suffered began to die out, and the throbbing of my brainsteadied down. 

"What are we going to do now, Denham?" I said at last, as, gazingstraight ahead, I leaned over a little towards the left. 

"Eh? Denham?" said a voice. "I'm not--"

"Ah!" I cried excitedly; "don't, say the Lieutenant's down!"

"Well, I won't if you don't want me to, " said the private at my side;"but he is, and pretty well half our poor fellows too. "

I uttered a groan, and down came the horrible feeling of depressionagain--a feeling I now knew to mean despair. 

"Can't be helped, " continued my fellow-trooper. "We've fought as pluckya fight as could be; but they've been too many for us, and I suppose weshall have to surrender at last, or all be shot down. Ah! there goesanother, " he cried. "No; it's only one of the empty saddle-horses. "

As we swept past it, I looked at the poor beast struggling to get uponits feet again; and then it was in our rear, and my companion saidbitterly the one word, "Down!"

"Why, that's the old fort and the kopje yonder, a mile ahead, " I saidsuddenly. "Are we going there?"

"Eh? Yes, I suppose so, " was the reply, "if the Doppies'll let us. They're coming on again. "

He was quite right, for upon glancing to my left I could see a perfectswarm of the Boers galloping as if to cut us off, while I learned fromthe right that they were also coming on there. Then came the news thatthey were advancing in force behind; and from that moment the cracklingof rifle-fire ceased, and it became a hard ride for the haven ofcomparative safety ahead. 

"They'll reach the old place just about the same time as we do, " said mycompanion on the left, "unless something's done. "

Something, however, was done, for the Colonel seemed to have recoveredhimself, so that he was ready for the emergency; and as we neared theplace that offered safety he gave his orders, and these were cleverlycarried out. Half of our flying troops drew rein and faced round, unslung the rifles from their shoulders, and proceeded to fire volleyafter volley with terrible effect upon the nearest of the Boers. Thenthis troop retired past the other one in reserve, who had halted to taketheir turn, and another half-dozen well-aimed volleys went hurtlingthrough the Boer ranks with such terrible effect upon horse and manthat, upon the repetition of the evolution, the pursuit was checked, andthe enemy began firing in turn. 

We were in rapid motion again, so their shots had no effect; and alittle more firing enabled us to reach and dash round the great walls tothe entrance to the old fort, where our men sprang from their horses, which filed into safety of their own accord, while their riders put inpractice the Boers' tactics, seeking the shelter of fallen stones andmounting the great walls, the steady fire from the ruins soon sufficingto send our enemies cantering back. 

"Water for the horses at once, " cried the Colonel as he entered thecourt, where I was standing examining poor Sandho. "Ah, Moray!" he saidas he saw me; "not hurt, I hope?"

"Only battered and bruised, sir, " I said. "Nothing serious. "

"Humph! I'm glad of it, boy. You did splendidly. But I'm a fool, amI?"

My words, uttered in the wild excitement of our adventure, had slippedbut of my memory; and as he brought them back to my mind so suddenly, Istood staring at him as if thunder-struck. 

"A nice way to address your commanding officer! Why, you insolent, mutinous young dog! you ought to be court-martialled. What do youmean!"

"Not that, sir, " I said, recovering myself. "I was half-mad with painand excitement then, and I wanted to save your life. "

"Yes, I know; I know, " he said, changing his manner. "I forgive you, for no one else heard; and now, thank you, my lad; thank you. If Isurvive to write to my poor wife and girls again, I shall tell them whenthey pray for me to put the name of some one else in their prayers--thesome one who saved my life. Thank you, my lad, and God bless you!"

I felt astonished and at the same time overcome by his words, and in myconfusion could not find words to reply, till, lowering my eyes, I foundexactly what I ought to say; for they fell upon the great patch ofblood-stain which had been spreading terribly upon his right leg, tillhis knee was suffused, and ugly marks were visible right down his brownleather boot. 

In an instant my hand went up to my throat, and I loosened the silkhandkerchief knotted there. 

"Your wound's bleeding dreadfully, sir; let me tie it up. "

"No, no; not till I've seen to the men, my lad, " he replied peevishly ashe turned away, only, however, to turn back. 

"Yes, " he said, with a smile; "thanks, lad. First aid, and--here!Water, some one. Ugh! I feel sick as a dog. "

I caught hold of him and saved him from falling by lowering him downupon a stone, just as there was the soft _pad, pad_ of naked feet behindme, and a familiar voice said:

"Water, Boss. Here water, sah!"

"Joeboy!" I whispered as I turned and caught a waterbottle from anextended black hand. "You here!"

"Um? Yes, Boss Val. Couldn't run no more, and come away back. "

I handed the water to the Colonel, who drank with avidity; then Itightly bound up the cut on his leg, for he impatiently refused to haveit examined by one of the officers who had hurried up; and then, as soonas I was at liberty, I turned to the black. 

"Have you seen the Lieutenant, Joeboy?" I said excitedly. 

"Um? Boss Denham!" he replied. "No; all a rush and gallop. Lost BossDenham. Lost Boss Val. Lost ebberybody. Joeboy said, `All come backto water. Boss Denham come soon. '"

"I pray to Heaven he may!" I said sadly; but I had my doubts. 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

MAKING THE BEST OF IT. 

That was a terrible night which followed. We had plenty of water; butour scraps of food were sadly inadequate for the wants of the men, who, many of them wounded, were sick and despondent, and dropped down hereand there to fall asleep as soon as their injuries were roughly dressed. Meanwhile the walls were as strongly manned as could be contrived underthe circumstances; and the weary horses were now watered and given thelast handful of grain in the bags, after which they stood snuffing aboutamong the stones, every now and then uttering an impatient neigh--Sandhoas bad as any of them, though he had fared better, for I had given himhalf my biscuits and a piece of bread-cake. 

By nightfall the entrance had been strongly fortified with a massivewall of stones, a narrow side-opening being left, large enough to admitany straggler who might manage to reach our camp; and then all but thesentries, after a last look at the Boers' fires in the distance, laydown anywhere to sleep; but pain and weariness kept me as wakeful as agroup of officers, among whose voices I was glad to hear that ofSergeant Briggs, who spoke the most cheerily of them all. 

"If you'll not mind, gentlemen, " he said, "I should like to say that ourposition isn't so bad as you think. "

"Why, it couldn't be worse, " said the Major. 

"Begging your pardon, sir, yes, " said Sergeant Briggs. "We've plenty ofwater, and our marksmen can keep the Boers at a distance as long as youlike. They won't face our rifles. "

"But the horses, man!"

"They can be taken out to graze, sir, covered by our rifle-fire. There's a good patch of green out yonder. "

"But we can't go and graze, " said another officer. 

"No, sir; but we shall be hungry enough by to-morrow night to be readyfor a raid on the Boers' provision wagons. There'll be plenty, and wemust cut one out, fasten a dozen reins to it, and bring it up here. "

"Humph! We might try, " said the Major. 

"And we will, " said one of our captains. "Why, we might capture some oftheir ammunition too, " he added. 

"Yes, sir. They've got pack-mules with their small-arms ammunition; andwith a bit of scheming and a night surprise it might be done, " said theSergeant. "And there's another thing I had my eyes on to-day. "

"What's that, Briggs?" said the Major. 

"A train of bullocks, sir; and if one of you gentlemen can shoot thetrain with a field-glass just before sunset to-morrow night, if we'rehere, and give me half-a-dozen men and that black chap as come alongwith young Mr Moray, I shouldn't wonder if we had grilled steak forsupper just by way of a change. "

"Why, Sergeant, " cried the Major, "if you're not our adjutant beforethis war's over it shan't be my fault. "

"Thank ye, sir, " said Briggs stolidly; "but I should like to get thebeef for the boys and a load of mealies for the horses before we talkabout that. And now, if you wouldn't mind, I'll have a couple of hours'sleep. "

I felt for a few minutes so much brightened up that I was ready to gooff too; but the thoughts of poor Denham lying out dead or woundedsomewhere on the veldt kept me awake, and I was in greater pain thanever from the blow I had received. And there I lay in my misery tillabout midnight, when there was an alarm from the sentries of horsemenapproaching, and I sprang to my feet. 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

"IL FAUT MANGER. "

I felt dizzy, and every movement was painful when I arose. The air wasso cold that I was half-numbed; and in addition to my bruised side Iached from the tightness of my belts, and my sword-hilt and revolverseemed to have made great dents into my flesh. However, with an effortI lifted my rifle, which had been my bedfellow on the sandy earth, andhurriedly joined the others in making good the defence of the greatgateway, with its newly-made protecting screen of stones. 

There was no desperate encounter, however, to send the blood rushingthrough our veins; for, as we reached the entrance, we heard the men onduty removing stones while they carried on a desultory conversation withthe new arrivals; and directly afterwards a thrill of joy ran throughme, and a curious choking sensation rose in my throat, for somewhere infront where it was darkest I heard the Major say:

"That's grand news, Denham--thirty of you, and forty horses?"

Then his voice was drowned in the loud, spontaneous cheer which rosefrom those about me, in which at the moment I felt too weak to join. 

"Here, get in, all of you, " cried the Major as soon as he could makehimself heard. "You're sure there is no pursuit?"

"Quite, " came in Denham's familiar voice. "We have had a very longround since we wore cut off, and have not heard a soul as we camethrough the darkness. "

"How about wounds?" said the Major. 

"Pretty tidy, sir, " said Denham. "The poor horses have got the worst ofit. But we're all starving, and choked with thirst. "

"We can manage water for you, " said the Major; "but I'm afraid to sayanything about food. "

"Never mind, " said Denham cheerfully; and then he seemed to turn away, for his voice sounded distant as he said--to the men with him, ofcourse--"Tighten your belts another hole, lads. We'll forage for foodto-morrow. "

"That we will, " cried the Major; and then out of the darkness came thetrampling of horses' feet, followed by a few neighs, which were answeredfrom where the horses stood together in the court. Meanwhile I tried toget to the front, but could not, and had to wait till the men began tofile in after the homes; but at last I heard Denham's voice again. 

"Not a bad wound?" he said. 

"A nasty but clean cut from some Boer who had one of our swords. "

"But tell me, " said Denham eagerly--"young Val Moray? Did he get insafely?"

"Any one would think he was a cousin or brother, " said the Majorpettishly. "Yes, he managed all right, after giving up his horse to theColonel and getting him in after he had been down. "

"Val did?" cried Denham eagerly. "I am glad!"

I did not wait to hear any more, and did not try to force my way throughthe dense pack of our men, but worked hard to get back to the spot whereI had been lying down; and upon reaching it, with the satisfactoryfeeling that there was to be no more fighting that night, I dropped intomy old place, after shifting hilt and belt so as not to lie upon themagain. Then, in spite of hunger and pain, a comfortable andexhilarating sensation stole over me, which I did not know to be theapproach of sleep till I was roused by the reveille, and sprang up in asitting posture, when the first man my eyes fell on was Denham, who waspeering about among the troopers as if for something he had lost. 

"Oh, there you are!" he cried as he caught sight of me; and the nextminute we were standing together, hand grasping hand. 

"Denham, old fellow, " I said huskily, "I thought you were either aprisoner or dead. "

"Not a bit of it, " he replied; "but it wasn't the Boers' fault. Justlook at my head. "

"I was looking, " I said, for a closely-folded handkerchief was tieddiagonally across his forehead. "Is the cut deep?"

"Deep? No, " he replied. "Deep as the beast could make it--that is, tothe bone. I say, what a blessing it is to have a thick skull! My oldschoolmaster used to tell me I was a blockhead, and I thought he waswrong; but he was right enough, or I shouldn't be here. "

"The loss is bad enough without that, " I replied. 

"Horrible; but they've paid dearly for it, " he said. "But I say, whatabout rations? We can't starve. "

I told him what I had overheard during the officers' talk with theSergeant. 

"Yes, " said Denham peevishly; "but that means waiting till to-morrowmorning. We must make a sally and get something. "

"I wish we could, " I said, for now that my mind was at rest I feltravenously hungry. "Hullo! what's going on there?"

Denham turned sharply, and, to our astonishment, Sergeant Briggs wascoming from the gate leading half-a-dozen men stripped to shirt andbreeches, carrying in half-quarters of some newly-killed animal. 

"Why, hullo!" I cried, "what luck! They've found and been slaughteringan ox. "

"Yes, " said Denham dryly, "and there's more meat out yonder. We shan'tstarve. I'd forgotten. "

"Forgotten! Forgotten what?"

"It isn't beef, " he said quietly. "It's big antelope. "

"What! eland?" I cried joyously. 

"No; the big, solid-hoofed antelope that eats like nylghau or quagga. "

"What do you mean?" I said wonderingly, as I mentally ran over all thevarieties of antelope I had seen away on the veldt. 

"The big sort with iron soles to their hoofs. Two poor brutes, bleedingto death, dropped about a hundred yards away as we came in last night. "

"Horse!" I exclaimed. "Ugh!"

"Oh yes, it's all very well to say `Ugh!' old proud stomach; but I feelready to sit down to equine sirloin and enjoy it. Why shouldn't horsebe as good as ox or any of the antelopes of the veldt? You wouldn'tturn up your nose at any of them. "

"But horse!" I said. "It seems so--so--so--"

"So what? Oh, my grandmother! There isn't a more dainty feeder than ahorse. Why, he won't even drink dirty water unless he's pretty wellchoking with thirst. Horse? Why, I wouldn't refuse a well-cooked bitof the toughest old moke that ever dragged a cart. "

"But what about fire?" I said. 

"Oh, there's plenty of stuff of one kind and another to get a firetogether. They break up a box to start it, and then keep it going withbones and veldt fuel. Look; they're coming in with a lot now. "

"I say, " I cried, as a sudden thought struck me. "Here, Sergeant!"

"What do you say?" cried Denham. 

I said it to the Sergeant, proposing that he should make a roasting fireunder the chimney of the old furnace; and as I spoke his face expandedinto a genial smile. 

"Splendid!" he said, and hurried away to shout to Joeboy; and in a veryshort time the smoke was rolling out of the top of the furnace chimneyfor probably the first time since the ancient race of miners ceased tosmelt their gold-ore in the place marked on the maps of over a centuryago as the Land of Ophir, but which has lain forgotten since, till ourtravellers rediscovered it within the last score of years. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

A VERY WILD SCHEME. 

"Well, " said Denham some two hours later, "it isn't bad when a fellow'shungry. "

"No, " I agreed, speaking a little dubiously; "but it would have beenmuch better if we had not known what we were eating. " I did not hearany other opinions; for the men were ravenously hungry when the cookingwas over, and we had all so many other things to think about. 

It had been a very busy morning. Wounds had to be dressed, theuninjured had the task of strengthening the force upon the walls, andanother party led the horses out a quarter of a mile to graze. Thisthey were allowed to do in peace, the Boers paying no heed to theproceedings. Then the lookouts, who were furnished with the officers'glasses, gave warning that strong parties were quietly on the move abouta mile away--evidently making a circuit for the purpose of disarming oursuspicions--with the intention of swooping round and cutting off thegrazing horses. But, as Denham said, they had not all the cunning ontheir side, for we had taken our precautions. A red flag was hung out, and in answer to the signal the horses were headed in for the gateway atonce. 

That was sufficient. The Boers, instead of riding along across ourposition, suddenly swooped round, and came on, five hundred strong, atfull gallop, getting so near that they would have cut off some of ourvaluable horses had not fire been opened upon them from the walls, quitein accordance with the Boers' own tactics; our men lying down and takingdeliberate aim, with the result that saddles were emptied and horsesgalloping riderless in all directions. 

However, the party gradually came nearer, till they found that ourfiring grew hotter and more true; then, utterly discouraged by itsdeadly effect, they wheeled round again, and went off as hard as theirhorses could gallop. 

"Let them try the same ruse again, " said the Colonel, as he turned fromwhere he had limped to watch the little action, and stood closing hisglass. "Let them come again if they like; but they had the worst of itthis time. Splendidly done, my lads! Excellent!"

The Boers rode right away, then turned and rode back as if about torenew the attack; but suddenly they drew rein, and a small body came onat a canter, one of them waving a handkerchief. 

"Yes, " said the Colonel sternly. "Hold your fire, my lads; they want topick up their wounded. "

This was soon proved to be the case, and we looked on, thinking how muchbetter their wounded fared than did ours. 

"Yes, " said Denham when I said something of the kind to him; "but I hopethey are behaving decently to our poor lads, wounded and prisoners. Let's give them credit for a little humanity. "

The Colonel waited till the enemy had retired with their injured men, leaving a couple of dead horses on the plain. Already I could see thatthe carrion-birds had caught sight of the dead, and were winging theirway to an anticipated feast; but they were disappointed, for the orderhad been given, and the horses were being led out again to graze, whilefour men, with strong raw-hide plaited reins attached to their saddles, rode out quickly to play the part of butchers to the beleaguered force, and shortly after came slowly back drawing a fresh supply of meat forthe garrison. Then the vultures descended to clear away everythingleft. 

"It makes one shudder, " said Denham to me as we sat perched upon abroken portion of the wall, resting after the previous day's exertion, and nursing our rifles. 

"Why?" I said, though I felt that I knew what he was about to say. 

"Makes one think how it would be if one lay somewhere out on the veldt, dead and forgotten after a fight. "

"Bah! Don't talk about it, " I cried. 

"Can't help it, " he replied. "It makes me want to practise my shootingupon those loathsome crows. "

"Why should you?" I replied. "They are only acting according to theirnature, and--Hullo! Look yonder; what's the matter with the baboons?"

Away to our left a loud chattering had begun amongst the ridges ofironstone and blocks of granite which formed the kopje. The drove, herd, flock, family, or whatever it was, of the dog-faced apes wasrunning here and there, chattering, grimacing, and evidently in a greatstate of excitement. There were some five or six big fellows, evidentlythe leaders, and these kept on making rushes right down to the bottom ofthe stones, followed by others; while the females with their young, which they hugged to their sides in a curiously human way, kept back, partly in hiding, but evidently watching the males, and keeping up achorus of chattering. 

"Why, the beggars are going to attack our butchers. "

"Yes; but they think better of it, " I said, laughing; for the leaders ofthe troop turned back and began leaping up the hill again, but only tocome charging down once more to the bottom of their little stony home, and stand chattering and grimacing menacingly. 

"They're hungry, " said Denham. 

"Oh no, I don't think they'd behave as badly as we do, " I replied. "Idon't think they'd eat horse. "

"What do they eat, then?"

"It always seemed to me when I've seen them that they ate fruit, nuts, and corn. There used to be a pack of them in a big kopje not far fromour place, and they would come down and make raids upon the farm till wehad to make it too hot for them with small-shot, and then they wentright away. "

"They don't like to see those horses dragged in, " replied Denham. 

"Not used to it, " I said. "There, they are going back into hiding now. "

The horses had now been drawn in to be treated as if they were oxen, andin a few minutes not one of the baboons was to be seen. There were twoor three alarms in the course of the day, but no direct attack; and thewhole of the horses had a good long graze, the vegetation after the laterains being fairly abundant in places, though for the most part theveldt in the neighbourhood of the old fortress was very dry and bare. There was abundance of water, however, for a stone tied to the end offour reins carefully joined did not suffice to plumb the well-like hole. 

That evening, as Denham and I sat playing the part of voluntary sentry, my companion lent me his glass to watch the distant troops of Boers, which I did diligently. We were seated on the top of the wall, for thesimple reason that both of us were terribly stiff and bruised, andconsequently extremely disinclined to stir. Then I uttered a loudexclamation. 

"What's the matter?" said Denham quickly. 

"Take the glass, " I said; "the sloping sun lights up that part clearly. There, sight it upon the line below that flat-topped hill in thedistance. "

"Yes, " he said, taking the glass and focussing it to suit. "What of it?Boers, Boers, hundreds of Boers. "

"But there's something in motion. "

"Ah! Yes, I see now: one, two--why, there must be half-a-dozenox-wagons with long teams. "

"What does that mean?" I said. 

"Ox-wagons. "

"Yes; but what are they laden with?"

"I dunno, " he said, peering through the glass. 

"Corn for the horses; provisions for the Boers' camp. "

"Of course! Oh dear, if we could only get one of them across here!"

"Well, could it be done?" I said. 

Denham shook his head. 

"It could only be done in the dark. You mean stampede the bullocks; butthey'd be outspanned at night, and we could never get them inspanned andaway without being beaten off. --Can't see it, Solomon the Wise. "

"It does seem difficult, " I assented. 

"Yes; and, suppose we had got a team hitched on all right, see how theymove: two miles an hour generally. But it does look tempting. "

"But we might get a team of oxen away without a wagon by making a bolddash. "

"Might, " replied Denham; "but bullocks are miserably obstinate brutes todrive. It would mean a good supply of beef, though--wouldn't it?"

"Splendid. "

"Yes; but we want meal too. I say, I dare say there's coffee and sugarin those wagons as well. "

"Most likely, " I said; "the Boers like eating and drinking. "

"The pigs! Yes, and we're to starve. I say, couldn't we make a boldnight-attack and drive them away, compelling them to leave theirstores?"

"Well, after last night's experience I should say, `No; we could not, '"I replied. 

"You're quite right, Val, " said Denham, with a sigh. "Hullo! here'syour black Cupid come up to have a look at us. "

For Joeboy, whom a good hearty meal had made very shiny andhappy-looking, came climbing up to where we sat, and stood looking downat us as if waiting for orders. 

"Here, Joeboy, " I said; "look through this. "

"Um? Yes, Boss, " he said; and, from long usage when out hunting with myfather or with me, he took the glass handily and sat down to scan thedistant Boer line. 

"Lot o' Doppie, " he said in a low tone, as if talking to himself. "Loto' horse feeding; lot o' wagon and bullock. Plenty mealie, coffee, sugar. "

"Yes, Joeboy, " I said; "and we want one of those wagons and teams. "

"Um? Yes, Boss, " he said thoughtfully, without taking his eyes from theglass. "Joeboy know how. "

"You do?" said Denham quickly. "Tell us, then. "

"Boss Colonel send Boss Val and hundred sojer fetch um. "

"It wouldn't do, Joeboy, " I said sadly. "There would be another bigfight, and we should lose a lot of men and horses without getting thewagon. "

"Um? Yes. Too many Doppie. "

"That's right, Shiny, " said Denham. 

"Yes, " I said; "we must wait till we see a team making for the kopje, and then the Colonel can send out a party and cut them off. "

"Then the Boer General will send out a bigger party and cut us off, "said Denham bitterly. "I don't want another set-to like yesterday's fora week or so. So we must take to horse and water for the present, Isuppose. "

"Joeboy know, " said the black, with his eyes still fixed on the glass. 

"You know?" I cried, staring at the black's calm, imperturbablecountenance. 

"Um? Yes. "

"Why, what could be done?" I said, excited by the black's cool andconfident way, knowing as I did from old experience how full ofingenuity the brave fellow was. 

"Um?" he said thoughtfully, as he still watched the Boer lines. "Nogood to fight; Doppie too many. "

"Yes, " said Denham impatiently. "You said so before. "

"Um?" said Joeboy, taking his eyes from the glass a moment or two toglance at the speaker, but turning away and raising the glass again;"Joeboy know. "

"Let's have it, then, " said Denham, "for hang me if I can see how itcould be done. "

"Big fool black fellow drive wagon, " said Joeboy, still gazing throughthe glass, as if he could see those of whom he spoke. "'Nother big foolblack fellow vorloper. Both fast sleep under wagon. Boss Val talk likeBoer: double-Dutch. "

"Is that right?" said Denham. 

"Oh yes, " I said. "I can speak like a Boer if it is necessary. "

"Um? Yes, " said Joeboy quietly. "Think Doppie talky, Boss Val takeJoeboy and go in a dark night up to wagon. Stoop down and kick bigblack fool driver and big black fool vorloper. `Get up!' he say. `Wantsleep alway? Get up, big fool! Trek!'"

"What?" I cried excitedly. 

"Um? Talk like Doppie, Boss Val talk. Big fool get up an' inspan. Boss Val get up on box an' keep call driver big black fool, like Doppie. Joeboy walk 'long o' vorloper. Tell 'im Joeboy 'tick assagai in umback if he talk, and drive right 'way. "

"Ha!" I said, with a heavy expiration of the breath. "But do youunderstand what he means?"

"Oh yes, I understand, " said Denham, laughing; "but where are theDoppies going to be all the while?"

"Lying somewhere about, of course, asleep, " I said excitedly; "but therewould be no sentries over the wagons; and, as he says, the blackforeloper and driver would be sleeping underneath. "

"Oh, that's right enough, " said Denham impatiently. "But the noise, therattle of the wagon, the getting of the oxen, and all the rest of it?"

"The oxen would be all lying down with the trek-rope between them, andthey'll quietly do what their black driver and foreloper wish. I thinkit could be done. "

"My dear boy, it's madness. "

"It isn't, " I said angrily. "Joeboy is right, and a trick like thiswould perhaps succeed when force would fail. We must capture one ofthose wagons. "

"Oh, I'd have the lot while I was about it, " cried Denham, laughing. 

"Be sensible, " I cried pettishly. "Joeboy is right. Can't you see thatit is the sheer impudence of the thing that would carry it through?"

"No, old chap, " he replied; "that I can't. "

"Well, I can, " I said firmly. "The black driver and foreloper could beroused out of their sleep, and they take it as a matter of course thatthey were to drive the wagon somewhere else, and obey at once, especially if they are hurried by some one who speaks like a Boer. "

"Well, I grant that's possible, " said Denham; "but what about the Boersentries and outposts? They'd stop you before you'd gone straight awayfor a hundred yards. "

"I shouldn't go straight away, " I said, "but along by the front; and ifwe were stopped, Joeboy could tell the outpost we were ordered to changeposition--to go on to the other end of the line. What would the outpostcare or think about it? All he would think would be that a wagon-loadof stores was being shifted, and let us pass. Then I should tell Joeboyto begin creeping out towards the east yonder, and keep on till we wereout of bearing before striking away for the kopje here. Once we had gotclear off we could keep steadily on all through the night, and atdaybreak you would be watching for us, and send out a detachment tobring us in. "

"Splendid, my boy--in theory, " said Denham; "but it would not work outin practice. "

"Think not?"

"A hundred to one it wouldn't, " cried Denham firmly. 

"Well, I think it would, " I said--"and from the cool daring of thething. "

"And what about your horse? That would be enough to betray you. "

"No take Sandho, " said Joeboy, who had been listening attentively. 

"Of course not, " I said. "We should walk right across to the Boerlines, getting off as soon as it was dark. "

"Why not go in disguise as a minstrel?" said Denham banteringly--"likeKing Alfred did when he went to see about the Danes? Have you got aharp, old chap?"

"No, " I said coolly. 

"Well, it doesn't matter, because I don't believe you could play it. But a banjo would be better for the Doppies, or--I have it--anaccordion! Haven't one in your pocket, I suppose?"

"Why can't you be serious?" I said. 

"I am, old fellow. Banjo, concertina, or accordion, either would do;and if you could sing them one or two of their popular Dutch songs itwould be the very thing. "

"Don't banter, " I said dryly. 

"Then don't you propose impossibilities. There, they are cooking supperagain, so let's get down and see about a bit of--ahem! you know. Whatever it is, we must eat. I almost wish I were a horse, though, andcould go out on the veldt and browse on the herbage. Here, I say, I'vegot a far better Utopian scheme than yours. "

"What is it?" I replied quietly, for I felt that he was going to chaffme. 

"Well, " he said, "it's this. You know how imitative monkeys are?"

I nodded. 

"Then all we have to do is to make a ring of our men round the kopjethere, and drive the baboons into the court here. From the court wecould turn them into one of the passages between the walls, stop up theends, and capture the lot. "

"To eat?" I said sarcastically. 

"Eat, man? No; to drill, and teach them to forage for us, just as theMalays teach the monkeys to pick coco-nuts for them. "

"Drill them? Ah! there is a baboon called a `drill. ' Yes, go on, " Isaid. 

"We could send them out every night, and they'd come back laden withmealies for us; and there you are. "

"Nice evening, gentlemen, " said Sergeant Briggs, who had just climbedto our side. "I've been using the Major's glass. My word! they've gotwagon after wagon loaded with stores across yonder. Is there any way ofcutting out one or two, for we must not go on living upon horse?"

I looked hard at the speaker, and then at Denham, and the result wasthat we astonished the Sergeant, for both Denham and I burst outlaughing, and Joeboy smiled as widely as he could. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. 

A FORLORN-HOPE FOR FOOD. 

Sergeant Briggs stared, and looked so puzzled that we laughed the more. 

"Beg pardon, gentlemen, " he said, speaking as if huffed, "have I saidsomething stoopid?"

"Tell him, Val, " cried Denham; and I explained why we laughed. 

"Oh, I see, " he said good-humouredly. "I thought I was being laughedat. Well, I don't know, Mr Denham, sir; I don't think the idee's quiteso wild as you fancy. "

"Oh, it's impossible, Sergeant. "

"No, sir, begging your pardon, it isn't. It's the cheek of the thingmight carry it off. I like it. "

"Yes; your mouth waters for the stores, Sergeant. "

"Maybe, sir; but if I was you I should go straight to the Colonel andtell him. "

"So as to be laughed at for a fool, " said Denham. "The chief's in nolaughing humour, sir, " said the Sergeant stolidly. "He ought to be inhospital with that cut on the leg he got; but he won't give up, thoughI've seen him turn whitey-brown and come out all over the face with bigdrops. That means pain. No; he won't laugh. "

"Then he'll growl at us, and tell us to be off for a pair of idiots. "

"Well, I'll risk it, " I said firmly. 

"Will you? Young fellow, " cried Denham, "don't you presume on myfriendliness and forget that you're a private in my troop. "

"It's my duty to let the Colonel know, " I said warmly. 

"Yes, through your superior officer. Well, look here; perhaps you'reright. Let's go to him at once. "

We descended after another look at the Boer lines, and found the Colonelresting against a block of granite, with his injured leg lying in a bedof sand. He listened attentively, after Denham's introduction, to all Ihad to say. Then he sat in perfect silence, frowning, and tugging athis long moustache. I was as uncomfortable as ever I had been, andwished I had not come; but soon a change came over me, for the Colonelspoke. 

"Capital, " he said sharply. "But--"

My hopes went down to zero again, but rose as he went on, taking theright line of thought: "It can only be done by sheer bravado. It is theutter recklessness of the ruse that would carry it through. Do youthink, Moray, you could do this without breaking down at the suprememoment?"

"I think so, sir. "

"That's good, " said the Colonel; "there's a frank modesty about that`think. ' But do you dare to run the risk for the sake of your officersand brother-privates, who are in a very tight place?"

"I don't think now, sir, " I said: "I dare go. "

"Then you shall, Moray. "

"To-night, sir?"

"No: have a night's sleep and a quiet day to-morrow to think out yourplans. You will be fresher then. There, I'm in pain, and I want a fewhours' rest to set me up. One minute, " he added as I turned to go. "How many know about this?"

"Only Sergeant Briggs, sir, and the black, of course. "

"Keep the black quiet, " said the Colonel, "and tell Sergeant Briggs fromme that the expedition is to be kept secret. "

"Yes, sir. "

"You are not to go on sentry work to-night. "

I saluted, and went away with Denham, who began to growl:

"The chief's as cracked over it as you are. But, look here, Val, youmust alter your plans. "

"I can't, " I replied. "I shall go. "

"Of course you will; but you must reshape them so as to take me withyou. "

"That's impossible, " I replied. "But would you go?"

"Would I go? Of course. I should like the fun of it. Here, you mustgo and tell the chief you feel as if you can't curry out the businessproperly unless you have my help. "

I looked at him, laughing. 

"I say, who's cracked now?" I said. 

"Well, I believe I am--half, " he replied. "I say, Val, I would like togo with you. "

"What! upon such a mad expedition?" I said. 

"Yes. It doesn't look so mad when you come to think a little more aboutit. Look here; I know. I'll go as a Dutch driver. "

"You'll stop along with your troop, and I'll ask the chief to let youcome to my help in the morning when we're coming along with the wagon--if--if we carry it off. "

Denham was silent for a few moments before he said any more. Then, witha sigh:

"Yes, you might do that; but I should have liked to be in the thick ofthe business. "

Many of the men went hungry to bed that night, and Denham and I laytalking for long enough before sleep came; but when it did, nothingcould have been more restful and refreshing. 

We rose at the "Wake up" to find that there had been no alarm in thenight, and our first act was to climb to the top of the wall and use aglass, to see that the Boers wore in the same positions, and theoutposts were just riding in, so that I had some insight as to the wayin which the enemy guarded their front during the night. 

"Here, I say, look!" cried Denham suddenly. "You ought to have gonelast night. "

"Why?" I asked as I took the glass; and then, "Oh!" I exclaimed in atone of disappointment. 

"Yes, you may well groan, " cried my companion. "Why didn't the chieflet you go?"

There was good reason. We could see plainly enough that the Boers wereunloading the wagons, and the Kaffirs hard at work carrying bags whichno doubt contained mealies or flour. To me the sight was maddening, forit now seemed one of the easiest things in the world for us to havecaptured and carried off one of the laden wagons. 

"There, it's of no use to cry after spilt milk, " said Denham, with agroan. 

"Nor is it of any use to despair, " I replied as I watched the unloading. "Perhaps they may leave one of the wagons full. "

"Oh, they will, of course!" said Denham mockingly. "They'll pick outthe best one, containing a nice assortment, and label it, `Reserved forthe use of the Natal Light Horse. To wait until called for by DonQuixoto Valentino Morayo and his henchman Sancho Panzo Joeboyo. ' Inever thought of that. "

"Let's go and report what we have seen, " I said bitterly; and we wentand found the Colonel. 

"Humph!" he said shortly; "unfortunate. " That was all. 

Then the day glided by, with our men always on the alert, their onlywork being to man the walls and keep a sharp lookout while the horseswere driven out to graze; but though the Boers showed in force indifferent directions, they made no attack. In spite of a false alarm ortwo, the poor brutes managed to pick up a pretty good feed; though, considering the work they had to do, it was poor and unsustaining ascompared to corn. 

As for the men, they made the best of things; but several knots gatheredtogether trying to allay the desire for different food by the agency oftheir pipes. However, instead of endeavouring to get accustomed to thefood pretty plentifully prepared for their meals--other two horseshaving to be shot on account of their wounds--some of the men preferredto fast; and it was these men who discussed the probability of theColonel making a dash again that night, to cut a way through and escape. 

Sergeant Briggs favoured this idea. 

"I hope the chief will make another try to-night, " he said to Denham andme. "The Boers mean to starve us out; and in another day or two all thefight will be gone out of the poor lads. "

However, the sun often peeps out on the cloudiest days; and towardsevening, just when we were feeling most despondent, Joeboy came up toDenham and me just as we were going up to our old place of observation, glass in hand. As we mounted, it was to see the horses led in, with theguard behind them; the lines of the enemy being descried very distinctlyin the horizontal rays of the low-down sun. Denham was using the glassand making comments the while. 

"There's a famous great gap out yonder, " he said, "just to the right ofwhere we saw those unlucky wagons, Val. I will just go and tell someone. The enemy will not be likely to fill it up; and I believe we mightgo softly that way and make a dash through. --Oh, you disgusting, sybaritish, gluttonous brutes! I always did think the Boers were pigsat eating. Look at their fires all along their lines. Here are westarving, and they're doing nothing but cook and eat--eat--eat. "

I took the glass and looked at the opening he had noticed, but saidnothing, remembering how terrible was our experience on the previousoccasion. I saw too--as enviously as my companion, but in silence--howthe fires were sending up their clouds of smoke in the clear, calm airall along the line, telling of preparations for the coming meal. 

"The empty wagons are gone, " I said at last. 

"If you say wagon again I shan't be able to contain myself, " criedDenham passionately. "I don't want to kick you, Val; but I shall beobliged. Look here, if I feel as bad to-morrow evening as I do now, I'll mount and desert to the Boer ranks. "

"Not you, " I said. 

"But I will, just for the sake of eating as much as ever I can. ThenI'll desert again and join our own ranks. "

"Why, Denham--" I exclaimed excitedly, and then I was silent. 

"Why, Denham--" he replied. 

"Wait a minute, " I cried; "let me make sure. "

"Sure of what?" he said, growing excited in turn on hearing the elationin my voice. 

"Wagons!" I cried. 

"Ah, would you?" he shouted. "Didn't I say that if you spoke of wagonsagain--"

"One--two--three--four--five--six!" I cried, with the glasses to myeyes. "Hurrah! There's a fresh lot coming into camp, right into thatopening you saw. Be quiet and let me watch"--for Denham had given mesuch a slap between the shoulders that I nearly dropped the glass. 

"Say it again, old man--say it again. "

"There's no need, " I replied. "Yes, I can make them out quite plainly--six wagons, with their long teams of oxen and black drivers andforelopers. You can see the black bodies and white cloths. "

"I don't want to see them, " cried Denham wildly. "I'll take your word. Six teams of oxen!--that's all beef. Six wagons!--that means bread. There, you be off and tell the Colonel you're going to start; and I'llsee about the troop that's to follow and bring you in. I say, pick outa wagon of meal; not one of mealies. I don't know, though. Couldn'tyou bring both?"

"There's plenty of time, " I said. 

"Time? The Colonel ought to know by now. Here, give me that glass. "

"Be quiet, " I said, angry with excitement. "I want to watch and makesure where the wagons are drawn up. "

Denham ceased speaking, and during the next half-hour I watched till Ihad seen tin; six wagons drawn up pretty close together, and their blackdrivers moving about attending to the oxen; now all grew faint andindistinct, then completely faded out of sight; not, however, until Ihad made up my mind that I could go straight away from the old fort andfind the place, though there were minutes when the task in the darkseemed impossible. 

Turning to Joeboy, who had twice looked through the glass, I asked:

"Do you think we could find those wagons in the dark?"

"Um? Joeboy could, " he replied promptly. "Go right straight. "

I breathed more freely then, and suggested to Denham that I should goand report to the Colonel what I had seen. 

"Yes; at once, " he said. "Come along; and I want to have command of oneof the troops sent out to bring you in. "

We had commenced the descent when Denham stopped me. 

"Look here, " he said; "I have a good thought. We ought to arrange somesignal to let me know your whereabouts when you are returning with thewagon. "

"I haven't got it yet, " I said. 

"No, but you're going to get it, " he said confidently; "and I want to beable to come to you with fifty men, and to make sure of bringing you in. Now then, what will your signal be? Because, if I hear it out on theveldt we can ride straight off to you. Can you yell like a hyena?"

"No, " I said promptly. "Joeboy can. "

"Wouldn't do, " said my companion, upon second thoughts. "Those beastsare singing all over the place sometimes, and they might lead us wrong. "

"So would the cry of any animal. "

"Yes, " said Denham thoughtfully. "I don't know, though. Here, can yousuggest something?"

"I can't do it; but Joeboy can roar like a lion splendidly. "

"Wouldn't that scare and stampede the bullocks?"

"Oh no, " I said; "the cry would cheat the Boers, perhaps; the bullockswould know better--wouldn't they, Joeboy?"

"Um? Big trek-ox laugh, and say `Gammon, '" replied the black, showinghis glistening teeth. 

"Very well, then; when you are getting within earshot let Joeboy givethree roars half-a-minute apart. "

"Right, " I said. --"You understand, Joeboy?"

"Um? Yes, Boss Val. "

"Here, give us a specimen, " said Denham. "Don't make a bully row. Justroar gently so that I shall know it again. "

Joeboy dropped upon his hands and knees, placed his lips close to thesurface of the wall, and a low, deep, thunderous roar seemed to make theair quiver and shudder. Directly afterwards there was an excitedstamping and neighing amongst the horses. 

"That'll do splendid, " whispered my companion. "Three times, mind. Hark! they're talking about it all over the place. There'll be an alarmdirectly about a lion getting into the laager. "

By the time we had reached the spot where the officers made their bare, unsheltered camp, the alarm had already died away; and, after beingchallenged, we had leave to advance. 

The Colonel heard what we had to say in silence, and then remained for aminute or two without speaking. 

"It is a very risky and daring business, Moray, my lad, " he said; "butwe are in a desperate strait. I did mean to make another dash forliberty to-night; but since this piece of good fortune has turned upI'll wait twenty-four hours and see what you do. If you succeed Ipromise you that--"

"Please don't promise me anything, sir, " I said quickly. "Let me go andtry my best. If I fail--"

"And the Boers take you prisoner, " said the Colonel quickly, "I shall, like every one in the corps, thank you all the same for a very dashingand plucky venture. --As for you, Denham; yes, certainly. Take fiftymen, and go out to meet him and bring him in. You need not, of course, start till well on towards morning; and when you are gone I shall orderout nearly all the rest of the force to your support, so as to bring youall in, if you are pressed. "

"Thank you, sir, " I said eagerly; but Denham replied in rather a grumpytone, for he was all on fire to begin doing something almost at once. 

"Then I may start when I like, sir?"

"Certainly, my lad. Of course you will take your rifle?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Take two revolvers instead of one. You may want them at a pinch; butyou must depend upon scheming in this, and not on strength. By the way, there are a few biscuits in my haversack; you can take them. "

"Oh no, sir--" I began; but he interrupted me. 

"Take them, " he said shortly, and in a way that meant a command; but Icompromised the matter with my conscience by only taking half. 

I now left the Colonel's quarters with Denham and Joeboy, and onlywaited till it was as dark as it seemed likely to be before having a fewfinal words with my companion and Briggs, who were the only men in thesecret of what was about to be undertaken. Then, filling mywater-bottle and placing the biscuits in my pocket--after Denham hadrefused a share--I saw that my bandolier was quite full of cartridges, slung my rifle, and placed one revolver in its holster-pocket and thrustthe other in my breast. We now walked towards the well-barricadedgateway, gave the word, and Joeboy and I stepped out, with Denham andBriggs; but stopped to shake hands with Denham, who held mine tightly. 

"Good luck to you, Val, lad!" he said softly. "Don't take any notice ofwhat I said before--I mean of all that cold water I poured on yourscheme. It's splendid. Go in and win; and when you're half-way back, or if you're pursued, make old Joeboy fill his bellows and roar. I'llcome to your help, even if there's a thousand Doppies after you. "

"I know you will, " I said warmly as I returned the pressure of his hand. "There, good-bye. "

"Good-bye, old boy! You'll do it. Oh! I wish I were coming too. "

"Good-bye, Mr Private Moray, " said Briggs softly, in his deep tones. "I wish you everything in the way of luck. You'll do it, my lad, Iknow. --Here, Joeboy, you stick to your boss. "

"Um! Me stick to Boss Val--um!--alway. "

"Good-bye, " I said again, trying to free my hands, for Denham and theSergeant each held one tightly and in silence. 

At last, as we stood there in the darkness, they let my fingers slipthrough theirs, and I stepped out into the open, following Joeboy'ssteps, for he at once took the lead, without making a sound. 

"Ah!" I said to myself, after drawing a very long breath, "this isgoing to be the most exciting thing I ever did. "

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. 

SUCCESSFUL BEYOND EXPECTATION. 

"Boss Val come close up to Joeboy, " said the black a minute or twolater. 

I had but to take two steps, and then I could touch the speaker, who wasstanding with his back towards me. 

"Joeboy no turn round, " he said. "Boss Val keep close. Joeboy got tokeep seeing wagons, and not lose them. "

"But you can't see the wagons now, " I said softly. 

"Um? Joeboy see um inside um head. Can't see with eyes. Too far away. But Joeboy know jus' where they are, and feel see um. Come along andno talk. Take hold, and no let go. "

I grasped the long handle of Joeboy's assagai, which had touched melightly on the side as he spoke; so there was no chance of our beingseparated in the dark and having to call to each other with probablyBoer outposts within hearing. The plunge had been made, and now I beganto see how terrible was the responsibility I had undertaken. For a fewminutes after leaving our friends I began to ask myself whether Denhamhad not been right in calling it a mad project; but these thoughts soonpassed away as I pulled myself together with the determination to dowhat my friends had told me: "Go in and win. " There was too much to doand too much excitement now to leave room for hesitation and thoughtsabout risk and chances of discovery. Joeboy, too, was a splendid fellowfor a companion: he went steadily on as if the whole business was someexciting game in which he played the chief part. 

Fortune seemed to be favouring us so far as the weather was concerned, for a brisk wind was blowing, and the clouds overhead veiled every star;so the night was profoundly dark. 

After tramping on for about ten minutes, Joeboy stopped and stoodmotionless; then he whispered to me to come close up, without turninghis head when he spoke. 

"Boss Val lissum with both ears, " he said. "Tell Joeboy when he hearDoppie. Joeboy tell Boss Val too. "

"Right, " I said; and we went on again so silently that I did not hear myown footsteps in the sandy earth. 

There was no risk of meeting with any impediment, for the veldt from theold fortress right away to the place where I had marked down the wagonswas a smooth, undulating plain. What we had to dread was coming acrossa Boer outpost or patrol; but I had little fear of that without amplewarning, for I had had frequent experience in hunting expeditions of thekeenness of Joeboy's senses of sight and hearing. I was just beginningto wonder how long it would be before he gave me warning of any dangerbeing near, when he stopped short again. I closed up so that I couldlay my hands upon his shoulders. Then he whispered very softly:

"Hear Doppie soon. Boss Val go down when Joeboy kneel. "

"Right, " I said again, straining my eyes right and left to get sight ofthe Boer camp; and, though I judged that their fires would be all out, Iexpected to get a glimpse before long of one of their lanterns. All, however, remained dark, and the time dragged slowly in the samemonotonous way, making me wish I could walk side by side with mycompanion, who seemed to be far more cautious in the darkness than Ithought necessary. 

We must have gone, as I hoped in a perfectly straight direction, forwhat appeared to be nearly an hour, and I was getting desperate aboutour slow progress, when suddenly the assagai-shaft was jigged sharplyand then dragged; and for a moment I saw a faint spark of light farahead, due to the fact that Joeboy had gone down suddenly upon hands andknees. I followed suit, and lay flat, listening, but only hearing myheart throbbing slowly and heavily. Not a sound was to be heard forfully half-a-minute; and then came the familiar click of iron againstiron, caused, as I well knew, by a horse champing at his bit and movingthe curb-chain. Directly after there was the dull _thud, thud_ ofhorses' hoofs coming from our right, and I knew that mounted men wereapproaching us at right angles to our course, and thought we must bediscovered the next minute or else trampled on by the horses. 

For a moment or two my heart seemed to stand still and then to go at agallop, for the horses came nearer and nearer; and I tried to pressmyself closer and closer to the sand as one horse passed within two orthree yards of my feet, and another a little way in front. 

I could hardly believe the men had gone by without seeing us, though Ihad not seen them, and still crouched down, expecting to hear the ridersturn and come back. Hence it was like a surprise when I heard a faintrustling which indicated that Joeboy was getting up; and, warned by ajerk of the spear-shaft, I sprang up too. 

"All ride by, " said the black; and I realised now that a patrol musthave passed, with the men riding two or three horse-lengths apart tokeep guard against any surprise parties of our troop. 

We went on again for a short distance, and then there was anotherstoppage; for from the front came the murmur of voices talking in a lowtone, suggestive of a little outpost in front. 

Joeboy made a brief halt, and then we went down on hands and knees, andcrawled to the right for about fifty yards before turning again in thedirection of the wagons; and this movement was kept up for quite ahundred yards; then the black rose to his foot, and our walkrecommenced. 

We must now, I thought, have kept on for above an hour, though I daresay it was not more than half that time; but I fully believed it wasnearer three hours than two after we had left the fort when Joeboysuddenly dropped down flat; and, as I followed his example, he backedhimself, walking quadrupedally on his hands and toes till he was able tosubside close to where I lay on my face. 

"Boss Val tired?" he whispered. "Um?"

"Not a bit, " I replied. "Are we near the wagons?"

"Um? Done know, " he replied. "Close by Doppie. All quiet. Fas'asleep. Lissum. "

I listened, and all was very still. Now and then from a distance came afaint squeal and a stamp from some horse; but there was no talking goingon, and it was hardly possible there in the darkness to conceive thatprobably a thousand men were lying near at hand, spread out to right andleft, and ready at a call to spring up, mount, and dash across theplain. 

"I can hear nothing, " I replied at last, with my lips close to his ear. "Think they are gone, Joeboy?"

"Um? Gone?" he whispered back. "Gone 'sleep. Joeboy going to look forwagons. "

"Stop a moment, " I whispered. "Are you going to leave me here?"

"Um? Boss Val lie still and have good rest. Joeboy come back soon. "

"But do you think you can find me again?" I said. 

He put his lips close to my ear again and laughed softly. 

"Um? Oh yes, Joeboy find um sure enough. See a lot in the dark. BossVal lie quite still. "

Before I could remonstrate against a plan which, it seemed to me, might, ruin our expedition, he had crept away; and from the direction he took Iknew he had gone off to the left, going quite fast, and progressing in astyle which, in old days, I had often laughingly said was like that ofthe crocodiles of the Limpopo. This time I did not hear him make asound, and I could, of course, do nothing but lie still, feeling in myutter misery that all was over, and that I could only lie there tillnear daybreak, waiting to be found again by Joeboy, and waiting in vain. Then I would have to run the gauntlet of the outposts, and make adesperate effort to return, shamefaced and miserable, to the camp. 

I tried hard to fix my attention on listening and endeavouring to makeout how near I was to the Boer lines; but I could not hear a sound. Again and again I fretted at my miserable position as the time glidedaway and there was no sign of Joeboy. 

"I should have stopped him, " I reflected. "I ought not to have let himtake the lead. "

Just then, however, my heart seemed to give a great jump; for without asound the black was alongside again, touching my leg, and then glidingup till his lips were level with my ear. 

"Boss Val 'sleep--um?"

"Asleep!" I whispered back indignantly. "No. "

"Um!" he whispered. "Joeboy been very long way. No wagon there. Nowgo this way. "

"No, no!" I whispered back. "You must stay with me, or we must gotogether, Joeboy!"

There was no reply, and in alarm I stretched out my left hand to seizehold of him; but he had gone. I half-fancied I heard a faint rustlesome distance off as of a great serpent gliding across in front of myhead; but I dared not raise my voice to stop him. Now I realised thathe must have glided away from me the moment he had uttered the words"this way;" and again I had to go through all that agony of expectationand dread. Still, I began to feel a little more confidence in Joeboy, and for the next half-hour I waited anxiously, hoping against hope, tillI was in despair and half-mad. 

I was just at my worst again, and picturing the looks of Denham, and hisdisappointment if I managed to get anywhere near where he was on thelookout for us, when I jumped violently, quite startled, for Joeboyseemed to rise out of the black earth on my light. 

"Um?" he said softly. "Joeboy getting tired. Couldn't find wagon. "

"Then it's all over?" I whispered, my heart sinking with despair. 

"Um? Couldn't find at first, " he said. "Joeboy went behind um. Allout before Doppies. "

"Then you did find them?" I whispered joyfully. 

"Um? Yes, Joeboy find um. Went long way and then come back. "

"But how did you manage to find them in the dark?"

"Um? Smell um, " he said quietly. "Now, wait bit. Boss Val know whatto say?"

"Oh yes, I know, " I said. 

"Get up, " he whispered. "No Doppie here. "

I was startled by his words, but I obeyed; and as soon as I was erect Ifelt his hands about me, feeling whether my rifle was slung across myshoulder, my bandolier in place, and my revolvers ready. Apparentlysatisfied, he gave a grunt, and taking my hand, he whispered again:

"No Doppie here. Over this way and that way. "

I yielded to his guidance, with my heart throbbing heavily now; but thefeeling of excitement returned as I began to act, and in a few minutes Ifound that something big and dark had loomed up in front, which I knewto be a great tilted wagon. 

Joeboy bore to the left, and we walked silently on together till we hadpassed the rears of six of the great vehicles drawn up at a fairdistance apart, but pretty regularly side by side. I now realised that, though the wagons, as seen through the glass, had appeared to be intouch with the Boer troops, they really formed a line some distance infront. 

From that moment everything seemed to be like a curious waking dream, inwhich I was the chief actor; for, passing the last tail and goingforward, I walked with Joeboy to the front, all being silent about thewagons. From beyond these came the peculiarly soft, chewing sound ofworking jaws; and I made out, partly by hearing and partly by thepeculiar but not unpleasant odour, that there were the teams in theirplaces, all the great oxen crouching down, from the pair on either sideof the dissel-boom or pole to the foremost couple right in front, pairafter pair, along the trek-tow--that is, the great rope which, for theteam, serves as a continuation of the pole. 

"Um?" whispered Joeboy as I stood listening to the dull cud-chewing ofthe resting beasts. "Now make um come out. "

I hesitated for a moment or two; then I made the great effort to play mypart as I felt it ought to be acted, and stood alongside the black andclose up to the wagon, between the wheels. Then taking a long breath, and wondering at myself the while, I stooped down so that my voice mightgo well beneath; but paused as I was about to speak, for I could hear induplicate a deep guttural snore. At that moment Joeboy pinched my arm;and, drawing a deep breath, I growled out in the best imitation I couldof the Boer Dutch:

"Now then; rouse up, you lazy black beggars! Rouse up and trek!"

My heart sank as the last word passed my lips. 

"Suppose they are not Kaffirs?" I thought. 

There was not a sound, and Joeboy again pinched my arm. 

I knew what he wanted; so, raising my voice, I said hoarsely, and in anangry tone:

"Rouse up! Trek!"

There was a loud rattling noise at the same moment, for Joeboy hadreached under the wagon to strike here and there with the shaft of hisassagai. 

In an instant, following a dull thud or two, there came low remonstrantgrowls, there was a scuffle and a rush, and two big figures rose nearus; one Kaffir ran towards the front box of the wagon, and the feet ofthe other went _pat, pat_ till he stopped by the foremost pair of oxenin the team. Then the great beasts began to get upon their feet andshake themselves. 

"It's all over now, " I thought, as I stood appalled by the noise made bythe bullocks, one of them lowing loudly; and, as if my despair was notdeep enough, I found from what I could hear that I had fired a train, started a conflagration, or--to use another simile--touched one end of arow of card houses and set all in motion. The action of rousing up theblacks asleep beneath this one had communicated itself from wagon towagon on to the end. "Open sesame!" caused the cave of the FortyThieves to open; the magic word "Trek!" had started the wagon-driversand forelopers; and now I expected the next thing would be a rush ofBoer cavalry to surround us, unless Joeboy and I could hide. 

"Yah! hor! whoo-oop! Trek!" cried Joeboy in his hoarsest voice, and heran from me towards the foreloper, leaving me half-stunned at the turnmatters had taken. 

"Trek!" cried the black, who had climbed on to the box; then there was atremendous crack of the huge whip he wielded, the oxen jerked at thetrek-tow, the wheels creaked, and as I involuntarily took my rifle fromwhere it was slung and cocked it, the huge wagon began to lumber heavilythrough the soft earth, and I walked by its side uninterrupted, findingthat in turn first one and then another of the six wagons started andfollowed, till the entire row were in motion, following the lead ofJoeboy with the first foreloper, the whole business growing, in thedarkness, more and more like a feverish dream. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. 

NIGHT WORK. 

By a sudden effort I threw off the dreamy sensation--the feeling that Iwas half-stunned by the pressure of the task I had undertaken, now thatit had suddenly grown so much greater than I had anticipated--and Iwalked alongside the wagon-box, breathing hard, and planning that at thefirst sound of approaching enemies I would rush forward to where Joeboywas tramping beside the foreloper, assagai in hand, and make a dash withhim for liberty. But the minutes glided by, as the line of wagons, allgoing on with the regularity of some great, elongated machine, rolledeasily along over the soft earth, the rested bullocks pulling steadilyunder the guidance of their leaders and drivers. 

In vain I listened for the furious rush of horses and the challenges andorders to stop; then, by degrees, I began to grasp the fact that, thoughhundreds of Boers must have heard the wagons start, not one gave heed tothe crack of whip, the cries of the black drivers, or the creaking andrumbling of the wheels. The moving of wagons of stores was quite amatter of course; somebody had given orders for their position to bechanged, and that was all. These sounds were nothing to the weary men, rolled up in their warm blankets, making the most of their night's rest. Doubtless it awoke many; but they only listened for a moment, and thenturned over to sleep again. Oxen, their drivers, and the wagons hadnothing to do with the enemy. Had there been a trumpet-call, a singleshot, or a loud order, to a man they would have sprung up to rush totheir horses, saddled, and been ready to attack or defend; but theshifting of some wagons during the night--what was that? Nor was theBoer force a carefully drilled cavalry brigade, with its transport-corpsunder the strictest discipline, every man part of a machine which onlymoved by order, and whose stores and supplies were under the most severeregulation and guard; it was a loose, irregular horde, whose officershad to permit the men to fight very much as they pleased, so long asthey fought well and advanced and retreated at the word. 

It took time to reason all this out, and to get to believe that our boldruse was succeeding to a far greater extent than I had ever dared tohope. There it was all plainly enough--all real; the wagons were goingsteadily along, the first guided by Joeboy, and the rest following withtheir black conductors quite as a matter of course. 

As far as I could make out in the darkness, we were going along parallelwith the lines of the sleeping Boers. Growing more excited now, I beganto wonder how soon Joeboy would turn the heads of the leading bullocksand strike out for the fortress; then my thoughts drifted into a freshrut, and I speculated as to how long it would be before we came uponsome outpost and were turned back. 

Hardly had this idea crossed my mind, sinking my spirits almost todespair, when a great figure loomed up before me. Joeboy was at myside. 

"Got um all, Boss Val, " he said in a low tone. "Doppies come and stopus soon. Say, `Where you go?'"

"Yes; and we shall be turned back, " I replied quickly. 

"Um? No. Joeboy say, `Big boss tell us to go right away other end. 'Joeboy hear and know how Doppie talk, and Joeboy say right words. "

"Are you sure?" I said in Boer Dutch, to test him. 

"Um? Yes. Know what to say, like Boss Val know. Always talk like Boerbefore Joeboy come and live with Boss Val. "

"Of course, " I whispered, with a feeling of relief. 

"Um! Boss Val jump in wagon and say nothing. Go to sleep like. Doppiecoming. "

He gave me a push towards the wagon and went forward at a trot. Yielding to his influence, I climbed in at the front, past the driver, and drew the curtains before me, only leaving a slit through which Icould hear what passed. I was not kept waiting long. As far as I couldjudge, about a dozen mounted men cantered up, and a thrill ran throughme as a familiar, highly-pitched voice cried in English, with thebroadest of Irish accents:

"Whisht now, me sable son of your mother! What does this mane?"

"Moriarty, " I said to myself; and, with my heart beating fast, and astrange feeling of rage flushing up to my head, my right hand went to myrevolver and rested upon the butt as I strained my ears to listen forevery word. My thoughts, of course, flashed through my brain likelightning; but the answer to the renegade captain's words came slowly, Joeboy replying in deep guttural tones, using Boer Dutch, to say:

"I don't know what you mean, Boss?"

"Ugh! You soot-coloured, big-lipped baste!" snarled Moriarty; and thenin Boer Dutch, "Where are you taking the wagons?"

"Over yonder, " replied Joeboy. 

"Why? Who told you?"

"Big boss officer man, " replied Joeboy calmly enough. "Say want moremealies there. Make haste and be quick. Ought to have gone there lastnight. Wake all up and say come along. "

"Oh, " said Moriarty thoughtfully; and then, as I waited with mytrepidation increasing, to my great surprise and relief he said a fewwords to those with him, which I could not catch; then aloud, in Dutch, "All right. Go on. "

When he began speaking Moriarty did not stop the wagons, which hadcrawled on in their slow and regular ox-pace, so that I was taken nearerand nearer till I was in line with the group of horsemen, and then pastthem; then the voices grew more indistinct. As the last words wereuttered the patrol or outpost, whichever it was, trotted off, leaving mewondering what the broad-shouldered black just before me on thewagon-box might be thinking about what had passed, and my peculiarconduct in taking refuge inside. "A shout from him, if he issuspicious, might bring them back, " I mused; so, under thecircumstances, I decided to keep up the appearance of having got in forthe sake of a rest, and sat back upon one of the sacks. 

However, I was not permitted to stay long inside, for as soon as themounted Boers were out of hearing Joeboy came to the front of the wagonand called to me in his deep tones--speaking in Boer Dutch--to come out. 

I stepped out past the driver, yawning as if tired, and leaped down, towalk on with the black. 

"Hadn't you better turn the heads of the leading bullocks now towardsthe laager, Joeboy?" I said. 

"Um? Did, " he replied, "soon as Doppie captain went away. Goingstraight home now. "

"Ah!" I ejaculated. "Capital! But we shall be stopped again and sentback. "

"Um? Joeboy don't think so. Doppie over there, and Doppie over there, "he said, pointing in opposite directions with his assagai. 

"You think we shall not meet another party, then?"

"Um? Can't hear any, " he replied. 

"But about the drivers and forelopers? When they find where we're goingthey'll want to go back to the lines. "

"Um? No, " said Joeboy decidedly. "Black Kaffir chap. Not think atall. Very sleepy, Boss Val. Jus' like big bullock. You an' Joeboytell um go along and they go along. "

"But suppose they turned suspicious and said they wouldn't go with us?"

"Um?" said Joeboy, and I heard him grind his teeth. "They say that, Joeboy kill um all: 'tick assagai in back an' front. All big 'tupidfool. Ha! ha! Joeboy almost eat um. " He laughed in a peculiar waythat was not pleasant, and it moved me to say:

"Don't attempt to touch them if they turn against us. I'll threatenthem with my pistol. "

"Um? Boss Val think better shoot one? No; Boss Val mustn't make Doppiecome. Joeboy say `Trek, ' and they no trek, he 'tick assagai in umback. "

"No, no; there must be no bloodshed. "

"Um? Blood? No; only 'tick in little way. Make um go like bullock. Make um go like what Boss Val call `'tampeed. ' Black Kaffir boy not say`Won't go. ' Be 'fraid o' Joeboy. "

I thought it very probable, and said no more. Leaving him with theforeloper of the first wagon, I stood fast and listened intently whilethe whole of the six great lumbering wagons, drawn by their teamsaveraging four-and-twenty oxen, crept past me. The forelopers walkedslouching along, shouldering a bamboo sixteen or eighteen feet long, without so much as turning their heads in my direction; and the driverson the wagon-boxes were sitting with heads down and shoulders raised, apparently asleep and troubled about nothing. They all trusted to thefront wagon for guidance, as their teams, until the oxen were tired, needed no driving whatever, but followed stolidly in the track of thosein front. 

So slow!--so awfully slow! when I wanted them to go in a thunderousgallop! Yet I knew this was folly. I wanted to play the hare, though Iknew that in this case the tortoise would win the race; for to havehurried meant some accident, some breaking of the heavy wains: a wheeloff or broken, the giving way of trek-tow or dissel-boom. There wasnothing for it, I knew, but to proceed at the oxen's steady crawl, whichhad this advantage: the wagons made very little noise passing over thesoft earth, the oxen none at all worth mention. But it was agonising, now that we had started and actually been passed on by the enemy'spatrol, to keep on at that dreadful pace, which suggested that, even ifwe did go on without further cheek, when day broke we should still bewithin sight of the Boer lines and bring them out in a swarm to turn usback. 

It seemed to me we must have been creeping along for an hour, thoughperhaps it was not half that time, when suddenly the first team of oxenwas stopped, the wheels of the first wagon ceased to move, and the wholeline came, in the most matter-of-fact way, to a stand. No one seemed toheed, and the oxen went on contemplatively chewing their cud. 

"What is it?" I said, running up to Joeboy. 

"Um! Cist!" he whispered. "Doppie coming. "

I could hear nothing, and it was too dark to see, so I stood listeningfor quite a minute, knowing well that the black must be right, for hishearing was wonderfully acute. Then in the distance I heard the soundof trotting horses coming along at right angles towards us; and as itoccurred to me that the patrol would come into contact with us about themiddle of our long line, I began to wonder whether Joeboy would be ableto get the better of the Boer leader again. 

Nearer and nearer they came, and a snort or the lowing of a bullockwould have betrayed us; but the stolid beasts went on ruminating, and, to my utter astonishment, the little mounted party rode past a couple ofhundred yards behind the last wagon, as near as I can tell, and thesound of the horses' hoofs and chink of bit against ring died away. 

"Ha!" I ejaculated, with a sigh. 

"Um?" said Joeboy, who had come by me unheard. "Yes, all gone. Doppiebig fool. No see, no hear. Joeboy hear; Joeboy see wagon and bullocklong way off. Doppie got wool in um ear an' sand in um eyes. "

"So have I, as compared with you, my big black friend, " I thought tomyself; "but I don't want you to call me or think me a big fool, so I'llhold my tongue. "

"Doppie can't hear now, " said Joeboy. "All agone. Not hear any more. --Go on. Trek!" he cried in his deep, guttural tones; and the bullocksdragged at the great tow-ropes, the axles groaned, and away we wentagain in the same old crawl hour after hour, but without further alarm, though in one prolonged agony of anxiety, during which I was alwayslooking or listening for pursuers. 

Then came another trouble: the darkness was greater than ever. It was acloak, certainly, for our proceedings; but there was not a star visibleto guide us in our course towards the old stronghold. 

"Think we're going right?" I asked again and again. 

"Um? Joeboy think so, " he always replied. "Wait till light come. Soonknow then. "

Words of wisdom these, of course; but though we kept on in what webelieved a straight line for our goal, the line we were taking might beright away from the camp, or we might be proceeding in a curve whichwould bring us within easy reach of the enemy--perhaps as near as whenwe started. Truly we were in the dark; and as the air grew coldertowards daybreak, everything looked, if possible, blacker still. 

"Morrow morning, " said Joeboy, suddenly coming back to where I trudgedalongside one of the wagons, whose drivers appeared to be all asleep. 

I looked in the direction he indicated, and there was a faint dawn lowdown on the horizon. 

"Then we're going wrong, Joeboy, " I said; "that's the east. "

"Um!" he said. "Too much that way. Going right now. "

I looked back in the direction of the Boer camp, but nothing was visiblethere. It seemed as if the darkness lay like a cloud upon the earth;but, upon turning again to look in the way the heads of the oxen werepointed, I could see what looked like a hillock in the distance. Fixingmy eyes upon it, I could gradually see it more distinctly, and in a fewminutes' time made out that what had seemed like one hillock was reallytwo--the one natural, the other artificial: in other words, the pile ofironstone and granite in one case, the built-up stronghold in the other. 

"Joeboy, " I said, beckoning him to one side after a furtive glance atthe black foreloper, "we're a long way off, and the Boers will miss thewagons and see us soon. "

"Um? Yes, " he said coolly. 

"Do you think that you can get the bullocks to go faster?"

"Um? No, " he said. "Must go like this. "

"But the Boers will come after us as soon as they see us. "

"Um? Yes; but can't see us yet. When Doppie see us Boss Denham see ustoo, and come along o' fighting boys. "

"Yes; I had half-forgotten that, " I replied. Not thinking of anythingmore to say, I trudged on. At last, as the light grew stronger, Joeboyturned to me to say:

"Boss Val see Doppie now?"

I looked back in the direction of the enemy's lines and shaded my eyes;but nothing was discernible. 

"I can't see them yet, " I said. 

"Um? No. Joeboy can. Can't see a wagons yet. "

"They can't see the wagons?" I cried. "How do you know?"

"Come on horses after us, " he said. "Gallop fast. "

"Of course, " I replied, and looked anxiously at our great, lumberingprizes, wishing I could do something to hurry the bullocks on; butwishing was vain, and I knew all the time it would be madness to attemptto hasten the animals' pace, and likely only to end in disaster. 

The darkness, which had appeared to be low between us and the Boerlines, now began to turn of a soft grey, which minute by minutelightened more and more, and rose till it looked like a succession ofhorizontal streaks, beneath which lay something disconnected andstrange, but which gradually took the form of a long line of horses, broken here and there by little curves which, by straining my eyes, Imade out to be wagon-tilts seen through the soft pale-bluish air. Next, on turning sharply to look in the direction of our comrades, there werethe old piled-up walls of our stronghold clearly marked against the sky. 

"It's a long, long way yet, Joeboy, " I said. 

"Yes, long way, " he replied. 

"Can you see the Boers on the move?"

He shook his head, and then hurried to the foreloper, a heavy-lookingblack, who was signalling to him. 

Charge!--by George Manville Fenn

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. 

AN UNEXPECTED OBSTACLE. 

"What does he want?" I muttered to myself as I looked on curiously, forI could not hear what was said; but, to my horror, there appeared to besomething like a quarrel, as the foreloper suddenly threw down the longbamboo he carried and then squatted upon the ground. 

In an instant the shaft of Joeboy's assagai fell with a sounding thwackacross the man's bare shoulders, making him spring to his feet andsnatch a knife out from his waistcloth. My hand went to my revolver, and I ran to Joeboy's aid; but there was no need. In an instant theglistening blade of my companion's assagai was pointed at theforeloper's throat, making him recoil; and then, in response to athreatening thrust or two, the man picked up his long, thin bamboo andreplaced his knife, while Joeboy, pointing fiercely to me, rated the manin his own tongue. 

"What is it, Joeboy?" I asked as the man went back to the head of thebullock-team. 

"Um? Say want to 'top and rest bullocks and make fire for breakfast, Boss. I say he go on till we get to laager. Say he won't, and Joeboymake um. Boss Val put little 'volver pistol away and unsling gun;pretend to shoot um. "

I did as Joeboy suggested, and the man went down upon his knees and laidhis forehead upon the earth. I needed no telling what to say next. 

"Get up! Trek!" I shouted as fiercely as I could. The man leaped tohis feet and urged the bullocks on, while the driver on the box made hisgreat two-handed whip crack loudly in the quiet of the morning. Theactions of these two being taken up by the men with the wagons behind, the bullocks for a time went on at the rate of quite another half-milean hour extra. 

"Um!" ejaculated Joeboy, with a look of satisfaction in his eyes; "riflegun reach long way. Boss Val see boy not driving well, pretend to sendbullet in um head, and make um jump along. Ha!"

Noticing that the black was using his hands like a binocular glass, andlooking back, I asked anxiously, "What is it?"

"Um? See Doppie coming now?"

I looked, but could make out nothing; yet I was satisfied it was so. Inow gazed eagerly in the direction of our goal, for Joeboy had firstturned his eyes there. 

"Can you see help coming, Joeboy?" I asked anxiously. 

"Um? No, " he replied. 

"Then it's all over, " I said in despair. 

"Um? Yes, here um come. "

"Ah!" I cried, remembering now the signal agreed upon. "Is it theLieutenant--Mr Denham?"

"Joeboy can't see so far as that, " replied the black. "Only see horsescoming fas'. Coming to fetch wagons and plenty mealies and flour. Boysall say `Hurrah!' and make all horses laugh. "

"But do you think they will get here first?"

"Um? Yes. Doppie got longer way to come. "

"Ha!" I ejaculated, with a sigh of relief. 

A few minutes later the foreloper on whom so much depended--guided, nodoubt, by our anxious looks in one direction--made out the coming of ourfriends, and I saw his eyes open widely till there was a great opal ringround the dark pupils. Looking at me despairingly, he pointed with hislong bamboo in the direction of the galloping troop. 

I nodded, and pointed forward. After an uneasy glance at my gun, hewent on with his team in the direction we wished. 

"Black boy run away fas', " said Joeboy, suddenly laughing merrily, "but'fraid lead bullet run fasser. "

"I suppose so, " I said slowly as I turned to look back. The light beingnow much increased, I readily detected a strong troop of the Boers inmotion, and doubtless coming in our direction. I drew my breath hard asI looked at the long lines of slowly plodding oxen and then in thedirection of our rescuers, who must have seen we were pursued, for theywere galloping. Then, to my horror, Joeboy turned to me and nodded, after gazing back. 

"Um?" he said in a long, slow, murmuring way, "'nother lot o' Doppiecoming. Big lot. "

I darted a look at our comrades, who came sweeping along over the veldt;but they were still far distant, and we seemed to be creeping along moreslowly than ever. 

"Not enough; not enough, " I thought; but I wasted no time in regret. There were fully fifty friends, all good horsemen and able shots, comingto our help; so I need not despair. Thinking of what would be the besttactics under the circumstances, there seemed to be two ways open to us:for the troop to fall in on either side of the last wagon, and keep up arunning fight; or, if the Boer party proved too strong, the six wagonscould be drawn up laager-wise and turned into a temporary fort, with thebullocks outside, our men firing, till help came, from behind animprovised shelter formed by the sacks of grain and meal. 

Then I reasoned despairingly that the Boers would send forward troopafter troop to recover, the wagons. "If they can, " I now mutteredthrough my teeth. For I was more hopeful now, as it soon became evidentthat the enemy had twice as far to come as our men had. At last, whenthe mental strain had become almost unbearable, Denham and his troopdashed forward, cheering madly. 

"Bravo! bravo, Val!" he shouted to me, pulling his horse up so suddenlythat it nearly went back on its haunches. "Here, you, Joeboy, keep theteams going. Fall in, my lads! Dismount!"

The troop sprang from their saddles, swung round their rifles, andwaited. In obedience to Denham's next order I followed the last wagon, rifle in hand. Seeing the uneasy glances the drivers and forelopersdirected at it from time to time, I felt convinced that if it had notbeen for this they would have played some trick with the bullocks, orhave done something to stop the further progress of our prize-convoy, now that they fully understood what was wrong. 

For me the suspense was over, though the plodding of the oxen stillseemed maddening; but I had active work to do yet, with Joeboy for myaid, keeping the blacks well to their work. This we did vigorously, being called upon very soon even to threaten and command. 

Just when least expected, and following upon a determined charge made byour pursuers, there was a rattling volley delivered standing by our men, who, steadying their rifles upon their horses' backs, emptied many asaddle. But the Boers came on till within about a hundred yards, when asecond volley was poured into them, sending horses and men struggling tothe ground. The troop now divided in two, swinging round to right andleft and dashing back towards the second party, who were now well insight. 

It was at the first volley that the alarmed black drivers nearly got outof hand, while the teams began to huddle together and threatened astampede. The black boys, however, soon saw they had more to fear fromus than from the Boers; and by the time our friends had remounted andtrotted up to us the wagon-train was steadied again. 

"Can't you get any more speed out of them, Val?" shouted Denham. 

"No, " I said; "this is the best they can do with the loads. You fellowsmust save the prize now. "

"And we will, " cried Denham, waving his hat, with the result that hismen cheered. 

Meanwhile the detachment of the enemy we sent to the right-about in aheadlong gallop had settled down to a trot to meet the reinforcementscoming up; but we had also a force coming to join us; so, when the enemyhad joined hands and came on again, we of the wagon-train had two troopsfor our protection, who, coming on at a walk behind, readily facedround, dismounted, and poured forth a withering fire, which again sentthe enemy scuttling away on their shambling ponies. 

So the march went on for the next hour, during which troop after troopof the Boers reinforced our pursuers, but always to find that our forcehad been strengthened. Then the Colonel joined us with all he couldcommand, and a fierce little battle raged. Again the Boers wererepulsed. There being no cover for their men, which is so necessary forthe practice of their marksmanship to the best advantage, the clevercavalry manoeuvres of the Light Horse proved too much for them. 

Unsuccessful attempts to recapture the wagons were kept up till theywere drawn as close to the opening in the old fortress walls as theycould be got, the enemy being kept at bay while the bullocks were drivenin. Then followed troop after troop of our men, who dismounted andhurried to the top of the walls, where they covered the retirement oftheir comrades so effectually that the enemy were soon in full retreat, gathering up their wounded as they passed without molestation from us. 

That afternoon the Boers' wagons, surmounted by a white flag, were seencoming across the plain, their attendants being engaged for a long timein the gruesome task of collecting the dead. 

It must not be supposed, however, that our men had not suffered; we hada dozen slightly wounded. Inside the walls that evening there was atriumphant scene of rejoicing, in which to a man the wounded took part. The wagons had been emptied, and grain and meal stored under cover;horses and bullocks had a good feed, and one of the wagons wasdemolished for firewood, our whole force revelling in what they called aglorious roast of beef. 

I never felt so much abashed in my life, I could not feel proud; though, of course, I had done my best. I tried to explain that it was poor oldblack Joeboy we had to thank for the success of the raid; but the menwould not listen. If ever poor fellow was glad when the sentries hadbeen relieved and the fires were out, so that rest and silence mightsucceed the wild feast, I was that person. I felt utterly exhausted, and I have only a vague recollection of lying down upon some bags ofmealies, and of Denham, who was by me, saying:

"Hurrah, old fellow! The chief must make you a sergeant for this. "

I don't think I made any reply, for I was nearly asleep; and that nightseemed to glide away in a minute and a half. 

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. 

ANOTHER DISCOVERY. 

Denham and I went out early next day with a small party and an emptywagon to go over the ground between our laager and the Boer lines, following the route taken with the captured wagons, to make sure that nowounded and helpless men were left on the veldt, and to collect suchrifles and ammunition as had been left. 

A sharp lookout was kept against surprise; but there was no need. Denham's glass showed that the Boers, probably satisfied with theirreverses of the previous day, were keeping to their lines. 

We went as far as the spot where the first attack on us was made, finding only a few rifles as we went, noticing on our way sixteen deadhorses--ghastly-looking objects, for near every one numerous loathsomebirds rose heavily, flying to a short distance; and footprints allaround in the soft earth showed that hyenas had been at the miserablebanquet. The ground here and there also showed the unmistakable tracksof lions; but I am not sure they had been partakers. 

"Well, I'm precious glad there's no burying of the dead, or bringing inwounded Boers as prisoners, " said Denham as we rode back slowly side byside. "I don't mind the fighting when my monkey's up--it all seems amatter of course then; but the afterwards--the poor dead chaps with allthe enemy gone out of them, and the suffering wounded asking you forwater, and whether you think they'll die--it makes me melancholy. "

"It's horrible, " I said; "but it was none of our seeking. "

"No; it's the Boers' own fault--the beasts! Fighting for their libertyand patriotism, they call it. They won't submit to being slaves to theQueen. Such bosh! Slaves indeed! Did you ever feel that you led thelife of a slave under the reign of our jolly good Queen?"

"Pooh!" I exclaimed. 

"Pooh! puff! stuff!--that's what it is, old fellow. They're about themost obstinate, stupid, ignorant brutes under the sun. They don't knowwhen they're well off as subjects of Great Britain, so they'll have tobe taught. "

"Of course, " I said. "But they are brave. "

"Well, yes, in a way, " said Denham grudgingly. "They'll fight ifthey're ten or a dozen to one, and can get behind stones or wagons topot us; but they haven't got sense enough to know when they're well off, nor yet to take care of six wagon-loads of good grain and meal, andnearly a hundred and fifty oxen. "

"Well, no; they were stupid there, " I said. 

"Stupid, Lieutenant Moray!"

"What!" I exclaimed. "Do you know what you're saying?"

"Oh yes; all right. You're not a commissioned officer yet, but you willbe. Promoted for special bravery and service in the field. "

"Nonsense!" I said, flushing up. 

"Oh, but you will be, sure. Not that I think you deserve it. Therewasn't much risk. "

"Oh no, " I said; "only the risk of being taken, and shot for a traitor, a thief, and a spy. "

"That's only what the Doppies would call it, and they're idiots. "

"If a fellow is going to be shot, " I said, "it doesn't make muchdifference to him whether he's shot by a wise man or a fool. "

"Oh, I don't know, " said Denham quickly. "I'd rather be shot by a wiseman than by a Boer pig. But there was no risk. You and that big niggerwent in the dark, and you had luck on your side, and--Oh, I say, Val, you did it splendidly! I had a good tuck-out of mealie-porridge thismorning, and three big slices of prime beef frizzled. I feel quite anew man with all that under my jacket, and ready to take two Boerssingle-handed. "

"Yes, a good meal does make a difference, " I said, smiling with pleasantrecollections of my own breakfast. 

"Difference! Oh, it was splendid! I felt as if I could have voted foryou to be made colonel on the spot, and black Joeboy adjutant, when Icaught sight of you coming with six wagons and teams instead of one. Mydear boy, you've won the affection of every one in the corps, from theColonel right down to the cooks. It's only cupboard-love, of course;but they're very fond of you now. We were going to chair you round thebig court last night, but the Colonel stopped it. `Let the poor fellowhave a good rest, ' he said. But we did all drink your health with threetimes three--in water. Here--hullo! What game do you call that?"

He pointed to where, half a mile away, a dozen of our men were ridingout, closely followed by the bullocks we had captured overnight. 

"Taking the teams out to graze, I suppose. The poor beasts must be wellfed to keep them in condition. "

"Of course. But how do we know that they won't all bolt back for theBoers' camp? They're Boer bullocks, you know. Oh! I'll never forgivethe Colonel if he loses all that beef. "

"The poor brutes will only make for the nearest patches of grass andbush, " I said, "and their guard will take care to head them back if theyseem disposed to stray. "

"But is any one on the lookout with a glass on the wall?"

"Sure to be, " I said. 

"I'm not so sure, " cried Denham impatiently. "Why, there must be goingon for six hundred sirloins there, without counting other tit-bits; andif the bullocks are taken care of, each one is a sort of walking safefull of prime meat for the troops. "

"There--look!" I said; "they're settling down to graze, and the guardis spreading out between them and the open veldt. "

"Yes, I see, " said Denham anxiously; "but I hope they'll take greatcare. That job ought to be ours. "

But it was not, and I did not want it. I said so, too. 

"That's bosh, " replied Denham. "You say so because you're not hungry;but just wait till you are, and then you'll be as fidgety about thebullocks as I am. "

"But you're not hungry now, " I said laughingly. 

"Well, no--not at present; but I shall be soon. I haven't made up thebalance of two days' loss yet. Ugh! only fancy--grilled cat's-meat fora commissioned officer in Her Majesty's service! Ugh! To think that Iwas compelled by sheer hunger to eat horse! I'd swear off allflesh-feeding for good if it wasn't for that beef. "

He burst into a hearty fit of laughing then, and we rode on, chattingabout our position and the fact that the Boers seemed to consider theycould not do better for their side than keep us shut up as we were tillwe surrendered as prisoners of war. 

"That's it, evidently, " said Denham. "They hate us horribly, for we'dbeen doing a lot of mischief amongst them before you joined, as well asever since. "

"Shall we be able to cut our way through before long?" I asked. 

"I don't know, old fellow, " he replied. 

"We ought to, " I said, "because we could be of so much use to theGeneral's troops. "

"Well, I don't know so much about that, " said Denham as we neared thefortified gateway, with its curtain of empty wagons. "I'm beginning tothink that we're being a great deal of help to the General here. "

"How?" I asked wonderingly. "Our corps is completely useless. "

"Oh no, it isn't, my little man. Look here; I'm of opinion that we'resurrounded by quite a couple of thousand mounted men. "

"Yes, perhaps there are, " I said, "at a guess. "

"Well, isn't that being of use to the British General? We're keepingthese fellows fully occupied, so that they can't be harassing his flanksand rear with all this mob of sharpshooters, who know well how to usetheir rifles. "

"I say, " I cried, "what's the matter yonder?"

"Nothing! Where?"

"Look at the baboons right at the far end of the kopje. They're racingabout in a wonderful state of excitement. "

"Smell cooking, perhaps, " said Denham. "Here, Sergeant, " he continued, calling up Briggs, "take Mr Moray and a couple of men. Canter roundyonder and see if you can make anything out. Scout. Perhaps the brutescan see the Boers advancing. "

In another minute we were cantering round the ragged outskirts of thegreat pile of stones, where they came right down to the plain, amongwhich were plenty of grassy and verdant patches, little gorges and pathsup amongst the tumbled-together blocks; and as we rode along we startledapes by the dozen from where they were feeding, and sent them shriekingand chattering menacingly, as they rushed up to the higher parts. 

It was away at the extreme end where the main body of thecurious-looking, half-dog, half-human creatures were gathered, all inmotion, and evidently much exercised by something below them on the sidefarthest from where we approached. 

"They're playing some game, Mr Moray, " said the Sergeant, speakingquite respectfully to me, and, as I thought, slightly emphasising the"Mister, " which sounded strange. "Tell you what it is: one of the youngones has tumbled into a gully and broken his pretty little self. "

"Give the order to unsling rifles, Sergeant, " I said quietly, "andapproach with caution. "

"Eh? What! You don't think there's an ambuscade--do you?"

"No, " I said as I watched the actions of the apes keenly; "but I dothink there's a lion lying up somewhere. "

"A lion!"

"Yes; one of the brutes that were feeding on the dead horses in thenight. He has made for the shelter yonder, and is in hiding. "

"And the monkeys have found him, and are mobbing the beggar now he'ssleeping off his supper?"

"That's it, I think, " I replied. 

"Then let's get his skin if we can. Steady, all, and don't fire tillyou get a good chance. "

We checked our horses so as to approach at a walk, the Sergeant sendingme off a few yards to his left, and the other men opening out to theright. 

I fully expected to see the baboons go scurrying off as we approached;but, on the contrary, they grew more excited as, with rifle ready andSandho's rein upon his neck, I picked my way alongside the others in andout among the great blocks of stone at the foot of the kopje, wherethere was ample space for a couple of score of lions to concealthemselves. But I felt sure that as soon as we came near enough, andafter sneaking cautiously along for some distance, the one we soughtwould suddenly break cover and bound off away across the veldt. 

Wherever I came to a bare patch of the sandy earth I scanned narrowly insearch of "pug, " as hunting-men call the traces; but I could not makeout a single footprint. There were those of the baboons by the dozen, and the hoof-tracks of horses, probably those of some of our men whenthey made a circuit of the rocky hillock. Every hoof-mark was made byhorses going in the direction we were; but still no sign of a lion. 

"Keep a sharp lookout, " said the Sergeant softly; and I rememberthinking his words unnecessary, seeing that every one was keenly on thealert. 

"Seems to me a mare's-nest, " said the Sergeant to me dryly, as he cockedhis eye and pointed down at the footprints. 

"No, " I said; "the baboons have got something below them on the otherside, or they wouldn't keep on like that. Ah! look out!"

"What can you see?" cried the Sergeant. 

"Marks of blood on the ground here. The lion has caught one of thebaboons, I expect, and he's devouring it over yonder under where therest are dancing about and chattering. "

"And enough to make them, " said the Sergeant between his teeth. "Shootthe beggar if you can, sir. "

"I'll try, " I replied; and Sandho advanced cautiously, with the covergetting more dense, till, just as I was separated from the Sergeant by afew big blocks of ironstone, from out of whose chinks grew plenty ofbrushwood, Sandho stopped short, threw up his muzzle, and neighed. 

"What is it, old fellow?" I said softly, as I debated whether I shoulddismount so as to make sure of my shot. "There, go on. "

The horse took two steps forward, and then stopped again. 

"Here's something, Sergeant, " I said. "Push on round the end of thatblock and you'll see too. "

"Lion?"

"No, no. Go on. "

Sergeant Briggs pushed on, and uttered a loud ejaculation. 

"One of the Boers' horses?" I said. 

"One of the Boers, my lad, " he cried. "Close in there. "

The two men drew nearer, and the next minute we were all gazing down atwhere one of the enemy's wounded horses had evidently pitched forwardupon its knees and thrown its wounded rider over its head to where helay, a couple of yards in advance, with a terrible gash across hisforehead, caused by falling upon a rough stone. But that was not thecause of his death, for his jacket and shirt were torn open and a roughbandage had slipped down from the upper part of his chest, where abullet-wound showed plainly enough that his lungs must have beenpierced, and that he had bled to death. 

"Poor chap!" said the Sergeant softly; "he's got it. Well, he died likea brave man. Came up here, I s'pose, for shelter. "

"There's another over yonder, " I said excitedly, for about fifty yardsaway from where we were grouped, and high above us, the baboons wereleaping about and chattering more than ever. 

"Shouldn't wonder, " said the Sergeant; "and he aren't dead. Trying toscare those ugly little beggars away. "

"I'll soon see, " I said; and as I urged Sandho on, the shrinking beastcautiously picked his way past the dead group, and we soon got up to anarrow rift full of bushes, the path among the rocks running right up tothe highest point, towards which the baboons began to retire now, chattering away, but keeping a keen watch on our proceedings. 

"Another dead horse, Sergeant, " I shouted back. 

"Never mind the horse, " cried Briggs. "Be ready, and shoot the woundedman down at sight if he doesn't throw up his hands. 'Ware treachery. "

I pressed on into the gully, at whose entrance the second dead horselay, and the next minute, as Sandho forced the bushes apart with hisbreast, I saw marks of blood on a stone just beneath where the apes hadbeen chattering in their excitement; and then I drew rein and feltcompletely paralysed, for a faint voice, whose tones were unmistakable, cried:

"Help! Wather, for the love of Heaven!"

CHAPTER THIRTY. 

BRIGGS'S IRISH LION. 

"Why, it's an Irish lion!" cried the Sergeant, who was now close behindme. 

I was too much surprised to say anything then; but I felt afterwardsthat I might have said, "Irish jackal! The Irish lions are quitedifferent. " But somehow the sight of the badly-wounded man disarmed me, and I dismounted to part the bushes and kneel down beside where my enemylay back with his legs beneath the neck and shoulders of his dead horse, blood-smeared and ghastly, as he gazed wildly in my face. 

"Wather!" he said pitifully. "I am a dead man. "

"Are you, now, Pat?" cried the Sergeant, in mocking imitation of thepoor wretch's accent and high-pitched intonation. 

"Don't be a brute, Sergeant, " I said angrily as I opened my water-bottleand held it to the man's lips. "Can't you see he's badly hurt?"

"Serve him right, " growled the Sergeant angrily. "What business has hefighting against the soldiers of the Queen? Ugh! he don't deserve help;he ought to be stood up and shot for a traitor. "

"Be quiet!" I said angrily as I held the bottle, and the wounded mangulped down the cool water with terrible avidity. 

"All!" he moaned, "it putts life into me. Pull this baste of a horseaff me. I've got a bullet through my showlther, and I'm nearly crushedto death and devoured by those imp-like divils o' monkeys. "

"Here, you two, " cried the Sergeant surlily, "uncoil your reins, andmake them fast round this dead horse's neck. "

Our two followers quickly executed the order, and then, the other endsof the plaited raw-hide ropes being secured to rings in their saddles, they urged on their horses, which made a plunge or two and dragged theirdead fellow enough on one side for the Sergeant, with my help, to liftthe poor rider clear. 

"The blessing of all the saints be upon you both!" he moaned. "There'ssome lint in my pouch; just put a bit of a bandage about my showlther. I'm Captain Moriarty, an officer and a gintleman, who yields as aprisoner, and I want to be carried to yer commanding officer. "

He spoke very feebly at first; but the water and the relief from thepressure of the horse revived him, and he began to breathe more freely, his eyes searching my face in a puzzled way as if he thought he had seenme before. 

I took no heed, but did as he suggested; and, finding the lint and abandage, roughly bound up the wound, which had long ceased bleeding. 

"Can ye fale the bullet in the wound, me young inimy?" he said, with asigh. 

"No, " I replied, looking him full in the eyes. "Our doctor will see tothat. "

"Then ye've got a docthor with ye?" he said, pretty strongly now. 

"Of course we have, " growled the Sergeant, whose countenance seemed tome then to bear a remarkable resemblance to that of a mastiff dog whowas angry because his master spoke civilly to a stranger he wanted tohunt off the premises. "Do you take us for savages?"

"Silence, sor!" cried our prisoner, "or I'll report ye to yer officer. "

"Silence yourself!" cried the Sergeant. "What do you want with adoctor, you Irish renegado turncoat? You said you were a dead man. "

"Whisht! I'm a prisoner; but I'm an officer and a gintleman. --Here, boy, ordher your min to carry me out of this. "

"My men!" I said, laughing. "I'm only a private, and this is mysergeant. "

"Thin ye ought to change places, me boy. --Give orders to your min tocarry me out of this, Serjint. "

"I'm about ready to tell the lads to put an end to a traitor to hiscountry. "

"Tchah! Ye daren't do annything o' the kind, Serjint, for it would bemurther. This is my counthry, and I'm a prisoner of war. "

"Let him be, Sergeant, and we'll get him into the camp. --Can you sit ona horse, sir?" I said. 

"Sure, how do I know, boy, till I thry? I've been lying under that deadbaste till I don't seem to have any legs at all, at all. Ye must liftme on. "

"Officer and a gentleman!" said the Sergeant scornfully. "I never heardan Irish gentleman with a brogue like that. I believe you're one of therowdy sort that call themselves patriots. "

"Sure, and I am, " cried our prisoner. "But here, I don't want anywurruds with the like o' ye. --Help me up gently, boy, and let me see ifI can't shtand. "

"Take hold of him on the other side, " I said to the Sergeant, and hefrowningly helped, so that we got our prisoner upon his feet. 

"Ah!" he said, with a groan. "I think I can manage it if ye lift me ona horse. "

Sandho was led up, and with a good deal of difficulty and a repetitionof groans and allusions to the state of his lower members, the Captainwas hoisted into the saddle, and after another draught of water hedeclared that he could "howld" out till we got him to the "docthor. "

"He doesn't look as if he could try to make a bolt of it, " growled theSergeant; "but you'd better throw the reins over your horse's head andlead him. --And look here, Mr Officer and Gentleman, I'm very good withthe revolver, so don't try to spur off. "

Our prisoner waved his hand contemptuously and turned to me. 

"Sure, me wound and me fall put it all out of me head; but I had a manwith me when I was hit, and we were cut off in the fight. "

"Yes, " I said; "the poor fellow lies close here--dead. "

"Thin lade the horse round another way, boy. I don't want to look atthe poor lad. Ah! I don't fale so faint now. To think of me bad luck, though. Shot down like this, and not in battle, but hunting a gang ofwagon-thieves. "

"Ha, ha, ha! ha, ha, ha!" roared the Sergeant, slapping his thigh againand again as he laughed. "Come, I like that, Mr Moray. --Here, MrCaptain, let me introduce you to the gentleman who so cleverly carriedoff your stores last night. "

I was scarlet with indignation at being called a cattle-thief, andturned angrily away. 

"What!" said the prisoner; "him? Did--did he--did--But Moray--Moray?Sure, I thought I knew his face again. Here, I arrest ye as a thraitorand a deserter from the commando, boy;" and his hand went to the holsterto draw his revolver, which had not been interfered with. 

"Drop that!" roared the Sergeant roughly, and he dragged the prisoner'shand from the holster, wrenching the revolver from his grasp, and nearlymaking him lose his balance and fall out of the saddle. "I've heard allabout it. So you're the Irish scoundrel who summoned that poor lad, andwhen he refused to turn traitor and fight against his own country, youhad his hands lashed behind his back and treated him like a dog. Why, you miserable renegado! if you weren't a wounded man I'd serve you thesame. An officer and a gentleman! Why, you're a disgrace to your bravecountrymen. "

"Whisht! whisht!" cried our prisoner contemptuously. 

"Whisht! whisht! I'd like to whisht you with a Boer's sjambok, " criedthe Sergeant. "Here he finds you wounded and where you'd have lain anddied, and the carrion-birds would have come to the carrion; and when thebrave lad's helped you, given you water, bound up your wound, and putyou on his own beast, like that man did in Scripture, you turn round inthe nastiness of your nature and try to sting him. Bah! I'd be ashamedof myself. You're not Irish. I don't even call you a man. "

The Sergeant's flow of indignation sounded much poorer at the end thanat the beginning; and, his words failing now, I had a chance to get in afew. 

"That's enough, Sergeant, " I said. "You forget he's a wounded man and aprisoner. "

"Not half enough, Mr Moray, " cried the Sergeant. "I'm not one of yoursort, full of fine feelings; only a plain, straightforward soldier. "

"And a brave man, " I said, "who cannot trample on a fallen enemy. "

Sergeant Briggs gave his slouch felt hat a thrust on one side, while heangrily tore at his grizzled shock of closely-cut hair: it was toofierce to be called a scratch. 

"All right, " he said--"all right; but the sight of him trying to get outa pistol to hold at the head of him as--as--"

"Be quiet, Sergeant, " I said, smiling in spite of myself. "Look: thepoor fellow's turning faint. Let's get him to the camp. Ride alongsidehim and hold him up or he'll fall. "

"If I do may I--"

"Sergeant!" I shouted. 

"Oh, all right, all right. I--But here, I'm not going to let you beginto domineer over your officer. "

"Sergeant, " I said gently, and without a word he pressed his horse closealongside the prisoner, thrust a strong arm beneath him, and we went outinto the open, passing, after all, the prisoner's Boer companion, whosefighting was for ever at an end; and at last we reached the entrance tothe old fort, with our wounded prisoner nearly insensible. After thehorses had been led in, the prisoner had to be lifted down and placed inthe temporary hospital made in a sheltered portion of the passage. Herethe surgeon saw him at once, and extracted a rifle-bullet, which hadnearly passed through the shoulder. 

The Colonel was soon made acquainted with all that had passed, theSergeant being his informant, and men were sent out to give a soldier'sfuneral to the dead Boer, who, with the Captain, must have dashed out inone of our skirmishes, after being wounded, and tried to escape by goingright round the kopje, but had fallen by the way. 

"Here, Moray, " said the Colonel to me the next time he passed, "you'vebeen heaping coals of fire upon your enemy's head, I hear?"

"Oh, I don't know, sir, " I said uneasily. 

"I've heard all about it, my lad; and a nice sort of a prisoner you'vebrought me in. If he had been a Boer I'd have put him on one of thecaptured horses and sent him to his laager, but I feel as if I must keepthis fellow. There, we shall see. "

"A brute!" said Denham that same night. "He's actually had theimpudence to send a message to the Colonel complaining of his quartersand saying that he claims to be treated as an officer and a gentleman. "

"Pooh! The fellow only merits contempt, " I said. 

"There are fifteen Irishmen in the corps, and they're all raging abouthim. They say he ought to be hung for a traitor. He doesn't deserve tobe shot. "

"But there isn't an Irishman in the corps would put it to the proof, " Isaid. 

"Humph! Well, " said Denham, "I suppose not, for he is a prisoner afterall. Officer and a gentleman--eh? One who must have left his countryfor his country's good. "

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. 

DENHAM'S BAD LUCK. 

The men of the corps were in high glee during the following days, theBoers making two or three attempts to cut off our grazing horses andoxen, but smarting terribly for being so venturesome. In each case theywere sent to the right-about, while our cattle were driven back intosafety without the loss of a man. 

The enemy still surrounded us, occupying precisely the same lines; and, thoroughly dissatisfied with a style of fighting which meant taking theminto the open to attack our stronghold, they laagered and strengthenedtheir position, waiting for us to attack them. This could only be doneat the risk of terrible loss and disaster, for the Boers were sonumerous that any attempt to cut through them might only result in oursmall force being surrounded and overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers. Therefore our Colonel decided not to make an attack. 

"The Colonel says they're ten to one, Val; and as we've plenty of waterand provisions, he will leave all `acting on the aggressive' to theDoppies. "

This remark was made by my companion Denham when we had been inpossession of the old fortress for nearly a fortnight. 

At first, while still suffering a little from the injuries I hadreceived, the confinement was depressing; but as I gradually recoveredfrom my wrenches and bruises, and as there was so much to do, and wewere so often called upon to be ready for the enemy, the days and nightspassed not unpleasantly. Discipline was strictly enforced, andeverything was carried out in the most orderly way. Horses and cattlewere watered and sent out to graze in charge of escorts, and a troop wasdrawn up beyond the walls, ready to dash out should the Boers attempt tocut them off; guard was regularly mounted; and the men were set to buildstone walls and roofs in parts of the old place, to give protection fromthe cold nights and the rain that might fall at any time. 

As for the men, they were as jolly as the proverbial sandboys; and atnight the walls echoed with song and chorus. Then games were contrived, some played by the light of the fires and others outside the walls. Bats, balls, and stumps were made for cricket; of course very roughlyfashioned, but they afforded as much amusement as if they had comestraight from one of the best English makers. 

There was, however, a monotony about our food-supply, and the officersmore than once banteringly asked me when I was going to cut out anotherhalf-dozen wagons. 

"Bring more variety next time, " they said merrily. "Pick out one loadedwith tea, coffee, sugar, and butter. "

"Yes, " cried Denham, laughing; "and when you are about it, bring us somepots and kettles and potatoes. We can eat the big ones; and, as we seemto be settled here for the rest of our days, we're going to start agarden and plant the little 'taters in that. "

"To be sure, " said another officer; "and I say, young fellow, mind andchoose one of the next teams with some milch-cows in it. I feel as if Ishould like to milk. "

I laughed too, but I felt as if I should not much like to undertake suchanother expedition as the last, and that it would be pleasanter toremain content with the roast beef and very decent bread our mencontrived to make in the old furnace after it had been a bit modified, or with the "cookies" that were readily made on an iron plate over afire of glowing embers. Oh no! I don't mean damper, that stodgy cakeof flour and water fried in a pan; they were the very eatable cakes oneof our corporals turned out by mixing plenty of good beef-dripping withthe flour, and kneading all up together. They were excellent--or, asDenham said, would have been if we had possessed some salt. 

One of our greatest difficulties was the want of fuel, for it was scarcearound the old stronghold when we had cut down all the trees and bushesgrowing out of the ledges and cracks about the kopje; and the questionhad been mooted whether we should not be obliged to blast out some ofthe roots wedged in amongst the stones by ramming in cartridges. Butwhile there was any possibility of making adventurous raids in alldirections where patches of trees existed, and the men could gallop out, halt, and each man, armed with sword and a piece of rein, cut hisfaggot, bind it up, and gallop back, gunpowder was too valuable to beused for blasting roots. This was now, however, becoming a terriblydifficult problem, for the enemy--eagerly seizing upon the chance tomake reprisals when these were attended by no great risk to themselves--had more than once chased and nearly captured our foraging parties. 

Consequently all thoughts of fires for warmth during the cold nights, when they would have been most welcome, were abandoned; while the meneagerly volunteered for cooks' assistants; and the officers were notabove gathering in the old furnace-place of a night, after the cookingwas over, for the benefit of the warmth still emitted by the impromptuoven. 

Meanwhile every economy possible was practised, and the fuel storejealously guarded. The said fuel store consisted of every bone of theslaughtered animals that could be saved, and even the hides; these, though malodorous, giving out a fine heat when helped by the greenfaggots, which were in turn started ablaze by chips of the graduallybroken-up wagons. 

Then, too, the veldt was laid under contribution, men going out mounted, and furnished with sacks, which they generally brought back full of thescattered bones of game which had at one time swarmed in theneighbourhood, but had been ruthlessly slaughtered by the Boers. 

So the days glided on, with not the slightest prospect, apparently, ofour escape. 

"Every one's getting precious impatient, Val, " said Denham one day whenwe were idling up on the walls with his field-glass, after lyinglistlessly chatting about the old place and wondering what sort ofpeople they were who built it, and whether they did originally comegold-hunting from Tyre and Sidon. "Yes, " he added, "we are impatient inthe extreme. "

"It doesn't seem like it, " I replied; "the men are contented enough. "

"Pooh! They're nobody. I mean the officers. The chief's leg's prettynearly right again, and he was saying at mess only yesterday that it wasa most unnatural state of affairs for British officers to be forced by aset of low-bred Dutch Boers, no better than farm-labourers, to eat theirbeef without either mustard, horse-radish, or salt. "

"Horrible state of destitution, " I said quietly. 

"None of your sneers, Farmer Val, " he cried. "He's right, and I'mgetting sick of it myself. He says it is such an ignoble position for amounted corps to suffer themselves to be shut up here, and not to makeanother dash for freedom. "

"Well, I shall be glad if we make another attempt to get through theirlines, " I said thoughtfully. 

"That's what the Major said, when, hang me! if the chief didn't turnsuddenly round like a weathercock, and say that what we were doing wasquite right, because we held this great force of Boers occupied so thatthe General might carry out his plans without being harassed by so largea body of men. "

"That's right enough, " I said. 

"Don't you get blowing hot and cold, " cried Denham, with impatience. "Then some one else sided with the Colonel. It was the doctor, I think. He said the General must know when, where, and how we were situated, and that sooner or later he would attack the Boers, rout them, and setus at liberty. "

"That sounds wise, " I hazarded. 

"No, it doesn't, " said my companion; "because we shouldn't want settingat liberty then. Do you suppose that if we heard the General's guns, and found that he was attacking the enemy, we should sit still here andlook on?"

"Well, it wouldn't be right, " I replied. 

"Right? Of course not. As soon as the attack was made we should fileout and begin to hover on the enemy's flank or rear, or somewhere else, waiting our time, and then go at them like a wedge and scatter them. Oh, how I do long to begin!"

"It seems to me, " I said thoughtfully, "that the General ought to havesent some one to find us and bring us a despatch ordering the Colonelwhat to do. "

"I dare say he has--half-a-dozen by now--and the Boers have capturedthem; but it doesn't matter. "

"Doesn't matter?" I said wonderingly. 

"No; because, depend upon it, he'd have ordered us to sit fast till hecame. "

"Well, but oughtn't the Colonel to have sent out a despatch or twotelling the General how we are fixed?"

"Yes--no--I don't know, " said Denham sourly. "I'm only a subaltern--abit of machinery that is wound up sometimes by my superior officers, andthen I turn round till I'm stopped. Subalterns are not expected to haveany brains, or to think for themselves. "

"Now you are exaggerating, " I said. 

"Not a bit of it, my little man. But I know what I should have done ifI had been chief. "

"What's that?"

"Sent out a smart fellow who could track and ride. "

"With a despatch for the General?"

"No; a message that couldn't fall into the enemy's hands. I'd have gonelike a shot. "

"You couldn't send yourself, " I said dryly. 

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"You were telling me what you would have done if you had been chief. "

"Bah! Yah! Don't you pretend to be so sharp. That's what the old manought to do, though--send out a messenger, and if he didn't find theGeneral he'd find out how things are going. I believe the Boers arelicking our regular troops. "

"Oh, nonsense!" I said, looking startled. "Impossible. "

"Nothing's impossible in war, my boy. I'm getting uncomfortable. You'dgo with a message if you were ordered?"

"Of course, " I said. 

"Of course you would. That's what the chief ought to do, and I've agood mind to tell him so. But I say, " he added, in alarm, "don't you goand tell any one what I've been talking about. "

I looked him in the face and laughed. 

"Of course you will not, " said Denham confidently. "Hullo! Going?"

"Yes; I want to go and see how the great Irish captain is, " I replied. 

"What do you want to go and see him for?" said my companion angrily. 

"I hardly know, " I replied. "I like to see that he's getting better. "

"Well, you are a rum chap, " cried Denham. "I should have thought youwould like to go and sit upon the bragging brute. Why, last time, whenI went with you, he talked to both of us as if we were two privates inhis Boer corps. "

"Yes, he's a self-satisfied, inflated sort of fellow; but he's woundedand a prisoner. "

"What of that? It's only what he ought to be. I want to know what's tobe done with him. "

"The Colonel won't send him to the Boer lines when he's well enough tomove, I hope. "

"Not he. I expect he'll be kept till he can be handed over to theGeneral. Here, I'll come with you. "

I was quite willing, and we descended to the hospital, as the shut-offpart of one of the passages was called; and there sat the only patientand prisoner, with an armed sentry close at hand to prevent any attemptat escape. 

The Captain turned his head sharply on hearing our footsteps, and gaveus both a haughty stare, which amused Denham, making him look to me andsmile. 

"Oh, you've come at last, " said the patient. "I've been wanting you. "

"What is it?" I said. "Water?"

"Bah!" he replied, his upper lip curling. "I want you to bring yourchief officer here. "

"I dare say you do, my fine fellow, " cried Denham. "Pretty good for aprisoner! You don't suppose he'll come--do you? Here, what do youwant? Tell me, and I'll carry your message to the chief. "

Moriarty gave the young officer a contemptuous glance, and then turnedto me. 

"Go and tell the Colonel, or whatever he is, that I am greatly surprisedat his inattention to my former message. "

"Did you send a message?" I asked, surprised by his words. 

"Of course I did, two days ago, by the surgeon. It's not gentlemanly ofyour Colonel. Go and tell him that I feel well enough to move now, andthat I desire him to send me with a proper escort, and under a whiteflag, to make an exchange of prisoners. "

"Well, I'll take your message, " I said; "but--"

"Yes, go at once, " said Moriarty, "and bring me back an answer, for I'msick of this place. "

He turned away, and, without so much as a glance at Denham, lay back, staring up at the sky. 

"Well, " said Denham when we were out of hearing, "of all the arroganceand cheek I ever witnessed, that fellow possesses the most. Here, whatare you going to do?"

"Take the message to the Colonel, " I replied. 

"Going to do what?" cried Denham. "Nothing of the kind. "

"But I promised him. "

"I know you did; but you must have a fit of delirium coming on. It'sbeing too much up in the sun. "

"Nonsense, " I said. "I've no time for joking. "

"Joking, my dear boy? Nothing of the kind. I'm going to take you tothe doctor; he'll nip your complaint in the bud. "

"Absurd, " I cried. "Come with me to the Colonel. "

"What! To deliver the message?"

"Of course. "

"No, Val, my boy. I like you too well to let you go to the old man. Doyou know what he'd do?"

"Send me back to our friend there with a message as sharp as a sword. Of course I know he will not send him across to the Boers. "

"My dear Val, " said Denham solemnly, "let me inform your ignoranceexactly what would happen. I know the chief from old experience. He'llsit back and listen to you with one of those pleasant smiles he puts onwhen he's working himself up into a rage. He'll completely disarm you--as he did me once--and all the time, as he hears you patiently to theend, he'll think nothing about my lord Paddy there, but associate you, my poor boy, with what he will consider about the most outrageous pieceof impudence he ever had addressed to him. Then suddenly he'll springup and say--No, I will not spoil the purity of the atmosphere thisbeautiful evening by repeating a favourite expletive of his--he'll saysomething you will not at all like, and then almost kick you out of hisquarters. "

"I don't believe it, " I said. 

"That's giving me the lie, Val, my boy. He'll be in such a rage thathe'll forget himself; for, though he's a splendid soldier, and as bravea man as ever crossed a charger, he is one of the--"

"What, Mr Denham?" said the gentleman of whom he spoke, suddenlystanding before us. "Pray speak out; I like to hear what my officersthink of me. "

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO. 

DENHAM SHIVERS. 

I wanted to dash off--not from fear, but to indulge in a hearty roar oflaughter--for Denham's countenance at that moment wore the drollestexpression I have ever seen upon the face of man. 

"I--I--I beg your pardon, Colonel, " he stammered at last. 

"For backbiting me, sir, " said the Colonel shortly. "I could not helphearing your last sentence, for you raised your voice and forced it uponme. Now, if you please, I am one of the--what?"

"I was--I was only telling Moray here, sir, that you were--er--er--verypassionate, and that if--"

"Passionate, am I?"

"Yes, sir, " stammered Denham. "No, no; I beg your pardon, sir. Ididn't mean to say that. "

"I presume you are saying what you consider to be the truth, MrDenham, " said the Colonel coldly. "Now, pray go on: and that if--"

"If he came to you with--with a message, sir, that he has just received, you would kick him out of your presence. "

"Humph!" said the Colonel sternly. "Just this minute, sir, you said ofme what you believed to be the truth; but now you have been saying whatyou must know to be false. --Pray, what was the message Moray?" he added, turning to me. 

There was only one thing to do, and I did it, giving Moriarty's messageto the end. 

"The insolent, conceited idiot!" said the Colonel scornfully. "You neednot go back to him with my answer; but if you come across him again andhe asks what I said, you can tell him this: that at the firstopportunity I shall hand him over to my superior officers, as one of HerMajesty's subjects found with arms in his hand fighting against theBritish force after taking service with her enemies, and doing his bestto impress Englishmen to serve in the same ranks. --Mr Denham, I shouldlike a few words with you in the morning. "

He turned upon his heel and strode heavily away, with his spurs clinkingloudly and the guard at the end of his scabbard giving a sharp _chink_every now and then, as, field-glass in hand, he climbed to the top ofthe wall to take a look round at the positions of the enemy before theevening closed in. 

"Well, " said Denham at last, looking the while as if all the militarystarch had been taken out of him, "you've done it now. "

I could keep back my laughter no longer. 

"Somebody has, " I cried merrily. 

"Yes, " he said dolefully; "somebody has. Oh, I say, Val, you oughtn'tto have told tales like that. "

"What?" I cried. "How could I help it?"

"Well, I suppose you couldn't, " said my companion. "But there never wassuch an unlucky beggar as I am. What did he want to come upon us justat that moment for? Oh dear! oh dear! and I got to face him to-morrowmorning! I say, can't we do something to put it off--something to makehim forget it?"

"Impossible, " I said. 

"Oh, I don't know; try and think of a good dodge--a sortie, or doingsomething to make the Boers come on to-night. If we had a jolly goodlight he'd forget all about it, and I shouldn't hear any more about themiserable business. Here, what can we do to make the Boers come on? Imight get killed in the set-to, and then I should escape this awfulwigging. "

"Who ought to go and see the doctor now?" I said. "Who's going mad?"

"I am, I believe, old fellow; and enough to make me. It's enough tomake a fellow desert. Here, I know; I'll do something. It's all thefault of that miserable renegade. I'll go in and half-kill him--aninsolent, insulting brute!"

Just then Denham, who was as fearless as any man in the ranks when outwith the corps, started violently in his alarm; for a hail came fromhigh up on the wall in the Colonel's familiar voice; and upon lookingup, there he was, glass in hand, looking down at us. 

"Denham, " cried the Colonel, "run to the Major. Tell him to come hereto me at once, and bring his glass. "

"Yes, sir, " cried my companion. --"Come with me, Val. My word! He gaveme such a turn, as the old women say; I thought he'd heard me again. Hurrah, old fellow! there's something up, and no mistake. I shan't getthat tongue-flogging after all. "

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE. 

DENHAM PROVES TO BE RIGHT. 

In a few minutes the Major had joined the Colonel, and soon everyofficer and man in the old fortification was waiting breathlessly forinformation as to what intelligence regarding the movements of the enemythe two stern-looking men up on the wall were gathering into theirbrains through their glasses--intelligence far beyond the ken of thesentries, whose duty it was to keep strict watch upon the great circlewhich was formed by the Boer lines. 

There was no hurry or bustle; but our trumpeter had buckled hissword-belt and taken down his instrument from where it hung, and thenstationed himself upon one of the blocks of stone in the greatcourtyard, watching his chiefs, and holding his instrument ready, whilehis eyes seemed about to start out of his head in his excitement. Everywhere it was the same. Men glided about here and there, after aglance at the ranges of rifles against the wall, with their well-filledbandoliers, and only paused at last where each could dart to his horse, ready to saddle and bridle the tethered beast. The officers were alsosilently preparing--buckling on their swords, taking revolvers fromtheir belt-holsters, and filling the chambers from theircartridge-pouches, quite mechanically, without taking their eyes off thewatchers on the wall. But in spite of all these preparations no soundswere heard save those made by the horses--an impatient stamp or pawingat the stones, followed by a snort or a whinnying neigh. 

I did as the rest had done. Meeting Denham after his return from thesheltered spot occupied by the officers, we stood together, looking upat the wall. 

"What a long time they are taking!" whispered Denham impatiently. "TheDoppies can't be coming on, or they'd have been seen before now. "

Almost as he spoke the two officers strode to one end of the rampart andbegan to inspect the veldt again. The next minute they were making forthe opposite side of the great building, to examine the country in thatdirection; and here they stood for a long time. 

"Oh dear!" groaned Denham at last. "What's-its-name deferred makes theheart sink into your boots. It's a false alarm. "

"Not it, " I said, "for there has been no alarm. "

"Well, you know what I mean. It's all over. I did hope the chief wouldbe so busy that he'd forget all about what I said. There never was sucha miserably unlucky beggar born as I am. Now we shall--"

Just then the Major left the Colonel's side, came to the edge of thewall, and looked down into the court, gave a nod of satisfaction, andmade a sign to the trumpeter, whose bugle went with a flip to his lips, and there was a sound as if the pent-up breath of some four hundred menhad been suddenly allowed to escape. Then the walls were echoing to thecall "Boot and Saddle, " and every man sprang to his hung-up saddle andthen to his horse, the willing beasts seeming all of a tremor with anexcitement as great as that of their riders. Long practice had made usquick; and in an incredibly short time I was standing like the rest withmy rifle slung across my back, holding Sandho's bridle ready to lead himout through the gateway, military fashion, though he would have walkedat my side like a dog. 

"We're only going for a bit of a reconnaissance, " said Sergeant Briggsgruffly as, after a sharp, non-com glance at his men, he settled downclose to my side. 

"How do you know?" I asked, speaking as if to a friend, and not to asuperior officer on parade. 

"No orders for water-bottles and rations, my lad. I was in hopes thatwe were going to make a dash through them and get out of this prison ofa place. "

"What! and leave all that splendid beef, Briggs?" said Denham, who cameup in time to hear the Sergeant's words. 

"Yes; and the gold-mine too, sir. We could come back and takepossession of that. "

"But the bullocks?"

"They'd find their way out and get their living on the veldt. Needn'ttrouble about them, sir. Look out. "

We were looking out, for our two chief officers had now descended fromthe walls and crossed to where their servants were holding theirchargers. 

Directly after a note was sounded, followed by a sharp order or two, andhorse and man, troop after troop, filed out into position and stoodready to mount. 

The order was not long in coming, and we sprang into our saddles, all inprofound ignorance of what was before us, save that we were soon toreturn. About fifty men had been left as garrison. 

Then an order was given, and we divided into two bodies. Onedetachment, under the Major, moved off, to pass round by the kopje; theother, in which I served, taking the opposite direction, but turningafter passing round the stronghold, and meeting the other detachmentabout half a mile to the east. There we sat, obtaining in the clearevening light a full view of the enemy's proceedings. 

We had no sooner halted than the officers' glasses were focussed, andall waited anxiously for an explanation of the movements which thenon-commissioned officers and privates could see somewhat indistinctlywith the naked eye. 

Denham was close to me; and, like the good fellow he was, he took careto let me know what he made out, speaking so that his words were plainlyheard by Sergeant Briggs and the others near. 

"It seems to be a general advance of the enemy, " he said, with his eyesclose to his glass. "They're coming steadily on at a walk. Yes; wagonsand all. "

"That doesn't mean an attack, sir, " said the Sergeant. 

"I don't know what it means, " said Denham. "Yes, I think I do. They'vegot some notion into their heads that we mean to break through the ring, and they are going to close up, to make it more solid. "

"They think we're getting tired of it, sir, and that when we see themloaded with plenty of good things we shall surrender. "

"Perhaps it's out of kindness, Briggs, " said Denham, laughing. "Theywant to tempt us into making another raid because the distance will beshorter for us to go. "

"Then I'm afraid they'll be disappointed, sir, for the Colonel isn'tlikely to risk losing any of his men while we've got all those bullocksto eat. "

"I don't know what to make of it, " said Denham; then, thoughtfully: "Itlooks to me like some bit of cunning--a sort of ruse to get withinrifle-shot. Look how steadily they're coming on. "

That was plain enough to us all, line after line of horsemen advancingas regularly as if they had been well-drilled cavalry; and for my part, inexperienced as I was in such matters, I could not help thinking thatthe wagons were being pushed forward on purpose to afford cover fortheir best marksmen, and that in a short time the bullets would begin tobe pinging and buzzing about our ears. 

I can't say what the Colonel thought; but almost directly the trumpetrang out, and we were cantered back, to file steadily into the greatcourtyard again, with the men grumbling and muttering among themselvesat having been made what they called fools of. 

"I tell you what it is, Val, " said Denham as soon as he had anotherchance to speak; "I believe I've got it. "

"What--the Boers' plan?"

"Yes; don't you see? They'll come right in so as to be within easy shotof our grazing grounds. "

"Oh!" I exclaimed, "I never thought of that. Of course; and if thehorses and cattle are driven out, they'll be able to shoot them downtill we haven't a beast left. "

"Nor a bit of beef. It's to force us to surrender--a regular siege. "

It was rapidly getting dark then; and we soon learned that our ideas ofthe Boers' ruse were the same as those entertained by our chiefs. 

Upon the strength of the closer approach the sentries were doubled, andby means of the wagons the entrance to our stronghold was barricaded ina more effectual way; but we were not to be allowed to rest with afeeling of security that night. In about a couple of hours after ourreturn a shot was fired by one of the sentries, then another, andanother; and the men stood to their arms, on foot, ready for an attackby the enemy. In a few minutes, however, the news ran round that thesentries had fired at a dark figure creeping along under the wall insidethe courtyard after repeated challenges; and, later, the news spreadthat the sentry on guard over the prisoner was lying insensible andbleeding from a great cut on the back of his head, and that CaptainMoriarty was nowhere to be found. 

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR. 

AN AMBUSCADE IN STONE. 

"The chief's in an awful rage, Val, " said Denham, when he came to meafter a thorough search had seemed to prove that the prisoner had eludedthe vigilance of the sentries. "He swears that some one must have beenacting in collusion with the pompous blackguard, and that he means tohave the whole of our Irish boys before him and cross-examine the lot. "

"I hope he will not, " I said. 

"So do I; for I don't believe one of them would have lent him a hand, and it would offend them all. "

"Yes, " I said; "they're all as hot-headed and peppery as can be. "

"Spoiling for a fight, " put in Denham. 

"Yes; and so full of that queer feeling which makes them think a set ismade against them because they are Irish. "

"Exactly, " cried my companion; "and it's such a mistake on their part, because we always like them for their high spirits and love of a bit offun. "

"They're the wittiest and cleverest fellows in the corps. "

"And if I wanted a dozen chaps to back me up in some dangerous business, I'd sooner depend on them for standing to me to the last than any one Iknow. "

"Oh! it would be a pity, " I said warmly. "I hope the Colonel will thinkbetter of it. "

Denham winked at me as we sat in shelter by the light of anewly-invented lamp, made of a bully-beef tin cut down shallow and witha couple of dints in the side; it was full of melted fat, across which astrip out of the leg of an old cotton stocking had been laid so that thetwo ends projected an inch beyond the two spout-like dints. 

"What does that mean?" I asked. 

"The chief, " said Denham, "good old boy, kicks up a shindy, and swearshe'll do this or that, and then he thinks better of it. I've got off mywigging. "

"How do you know?" I said. 

"Met the old boy after I had been having a regular hunt everywhere withhalf-a-dozen men, and he nodded to me in quite a friendly way. `Thankyou, Denham, ' he said. `Tell your men that they were very smart. '"

"I'm glad of that, " I said. 

"Same here, dear boy. It's his way, bless him! He likes a red rag togo at, the old John Bull that he is; but if another begins to fluttersomewhere else, he forgets number one and goes in for number two. "

"Yes, I've noticed that, " I said. "But it's a great pity that fellowgot away. I believe he has been shamming a bit lately. "

"No doubt about it. The nuisance of it is, that the brute will go andput the Boers up to everything as to our strength, supplies, ammunition, and goodness knows what else. But, look here, I'm going on now to seehow Sam Wren is. "

"Sam Wren?" I cried wonderingly. "What's the matter with him?"

"Matter? Why, he was the sentry Moriarty knocked down. "

"Oh, poor fellow! I am sorry, " I said, for the private in question wasone of the smartest and best-tempered men in our troop. 

"So's everybody, " replied Denham. "I say: it was contusion in his case, not collusion. "

"Where is he?" I said. 

"In hospital. Duncombe's a bit uneasy about him. I'm going on again tosee him. Will you come?"

"Of course, " I said eagerly. 

"Come along, then. We'll take the lamp, or some sentry may be poppingat us. "

"The wind will puff it out in that narrow passage. "

"Not as I shall carry it, " replied my companion; and he led off, withhis broad-brimmed felt held over the flickering wick, in and out amongthe fallen stones between the walls, nearly to the other side of thecourt. Here another covered-in patch had been turned into a fairly snughospital by hanging up two wagon-tilts twenty feet apart, after clearingaway the loose stones; and a certain number of fairly comfortable bedshad been made of the captured corn-sacks. 

On reaching the first great curtain Denham called upon me to hold itaside, as his hands were full; and as I did so I caught sight, on theright-hand side, of our doctor down on one knee and bending over hispatient, whose face could be seen by the light of a lantern placed upona stone, while his voice sounded plainly, as if he were replying tosomething the surgeon had said. 

"Only me, Duncombe, " said Denham. "Just come to see how Wren is. "

"Better, thank goodness, " said the doctor. "He seemed to come-to aboutfive minutes ago. "

"I am glad, Wren, " said Denham, setting down the lamp beside thelantern. 

"Thank ye, sir, " said the poor fellow, smiling. "Moray's come with meto look you up. " The wounded man looked pleased to see me, and then hisface puckered up as he turned his eyes again to the doctor and said:

"I don't mind the crack on the head, sir, a bit. Soldiers deal in hardknocks, and they must expect to get some back in return. I know I'vegiven plenty. It's being such a soft worries me. "

"Well, don't let it worry you. Help me by taking it all coolly, andI'll soon get you well again. "

"That you will, sir. I know that, " said the man gently. "But I feel asif I should like to tell the Colonel that I was trying to do my duty. "

"He doesn't want telling that, Sam, " said Denham. "Of course you were. "

"But I oughtn't to have been such a fool, sir--such a soft Tommy of afellow. I knew he was a humbug; but he looked so bad, and pulled such along face, that I didn't like to be hard. `Here, sentry, ' he says, ashe sat up with his back to the wall, just after you'd gone, `this rightleg's gone all dead again. It's strained and wrenched through the horselying upon it all those hours. Just come and double up one of thosesacks and lay it underneath for a cushion. The pain keeps me from goingto sleep. '"

"Oh, that's how it happened--was it?" said the doctor, while we twolistened eagerly. 

"I'm coming to it directly, sir, " said the man querulously. "Well, sir, seeing as I felt that, as I was sentry over the hospital, I was incharge of a wounded man as well, I just rested my rifle against thewall, picked up one of the sacks, and doubled it in four. Then, just asinnocent as a babby, I kneels down, lifts up his leg softly, bendingover him like, and was just shoving the bit of a cushion-like thingunder his knee, when it seemed as if one of the big stones up there hadfallen flat on the back of my head, and I heard some one say, `Takethat, you ugly Sassenach beast! and see how you like lying in hospital. 'Then it was all black, sir, till I opened my eyes and saw you holdingthat stuff to my lips. "

"Yes, my man, " said the doctor; "now don't talk any more, but liestill. "

"Tell me about that crack on the head again, sir, please. It wasn't oneof the stones fell down, then?"

"No; the prisoner must have got hold of this piece somehow, then kept itready by the side of his bed, and struck you down. "

"And a nasty, dirty, cowardly blow, too, " said the poor fellow feebly. "Beg pardon, sir; you'll pull me round as quickly as you can--won'tyou?"

"Of course, " said the doctor, smiling. 

"Thank ye, sir. I want to have an interview with that gentleman again. "

"I suppose so, " said Denham; "and so do about four hundred of the corps. He'd have been stood up with his back to one of the walls and shot bythis time, but the brute has got away. "

"We shall run against him again, though, sir, " said the wounded manconfidently, "and we shan't mistake him for any one else. --Beg pardon, though, sir; you're quite sure my skull isn't broken?"

"Quite, " said the doctor. "Now be quiet. "

"Certainly, sir; but is it cracked?"

"No, nor yet cracked, " said the doctor, smiling. "You're suffering fromconcussion of the brain. "

"And I'll concuss his brain, sir, if I can only get a chance; but I willdo it fair and--Yes, sir, I've done, and I'm going to sleep. "

He smiled at us both, and then closed his eyes; while, after a few wordswith the doctor, Denham picked up the lamp, and we went gently to theother rough curtain. 

"It's just as near to go back this way, " said Denham as I lowered thecanvas again, and we passed on, to be confronted directly after by asentry, who challenged with his levelled bayonet pointed at our breasts;but after giving the word we passed on. 

"Seems queer for poor Sam Wren, " said my companion, "changing placeslike that. Sentry one moment; patient the next. Bah! it is a nuisancethat the prisoner should have been able to get away. "

"And go back to the Boers, full of all he has seen here, " I said. 

"Well, it will make us all the more careful, " said Denham, still shadingthe lamp with his hat as we went on, till we had passed where we couldhear the movement of the horses tethered to the long lines, with nonetoo much room to stir, poor beasts! Commenting on the condition of ourmounts, I remarked that, as the Boers had come in so close, the horseswould have but little opportunity for stretching their legs. 

"Oh, don't you be afraid about that; the chief isn't the man to let theDoppies come close like this without having something to say on hisside. You may depend upon it that the moment he feels that the horsesare going the wrong way, there'll be such a dash made as will astonishour friends outside. "

"Well, I shall not be sorry, " I said, "for I don't like being shut up aswe are. Look up. I say, what a lovely starlight night!"

"No, thank you, " replied Denham. "I like fine nights, but I like totake care of my shins; and if I get star-gazing the lamp will be blownout, and we shall be going down one of those holes into the oldgold-mine. There is one just in front--isn't there?"

"Two, " I said; "but there are great stones laid across now. "

"Across the middle; but there's plenty of room to go down on one side. Look! Here we are. "

He stopped and held the lamp down, its feeble rays showing that he wasupon a broad stone laid across one of the old mine-shafts, one of thoseclose by the ancient furnace we had discovered on our first visit. Onthis he now halted for a moment, partly from curiosity, partly to drawmy attention to the danger. 

"I should like to tie some of the horses' reins together and have adecent lantern, so as to be let down to explore these places. "

"You couldn't, " I said. "Don't you remember when we threw a stone downthis one it fell some distance and then went splash into the water?"

"It was the one farther on, not this one, " said Denham, bending lower. 

"Well, you may depend upon it that there'd be no going far before comingto water. "

"Val!" cried my companion suddenly. 

"What's the matter?"

"That's what some of our chaps have been doing. "

"What! going down to the water?"

"No; exploring to find gold. Look here; they've been doing exactly whatI said. Here's a rein tied round this stone with the end going rightdown, and--"

_Crash_!

"Ah! Val!"

There was the sound of a couple of strokes, one falling upon the lamp, which seemed to leap down into the shaft at our feet, the other strokefalling on Denham's head; and as I sprang to his assistance I wasconscious of receiving a tremendous thrust which sent me headlongdownward, as if I were making a dive from the stone I tried to cross. The next minute my head came in contact with stones, strangescintillations of light flashed before my eyes, there was a roar as ofthunder in my ears, and then all was blank. 

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. 

IN DOLEFUL DUMPS. 

Mine was a strange awakening to what appeared like a confused dream. There was a terrible pain in my head, and a sensation as of somethingwarm and wet trickling down the side of my face, accompanied by apeculiar smarting which made me involuntarily raise my hand and quicklydraw it away again, for I had only increased the pain. Then I lay quitestill, trying to puzzle out what was the matter. 

At first I could only realise the fact that the darkness was intense. After a time the idea occurred that I must have been out with my troopattacking the Boers, and that a bullet had struck me diagonally on theforehead and glanced off after making the cut, which kept bleeding; butI was so stunned that a kind of veil seemed to be raised between thepresent and the past. 

"I shall think all about it soon, " I mused. "It's of no use to worryafter a fall. "

Then I wondered about Sandho, and how the poor beast had fared, a pangof mental agony shooting through me as I listened. 

I could not hear a sound. 

"He's killed, " was my next thought; "for if he had been alive he wouldhave stopped directly I fell from his back, and waited for me toremount. "

I began to feel about with my hands; but instead of touching soft earthor bush I felt rough stones, wet and slimy as if coated with fine moss, and it had lately been raining. A faint musical drip, as of fallingwater, strengthened this notion; but I did not try to follow it out, formy head throbbed severely. So I lay still trying to rest, and gazingupward expecting to see the stars. All above, however, was black with asolid intensity that was awe-inspiring. I could see nothing; but Icould feel, and became aware of another fact: I was lying among rocks ina most uncomfortable and painful position, with my head and shoulders ina niche between two pieces of stone, and my feet high above me. 

"At the foot of some kopje, " I remember fancying. Then my mind grewclearer--so much clearer that I felt for my handkerchief, got it out ofmy breast, doubled it, and bound it round my forehead to stop thebleeding. This took me some time; but the movement, painful though itwas, seemed to give me more power of thinking, and I began to do more. After an effort, I managed to get my back and shoulders out of thecrevice in the rocks where they were wedged. Then my legs slipped downof their own weight, and I felt myself gliding down a sharp incline. Ispread out my hands to stop myself, and succeeded, bringing up againstsome loose stones. 

"Sandho's somewhere at the bottom of this slope, " I thought, and Icalled him by name; but I was horrified to hear my words goreverberating from me with strange, whispering echoes which died slowlyaway. 

"How strange!" I muttered, as the intense darkness made my feeling ofconfusion return. "Where am I? What place is this?"

I knew I was saying these words aloud; and what followed came like ananswer to my question, for from somewhere close at hand there was a deepmoaning sigh. I started violently and tried to creep away; but my headbegan to swim with terrible giddiness on attempting to move. As thissubsided a little I thrust out my hand cautiously and began to feelabout, touching at the end of a few seconds something which brought backmy memory with a rush. My fingers had come in contact with the tincontrivance we had used for a lamp; and, naturally enough, the touchrecalled to me who had borne it, and the accident that had befallen us. Accident? No; it must have been an attack. 

However, my head was clearing rapidly, and the sense of horror and painwas passing off like mist; and now I began again to feel cautiouslyabout, but without avail, till I turned upon my hands and knees andcrawled a yard or two, slipped, and clung to the rugged surface to checkmy descent. Then my feet went down to the full extent before they werestopped by something soft, and a thrill of satisfaction ran through me, for a well-known voice said peevishly:

"Don't--don't!--What is it?"

"Val, " I cried, and my voice was caught up, and died away in whispers. 

Then there was a pause, and I lay listening till, from below, came thewords:

"Did any one speak?"

"Yes, yes, I did, " I cried. "Where are you?"

"I--I don't know. Think I must have had a fall. "

I was about to lower myself to the speaker, when a sudden thought mademe turn a little over on my left side. The next moment I was clinginghard with both hands, for a stone I had touched gave way, and there wasa rushing sound, silence, and then a horrible echoing splash which setmy heart beating fast. In imagination I saw the loosened stone slidedown to an edge below me, and bound off, to fall into the water, which Icould hear lapping, sucking, and gliding about the sides of the chasm, strangely suggestive of live creatures which had been disturbed and hadmade a rush at the falling stone in the belief it was something theymight tear and devour. 

Recovering from my momentary panic, I set one hand free to search forand get out my little tin match-box. It was no easy task, under thecircumstances, to get it open and strike one of the tiny tapers. 

"Val, is that you?" came from just below. 

"Yes; wait a moment. Hold tight, " I said in a choking voice, as Irubbed the match on the bottom of the box, making a phosphorescent lineof light, then another, and another, before impatiently throwing thematch from me and seeing its dim light die away in the darkness. 

I knew the reason why I had not got the match to light. As I opened thebox again to get another, I did not insert finger and thumb till theygot a good rub on my jacket to free them from the dampness caused byholding on to the wet stones. Now, as I struck, there was a sharpcrackling noise, and the light flashed out, caught on, and the matchburned bravely, giving me light enough to look for the tin lamp I hadtouched before. There it was, some little distance above me, on aterribly steep, wet slope. 

No time was to be lost; so, mastering my hesitation as I thought of whatwas before me if I slipped, I began to climb; but, before I had drawnmyself up a yard, Denham's voice rose to me, its tones full of agony anddespair:

"Don't leave me, Val, old fellow!"

"Not going to, " I shouted. "I'm getting the lamp. "

"Ah!" came from below. 

Almost before the exclamation had died away I was within reach of thefallen lamp; but just then I dislodged another loose stone, which wentrolling down and plunged into the water below. 

The match had burned out. 

"All right, " I shouted. "I'll get another. "

The same business had to be gone through again. Untaught by experience, I moistened the top of the first match I took out, my fingers tremblingthe while with nervous dread that I would drop the box or spill thematches, when the result might be death to one, if not to both. I triedthe damp match three times before throwing it away; then, taking out twotogether and striking them, my spirits rose as I got a light, which waspassed into my left hand, and with the other I secured the lamp, whichlay bottom up. 

"The tallow and wick will have fallen out, " I thought. No; the hard fatwas in its place. Again I took out a match, shivering as I saw howrapidly it burned away. The very next moment I had laid it against thebent-down wick, which had been flattened by the fall; and it sputteredand refused to burn. All I could do till my fingers began to burn wasto melt out some of the tallow and partially dry the wick. Then all wasdarkness again. 

"Cheer up!" I cried hoarsely; "third time never fails. " There was noresponse. I turned cold as I fumbled at the box once more; my fingersneeded no moisture from the slippery stones now to make them wet, forthe perspiration seemed to be oozing out of every pore. 

I was again successful when I struck a match, and it burned up brightly. My heart now beat more hopefully, as one tiny strand of the cottoncaught and ceased sputtering, giving forth a feeble blue flame, which Iwas able to coax by letting the fat it melted drain away till more andmore of the wick caught and began to burn. 

I dared not wait to light the second wick, but looked for a safe placeto set the lamp; this I found directly, within reach of my hand. Myhurried glance showed that we were in a rough tunnel or shoot, slopingdown rapidly into darkness--a darkness too horrible to contemplate; and, to my despair, I could not see Denham. Then, as the sight of the lightrevived him, I could hear his shivering sigh. 

"Where are you?" I said, trying to speak firmly. 

"Just below you, " came faintly. 

I felt my teeth were clenched together as I asked the next question, knowing only too well what must be the answer:

"Can you see to climb up to me?"

"No, " came back after a pause of a moment or two. "I'm hurt and sick. I feel as if I shall faint. "

"Can you hold on till I get down to you?"

"I--I think so, old fellow, " he said faintly. "I'm on a sort of shelf. But don't try--you can't do it--you'll send the loose stones down uponme. That last one grazed my head. "

"But I must, " I said harshly, and I remember fancying that my voicesounded savage and brutal. "I can't leave you like this. "

"Climb up out of this horrible hole yourself, old fellow, and leave me. "

"I won't, " I shouted, so that my voice went echoing away; but as Ilooked up past the light it seemed to me that I could not, even ifwilling. 

"You must, " said Denham more firmly. "Climb up and call for help. "

At that moment, sounding faint and distant, there was the report of arifle; then another, and another, followed by four or five in a volley. 

"The Boers are attacking, " I cried. My heart sank as something seemedto say to me, "Well, if they are, what does it matter to you?"

The firing went on, and just then the wick of the lamp, of which a gooddeal must have been loosened by the fall, began to blaze up famously. Ilooked around to ascertain if I could get down to help Denham; but itseemed impossible. I saw, however, that I might lower myself a coupleof feet farther, and get my heels in a transverse crack in the rock, where I could check myself and perhaps afford some help to a climber. 

"Look here, Denham, " I shouted out as if I had been running, "I can helpyou if you can climb up here. You must pluck up and try. "

He muttered, with a low groan:

"Don't talk like that, old chap. I've got the pluck, but feel as if Ihaven't got the power. If I stir I shall go down into that awful pool, and then--Oh dear, it's very horrible to die like a rat in a floodedhole!"

"Hold your tongue, you idiot!" I shouted, in a rage. "Who's going todie? Look here; I can't get down to you, so I must climb out and fetchhelp. I'll go if you'll swear you'll sit fast and be patient, even ifthe light goes out. "

There was no answer. 

"Denham, old fellow, do you hear me?" I cried, with a thrill of horrorrunning through me as I imagined he had fainted, and that the nextmoment I should hear a sullen splash. 

"Yes, I hear you, " he said. "I'll try. It's all right. But why don'tyou shout?"

"No one could hear me, even if that firing was not going on, " I said. Looking upwards, I felt that the only chance was to try; but I wasalmost certain that I should slip, fall, and most likely carry my poorfriend with me. The flickering light made the rocks above appear as ifin motion; and, as I stared up wildly, the various projections looked asif a touch would send them rushing down. Then I uttered a gasp andtried to shout, but my voice failed. Was I deceiving myself? Almostwithin reach was a rope hanging down, close to the wall of the shaft onmy right. Then I could speak again. 

"Hurrah!" I shouted. "Here's help, Denham. Hold on; some one'sletting down a rope. Ahoy, there! swing it more into the middle. "

Echoes were the only answer. Almost in despair, I crept sideways, andmade a frantic dash just as I felt I was slipping, and a stone gave waybeneath my feet. There I hung, flat upon the rock, listening to acouple of heavy splashes, but with the rope tight in my grasp as if myfingers had suddenly become of steel. I could not speak again for a fewminutes; but at last, as the echoes of the splashes died out, the wordscame:

"All right, Denham?" A horrible pause followed; then, with a gasp:

"Yes--all right--yes--I thought it was all over then. "

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX. 

THE USE OF MUSCLES. 

Some one wrote, "Circumstances alter cases. " Everybody knows how truethat is, and how often we have illustrations in our own lives. Here isone: to catch hold of a rope after jumping to it is wonderfully easy, and in our young days the sensation of swinging to and fro in a sort ofbird-like flight through the air is delightful--that is to say, if theground is so near that we can drop on our feet at any moment; there isno thought of danger as we feel perfect confidence in our power to holdon. It is a gymnastic exercise. But change the scene: be hanging atthe end of the same rope, with the knowledge that a friend and comradeis in deadly peril, and that, though resting against a rocky slope whichgives you foothold and relieves the strain on your muscles, there isbeneath you a horrible chasm full of black water, hidden by thedarkness, but lapping and whispering as if waiting to receive theunfortunate. It is then that the nerves weaken and begin to communicatewith and paralyse the muscles, unless there is sufficient strength ofmind to counteract the horror, setting fear at defiance. 

The best thing under these circumstances is to get the body to work, andmake brain take the second place. In other words, act and don't think. 

I must confess that my endeavours during those perilous moments werequite involuntary; for it was in a kind of desperation that I got mytoes upon a solid piece of the slippery rock and pressed myself againstthe steep slope for a few moments, listening to the firing, some ofwhich sounded close, some more distant. Then, shouting to Denham tohold on, I glanced at the lamp, which was flaring bravely and giving agood light, but only at the expense of the rapidly melting fat. Thenext minute I was climbing as quickly as I could by the rope, andshuddering as I heard stone after stone go down, any one of which I knewmight crash full upon Denham. 

There was no time to think--I was too hard at work; and, to my surprise, I found myself just beneath the long bridge-like piece of stone whichhad been laid across the opening to the shaft; while, by holding on tothe rope with one hand and, reaching up the other to grasp the stone, Icould see by the light which rose from below--reflected from theglistening wall, for the lamp was out of sight--that the rope was one ofthe strong tethering-reins, fastened round the stone as if for thepurpose of lowering a bucket. 

The next minute I was seated on the stone, with my feet resting on theside of the shaft-hole, and drawing up the raw-hide rope hand over hand. After pulling up some feet of it I came upon a knot which felt secure, and I then hauled again till I came upon another, also well made. Withthe rope gathering in rings about my knees and behind me, I kept haulingtill I came to knot after knot, all quite firm. I found that the ropewas dripping with water, and knew that it had been just drawn out of thepool below. The end of the rope came to hand directly; and, withtrembling fingers, my first act was to tie a knot a few inches up beforedoubling the strong raw-hide plait and tying it again in a loop, which Itested, and found I could easily slip it over my head and pass my arrasthrough so as to get it beneath the armpits. 

I had the rope off again in a few seconds, held it ready, and shouteddown to Denham, who had been perfectly still. 

"Now then, " I cried; "can you hear what I say?"

"Yes, " came in a strange, hollow tone. 

"Look out! I'm going to lower you a rope with a loop all ready tied. Slip it over your head and under your arms. "

"Ah!" he said softly; and, as I rapidly lowered down the rope, thoughthe tone seemed only like an expiration of the breath, it yet soundedfirmer than that "Yes" of a few moments before. 

"I can't see, old fellow, " I cried, when I had paid out what I thoughtmust be enough; "but this ought to be near you now. Can you see it?"

"Yes; but it is a dozen feet too high, " he replied. "It won't reachme. "

"Yes, it will, " I roared, for there was a despairing tone in those lastwords. "Plenty more. Look out!"

I lowered away, and then shouted again:

"That enough?"

"Yes, " he said, with a little more spirit in his tone; "it's longenough, but quite out of my reach--a couple of yards away, and I darenot move. "

"I'll swing it to and fro till it comes close. Look out! Here goes. "

I began to swing the rope; and as it went to and fro it sent smallstones rattling down and then splashing into the water, making meshiver. But they evidently fell clear of Denham, who sent a thrill ofencouragement through me when he now spoke more cheerily. 

"That's right, " he said, and his words were repeated by the echoes. "Alittle more--a little more. No. Harder. It keeps catching among thestones. Give a good swing. "

I did as he told me, and then nearly let go, for he uttered a wild cry, almost a shriek. The next moment there was a peculiar rattling sound;the lamp flashed out brilliantly and lighted up the shaft; there was asharp hiss, followed by a splash, and then all was in darkness. 

"Denham!" I yelled, and I let the rest of the rope run through my handstill it could hang taut, meaning to slide down it and go to hisassistance, for I was sure that all depended upon me now. I was alreadychanging my position, when--my sinking heart, which seemed to suggestthat I was about to descend to certain death, giving a sudden bound, andI felt choking--Denham spoke again. 

"I couldn't stop the lamp, " he said; "the rope caught it and knocked itoff the ledge; but I've got hold. "

"Hurrah!"

I suppose I shouted that word, but it came out involuntarily. Then Ilistened, my heart beating painfully, for I could hear the poor fellowmoving now, but, as it seemed, sending stone after stone rolling andsplashing into the water. 

However, nerved into action again, I did as he bade me, all the timefearing it was too late, for he shouted hoarsely:

"Pull up, Val--pull! I'm going down. "

My hands darted one over the other, the slack seeming endless as I hearda low rushing sound mingled with the splashing of falling stones. Thenthere was a sharp jerk at my wrists, and the rope began to glide throughmy hands till I let one leg drop from where my foot rested against theedge of the shaft-mouth, and quick as thought flung it round the rope sothat my foot and ankle formed a check; with the result that I was nearlyjerked off my seat before the rope was stopped. 

"Ah!" came from below, and I heard no falling of stones now; but therewas a splashing and dripping sound which for the moment I did notunderstand. Once more I thought all was over, for the rope seemed toslacken; but hope came again. 

"Pull up steadily, " came in firmer tones; and, though I could not see, Isupposed that Denham had drawn his feet from the water and was trying toclimb up the rope. I knew it was so directly, for he spoke. 

"I've got the rope well under my arms, " he panted out, "and if you keephauling gently, I think perhaps I can climb up the side; but you must beready for a slip. Can you pass it round anything?"

"Yes, " I said; and as the rope was eased I got both legs back into theirposition again, thus hindering my power of hauling dreadfully, butguarding against the rope being dragged down again rapidly by passing itover my right leg and under the left. 

"Are you sure you can hold on if I slip?" said Denham now. 

"Yes, if you come slowly. The rope's strong enough, and I'll get it upa yard at a time, so that's all the distance you can pull. "

"Ah!" he cried; "then I can use both hands, and climb with moreconfidence. Now then, I'm coming up. "

"Ready!" I shouted; and I toiled on with the perspiration moistening myhands as I steadily hauled with my right and left alternately, gaining afoot with one and making it secure over and under my legs with theother. All the while I could hear him painfully climbing as if gainingconfidence with every yard he came nearer the surface. 

"Now rest, " he said, and I could hear him breathing hard. 

Stones had fallen again and again as he climbed; but I was gettingaccustomed to their rattle and sullen plunge, for so long as the ropeproved true they were robbed of their terrible meaning. Just, however, as my poor comrade said he meant to take a rest, there was another sharpjerk which told that his foothold had given way, and for a moment or twoI was wondering whether I could hold on, as I listened to the falling ofmany stones. Once more he gained a good footing, and from where hehalf-hung, half-lay, he began to talk slowly about his position. 

"It's like climbing up the side of a house built of loose stones, " hesaid in a low tone; "but I mean to do it now if you can keep hold of therope firmly. "

"I can, " I said. 

"Ah! It's a horrible place, Val; but you give me confidence. Now then, I'm rested. Can you haul up more quickly? I want to get it done?"

"No, " I said quietly; "I can only just make the rope safe. "

"Very well. Go on as you like. There, I'm going to begin. "

"Go on, " I said; and once more the painful climb went on, with thestones falling and splashing, and the sound of Denham's breath at timescoming to my ears in sobs which seemed terribly loud. It did not lastmany minutes; but no more agony could have been condensed into hours, and no hours could have seemed longer than the interval during which Istrove to save my companion from death. 

However, all things come to an end; and at last, when I was nervously onthe _qui vive_ for another slip, and just when Denham seemed to becreeping painfully up, though still many feet below, I suddenly felt oneof his hands touch my ankle, and the other get a good grip of the ropewhere it lay cutting into my leg. Then I heard his feet grating andscraping against the side, and my heart leaped as he threw himself onhis side away from the mouth of the hole, and lay perfectly still. 

"Ah!" I cried; "at last!" and, freeing my legs from the rope, I movedpainfully after him; but at the first attempt I felt as if the darknesswas lighting up, flashes played about my eyes, there was a horribleswinging round of everything in my head, and I sank down, crawled asidea little way instinctively to get from the shaft-mouth, and then for afew moments all was blank. Not more than a few moments, however, forDenham roused me by speaking. 

"Is anything the matter?" he said. 

"Matter?" I replied, as the absurdity of his question seemed tosurprise me. "Oh no, nothing at all the matter, only that my head feelsas if it had been crushed by a stone, and we had just saved ourselvesfrom the most terrible death that could have come to two poor wretcheswho want to live. It's very comic altogether--isn't it?"

Denham sat in silence, and we could hear the firing still going on. Atlast he spoke with a low, subdued voice. 

"Yes, " he said, "we have escaped from a horrible death. Val, oldfellow, I shall never forget this. But don't let us talk about it. Letus talk about who did it. Some one must have struck at us and knockedus down that hole. "

"Yes, " I said; "and there's only one `some one' who could have done it. "

"That renegade Irishman?"

"Yes, " I replied. "It seems like this: he couldn't have got away, butmust have been in hiding here. He couldn't escape the watchfulness ofthe sentries, I suppose. "

"No; and he must have managed to get that rope to let himself down fromthe walls. "

"To let himself down into a place where he could hide, I think, " was myreply. 

"For both purposes. But what a place to hide in!" said Denham, with ashudder. "He could not have known what he was doing, or he would nothave gone down. "

"I believe he went down and was afraid to stay. Of course he was hidingsomewhere here when we came along with the light. "

"And then struck us down. Are you much hurt?"

"I don't know, " I replied. "I forgot all about it for the time in theexcitement of trying to escape. How are you?"

"My head hurts me badly now. I believe I was struck with a heavystone. "

"Of course. That was the wretch's trick, and how he served poor SamWren. Here, let's go to the hospital. I feel as if I want to see thedoctor. "

"Yes, " said Denham faintly. "I hope he has no more wounded after allthis firing. "

Denham rose to his knees in the darkness, and I did the same, bringingon the giddy feeling once more, so that I was glad to lean against thewall of the great passage. 

"What is the matter?" said my companion. 

"Not much; only a bit dizzy, " I replied; "and my legs feel so awfullystiff and strained that I can hardly stand. "

"My head swims too, " said Denham. "I am glad to lean against the wall. Ah! Look! here is some one coming with a light. "

I uttered a sigh of relief, and then, taking a good deep breath, I gavea hail which brought half-a-dozen men to us, headed by Sergeant Briggs, who uttered an ejaculation of surprise as he held up the wagon lanternhe carried and let the light fall on our faces. 

"Why, you gents haven't run up against that savage sham Paddy, haveyou?" he cried. 

"Yes, Sergeant, " said Denham, speaking faintly; "and he got the betterof us. "

"He has, sir, and no mistake. "

"Have you caught him, Briggs?" I asked anxiously. 

"No, my lad; I only wish we had. I never saw such shots as our men are!Wasted no end of cartridges, and not one of 'em hit. Did nothing butdraw the enemy's fire, and they have been answering in the dark. Allwaste. "

"But Moriarty?" asked Denham. 

"Moriarty!" said the Sergeant scornfully. "I'm Morihearty well sick ofhim, sir. It's all easy enough to see now. Instead of getting away, aswe thought, after hammering poor Sam Wren with a stone, my gentleman'sbeen in hiding. "

"Yes, " I said. 

"Yes it is, my lad. Then he's been sneaking about in the dark, goingabout among the men like a sarpent, and then among the horses, helpinghimself to the reins with his knife. "

"To join together and make a rope to let himself down from the wall, " Isaid. 

"That's right, my lad--right as right; and all our chaps asleep, Isuppose--bless 'em! They ought to be ashamed of theirselves. There wasquite a dozen nice noo reins missing, and half of 'em gone for ever. "

"Not quite, Sergeant, " said Denham; "take your light and look carefullydown yonder. "

The Sergeant stared, but did as he was told, holding the lantern lowdown by the crossing-stone. 

"Well, I am blessed!" he cried. "Here, one of you, come and loosen thisknot and coil the ropes up carefully. --But, I say, Mr Denham, how didthey come there?"

Denham told him briefly of our adventure, and of what we surmised. 

He whistled softly, and then said, "Why, I wonder you're both alive. You do both look half-dead, gentlemen; and no wonder. This accounts forone lot, though. The others were tied together and one end made fast toa big stone--a loose one atop of the wall. He must have slid down thereand got away. I never saw such sentries as we've got. All thosecartridges fired away, and not one to hit. Why, they ought to havepumped him so full of lead that he couldn't run. Run? No; so that hecouldn't walk. But you two must come to the Colonel and let him know. "

"No, no! Take us to Dr Duncombe, " said Denham. 

"Afterwards, sir. "

"Then you must carry me, " said Denham, with a groan. 

"Right, sir. --Here, two of you, sling your rifles and dandy-chair yourofficer to the Colonel's quarters. Two more of you serve young Moraysame way. "

"No, " I said, making an effort. "One man give me his arm, and I'll tryto walk. "

"So will I, " said Denham, making an effort. "That's right, Val; wewon't go into hospital, only let the doctor stick a bit or two ofplaster about our heads for ornament. Now then, give me an arm. "

The result was that we mastered our suffering, and were led by theSergeant's patrol to the officers' rough quarters. The first thing theColonel did was to summon the doctor, who saw to our injuries, whileDenham unburdened himself of our adventures, my head throbbing so that Icould not have given a connected narrative had I tried. 

Denham protested stoutly afterwards that there was no need for thedoctor's proposal that we should be sent to the hospital to be carriedinto effect, and appealed to the Colonel. 

"Look at us both, sir, " he said. "Don't you think that after a goodnight's sleep we shall both be fit for duty in the morning?"

"Well, Mr Denham, to speak candidly, " was the reply, "you both look asdilapidated as you can possibly be; so you had better obey the doctor'sorders. I give you both up for the present. "

Denham groaned, and I felt very glad when a couple of the Sergeant'sguard clasped wrists to make, me a seat; and as soon as I had passed myarms over their shoulders their officer gave the word, and we were bothmarched off to the sheltered hospital, where I was soon after plunged ina heavy stupor, full of dreams about falling down black pits, swingingspider-like, at the end of ropes which I somehow spun by drawing longthreads of my brains out of a hole in the back of my head, somethingafter the fashion of a silkworm making a cocoon. 

Then complete insensibility came on, and I don't remember anything. Buton the day following Denham and I lay pretty close together, talking, and looking up at the sky just above, one of the wagon-tilt curtainsbeing thrown back. 

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN. 

A HOSPITAL VISITOR. 

"Hang being in hospital!" Denham said over and over again. "I seem tobe always in hospital. There never was such an unlucky beggar. "

I sighed deeply. 

"It is miserable work, " I said. 

"Yes; and it seems so absurd, " said Denham. "There's something wrongabout it. "

"Of course, " I said; "we're wounded, and suffering from the shock ofwhat we've gone through. "

"Gammon!" said Denham. "That wouldn't knock us up as it has. We bothgot awful toppers on the skull; but that wouldn't have made us so groggyon the legs that we couldn't stand. "

"Oh, that's the weakness, " I replied. 

"My grandmother! It's your weakness to say so. We're made of too goodstuff for that. Why, you were as bad as I was when the hospital orderlywashed us. Bah! How I do hate being washed by a man!"

"Better than nothing, " I said. "We can't have women-nurses. "

"No, " said Denham. "But what was I saying when you interrupted sorudely? Really, Val Moray, I shall report your behaviour to theColonel. You're not respectful to your officer. You're alwaysforgetting that you are a private. "

"Always, " I replied, with what was, I fear, a very pitiful smile, for mycompanion looked at me very sympathetically and shook his head. 

"Poor old chap!" he said; "I am sorry for you. There, he shall bedisrespectful to his officer when he isn't on duty. I say, old chap, Iwish you and I were far away on the veldt shooting lions again. It'sfar better fun than fighting wild Boers. "

"What a poor old joke!" I said. 

"Best I can do under these untoward circumstances, dear boy, " he said. "Yes, it's a `wusser. ' I wish I could say something good that wouldmake you laugh. But to `return to our muttons, ' as the French say. About being so weak. You and I have no business to shut up like acouple of rickety two-foot rules when we are set up on end. It'sdisgusting, and I'm sure it's old Duncombe's fault. "

"No, you're not, " I said. 

"Well, I say I am, just by way of argument. It's all wrong, and I'vebeen lying here and thinking out the reason. I've got it. "

"I got it without any thinking out at all, " I said. 

"Don't talk so, private. Listen. Now, look here, it's all Duncombe'sfault. "

"That we're alive?" I said. 

"Pooh! Nonsense! It's that anti-febrile tonic, as he calls it. It'smy firm belief that he hadn't the right sort of medicine with him, andhe has fudged up something to make shift with. "

"What nonsense!" I said. 

"It's a fact, sir, and I'll prove it. Now then, where are we hurt?"

"Our heads principally, of course. "

"That's right, my boy. Then oughtn't he to have given us something thatwould have gone straight to our heads?"

"I don't know, " I said wearily. 

"Yes, you do, stupid; I'm telling you. He ought to have given ussomething that affected our heads, instead of which he has given usphysic that has gone to our legs. Now, don't deny it, for I watched youonly this morning, and yours doubled up as badly as mine did. Youlooked just like a young nipper learning to walk. "

I laughed slightly. 

"No, no, don't do that, " cried my companion in misfortune. 

"You were wishing just now that you could make me laugh, " I said, by wayof protest. 

"Yes, old chap; but I didn't know then what the consequences would be. It makes you look awful. I say, don't do it again, or I shall growhorribly low-spirited. You did get knocked about. I say, though, do Ilook as bad as you do?"

"I believe you look ten times worse, " I said, trying to be cheerful andto do something in the way of retort. 

"No, no; but seriously, do I look very bad?"

"Awfully!" I said. 

"Oh, I say! Come, now, how do I look?"

"Well, there's all the skin off your nose, where you scratched againstthe rock. "

"Ye-es, " he said, patting his nose tenderly; "but it's scaling overnicely. I say, what a good job I didn't break the bridge!"

"It was indeed, " I said. 

"Well, what else?"

"Your eyes look as if you'd been having a big fight with the bully ofthe school. "

"Are they still so very much swollen up?"

"More than ever, " I said, in comforting tones. 

"But they're not black?"

"No; only purple and yellow and green. "

"Val, " he cried passionately, "if you go on like that I'll sit up andpunch your head. "

"You can't, " I replied. 

"No, you coward! Oh, if I only could! It's taking a mean advantage ofa fellow. But never mind; I'm going to hear it all. What else?"

"I won't tell you any more, " I replied. 

"You shall. Tell me at once. "

"You don't want to know about that place on the top of your head, justabove your forehead, where you are so fond of parting your hair?"

"Yes, I do. I say, does it look so very bad?"

"Shocking. He has crossed the strips of sticking-plaster over and over, and across and across, till it looks just like a white star. "

"Oh dear, " he groaned, "how horrid! I say, though, has he cut the hairin front very short?"

"Well, not so short as he could have done it with a razor. "

"Val!" he shouted. "It's too bad. "

"Yes, " I said; "it looks dreadful. "

"No, I mean of you; and if you go on like that again we shall quarrel. "

"Let's change the conversation, then, " I said. "I say, oughtn't oldBriggs to have been here by now?"

"I don't know; but you oughtn't to give a poor weak fellow such aslanging as that. "

"I say, " I said, "you wished we were up the veldt shooting lions. "

"So I do, " replied Denham. "Don't you?"

"No. I wish you and I were at my home, with old Aunt Jenny to nurse andfeed us up with beef-tea and jelly, and eggs beaten up in new milk, andplenty of tea and cream and--"

"Val! Val, old chap! don't--don't, " cried Denham; "it's maddening. Why, we should have feather-beds and beautiful clean sheets. "

"That we should, " I said, with a sigh; "and--Ah! here's old Briggs. "

"Morning, gents, " said the Sergeant, pulling back the tilt curtain afterentering. "Hope you're both better. "

"Yes, ever so much, Sergeant, " cried Denham. "Here, come and sit down. Light your pipe and smoke. "

"What about the doctor, sir?" said Briggs dubiously. 

"Won't be here for an hour. I'll give you leave. Fill and light up. "

The Sergeant obeyed orders willingly. 

"Now then, " said Denham, "talk away. I want to know exactly how mattersstand since yesterday. "

"All right, sir, " said the Sergeant, carefully crushing out the match hehad struck, as he smoked away. 

"Well, go on, " said Denham impatiently. "You said yesterday that thingswere as bad as they could possibly be. "

"I did, sir. "

"Well, how are they now?"

"Worse. Ever so much worse. "

"What do you mean, you jolly old muddler?" cried Denham, rousing up andlooking brighter than he had been since he came under the doctor'shands. 

"What I say, sir, " replied the Sergeant, staring. "Things are ever somuch worse. "

"Val, " cried Denham, turning to me, "poor old Briggs has had so much todo with that scoundrel Moriarty that he has caught his complaint. "

"I beg pardon, sir, " growled the Sergeant stiffly; "I've always beenfaithful to Her Majesty the Queen. "

"Of course you have, Sergeant. "

"Beg pardon, sir. You said I'd caught his complaint, meaning I wasturning renegade. "

"Nothing of the kind; but you have caught his national complaint, forthere you go again--blundering. Can't you see?"

"No, sir, " said the Sergeant, drawing himself up stiffer than ever. 

"Then you ought to. Blundering--making bulls. If the state of affairswas as bad as it could be yesterday, how can it be worse to-day?"

The Sergeant scratched his head, and his countenance relaxed. 

"Oh!" he said thoughtfully, "of course. I didn't see that at first, gentlemen. "

"Never mind, so long as you see it now. But go ahead, Briggs. Youcan't think what it is to be lying here in hospital, with fighting goingon all round, and only able to get scraps of news now and then. "

The Sergeant chuckled. 

"Here, I don't see anything to laugh at in that, " cried Denham, frowning. "Do you find it funny?"

"I just do, sir. Think of you talking like that to me? Why, twice overwhen I was in the Dragoons I was bowled over and had to go intohospital, up north there, in Egypt. Thirsty, gentlemen? I was thirsty, double thirsty, in the nasty sandy country--thirsty for want of water, and twice as thirsty to get to know how things were going on. That'swhy I always come, when I'm off duty, to tell you gentlemen all I can. "

"There, Val, " cried Denham, beaming. "Didn't I always say that oldBriggs was a brick?"

"I don't remember, " I replied. 

"Well, I always meant to. --Now then, Sergeant, go ahead. "

"Nay! I don't want to damp your spirits, sir, seeing how bad you are. "

"I'm not bad, Sergeant; neither is Moray. We're getting better fast, and news spurs us on to get better as fast as we can. Now then, don'tmake us worse by keeping us in suspense. Tell us the worst news atonce. "

"That's soon done, sir. These Doppies, as they call 'em--these Boers--shoot horribly well. "

"Yes, " sighed Denham; "they've had so much practice at game. "

"They've got so close in now, with their wagons to hide behind, that I'mblessed if it's safe for a sentry to show his head anywhere. "

"But our fellows have got stone walls to keep behind, and they ought bynow to shoot as well as the Boers, " I said. 

"That's quite right, Mr Moray, " cried the Sergeant, angrily puffing athis pipe; "they ought to, but they don't--not by a long way. Every timethey use a cartridge there ought to be one Doppie disabled and sent tothe rear. I keep on telling them this fort isn't Purfleet Magazine norWoolwich Arsenal; but it's no good. "

"But, Sergeant, " cried Denham anxiously, "you don't mean to say thatwe're running out of cartridges?"

"But I do mean to say it, sir; and the time isn't so very far off whenwe shall either have to hang out the white flag--"

"What!" cried Denham, dragging himself up into a sitting position. "Never!"

"Or, " continued the Sergeant emphatically, "make a sortie and give thebeggars cold steel. "

"Ah! that sounds better, " cried Denham, dropping back upon his roughpillow. "That's what we shall have to do. "

"Right, sir, " cried the Sergeant. "Cold steel's the thing. I've alwaysbeen a cavalry man, and I've seen a bit of service before I came intothe Light Horse as drill-sergeant and general trainer. I've beenthrough a good deal, and learned a good deal; and I tell you two youngmen that many a time in a fight I've felt wild sitting on horsebackhere, and trotting off there, dismounting to rest our horses; findingourselves under fire again, and cantering off somewhere else--into avalley, behind a hill, or to the shelter of a wood, because our timehadn't come--and the infantry working away all the while. I'm not goingto run down the cavalry; they're splendid in war when they can get theirchance to come to close quarters. You see, we haven't done much withour swords, for the Doppies won't stand a charge. Where we've had themhas been dismounted, as riflemen, and that's what our trouble is now. We can't get at the enemy; what we want is a regiment of foot with thebayonet. Just a steady advance under such cover as they could find, andthen a sharp run in with a good old British cheer, and the Doppies wouldbegin to run. Then we ought to be loosed at them, and every blessedBoer among them would make up his mind that it was quite time he wenthome to see how his crops are getting on. "

"Yes, Sergeant, " said Denham gravely; "that's exactly the way to do it, and that's what people at home are saying. But we're shut up here, ammunition is failing, and we have no regiment of foot to give thebrutes the cold steel and make them run; so what's the best thing to dounder the circumstances?"

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT. 

THE SERGEANT'S NOTION. 

"Ah!" said the Sergeant, tapping the ashes out of his pipe and refillingit; "that's a bit of a puzzle, sir. "

"Hang out the white flag?" cried Denham bitterly. 

"No, sir, " cried the Sergeant fiercely. 

"What then?" I said. 

"What then, sir?" said Briggs fiercely. "We've got plenty of pluck andlots of fight in the boys. "

"Yes, " said Denham, with his eyes flashing. "Plenty of prime beef andgood fresh water, Briggs; but scarcely any cartridges. "

"That's right, sir; and so I took the liberty, when I got a chance, ofsaying a word to the Colonel. "

"What about?"

"The Doppies' ammunition-wagons, sir. "

"Ah!" cried Denham, rising to his elbow. "I ventured to say, sir, thatthe young officer as brought in our supply of provisions would have laidhimself flat down on the top o' the wall and watched with his glass tillhe had made out where the best spot was, and then after dark he'd havegone out and made a try to capture one of the ammunition-wagons, andbrought it in. "

"Impossible, Sergeant, " said Denham. 

"Bah! That word isn't in a soldier's dictionary, sir. You'd have doneit if you'd been well enough. "

"But the cartridges mightn't fit our rifles, Sergeant. "

"Mightn't, sir; but they might. Then, if the first lot didn't, you'dhave gone again and again till you had got the right sort. If none of'em was the right sort, why, you'd ha' said, `There's more ways ofkilling a cat than hanging it, ' and gone on another plan. "

"What other plan?" I said sharply. "There is no other plan. "

"Isn't there?" said the Sergeant, grinning. "They've got one wagon thatI can swear to, having made it out through the glass Mr Denham lent me, full of spare rifles of the men put out of action. "

"Of course, of course, " cried Denham. "Oh dear! oh dear!" he groaned, falling back again with a pitiful look in his eyes. "I'm lying here, completely done for. Why can't that doctor put us right?"

The Sergeant smoked on for a few minutes, looking fiercer than ever. 

"Where's Sam Wren, sir?" he said suddenly. 

"He was fretting so much last night at being kept in hospital, " Ireplied, "that the doctor said he might rejoin his troop. "

"Glad of that. He's one of our best shots. But what's gone of yourblacky, Mr Moray?"

"Joeboy? I don't know, " I said. "Isn't he with the horses? Oh, ofcourse he'd be looking after mine. "

"He ain't, then, " said the Sergeant. 

"What!" I cried excitedly; "then what about my horse? I've been lyinghere thinking of nothing but myself. I ought to have seen to him. "

"Couldn't, " said the Sergeant dryly. "But he's all right. "

"Are you sure?" I cried. 

The Sergeant nodded. "I saw to him myself. I like that horse. "

"Oh Sergeant!" I said, with a feeling of relief. "But what aboutJoeboy? I did wonder once why he had not been to see me. "

"I didn't look after him, sir, " said the Sergeant. "He's a sort offree-lancer, and not under orders. "

"But when did you see him last?" I asked. 

"Well, I'm a bit puzzled about that. I say, hear that?"

"Hear them? Yes, of course, " said Denham angrily. "The brutes! Thecowards! Oh, if I were only well!"

"Oh, let 'em alone, sir, " said the Sergeant coolly as, beginning with afew scattered shots, the firing outside had rapidly increased. "They'redoing no harm. Do you know what it is?"

"Our poor fellows exposing themselves thoughtlessly, I suppose, " saidDenham bitterly. 

"Only their hats, sir. It's about the only pleasure the poor lads have. It's a game they have for pennies. Some one invented it yesterday. Six of 'em play, and put on a penny each. Each game lasts five minutes, and the players put their hats upon the top of a stone. Then the manwho has most bullets through his hat takes the pool. "

"What folly!" said Denham fretfully. 

"Well, as I told them, sir, it isn't good for their hats; but, as theysaid, it wastes the Doppies' cartridges, and pleases the lads to makefools of 'em. You can hear them cheer sometimes when a hat is suddenlypulled down. They think they've killed a man--bless 'em! They're verynice people. "

"But, Sergeant, you were telling me about Joeboy, " I said. "Can't youthink when you saw him last?"

"Not exactly. I've been trying to think it out, because I expectedyou'd be asking about him. It strikes me that the last I saw of him wasthe night I was going the rounds after the search for that Irishprisoner. Perhaps he's tired of being shut up?"

"No, " I said emphatically. 

"Those blacks are men who are very fond of running wild. "

"Joeboy wouldn't forsake me, Sergeant, " I said impressively. 

"Perhaps you're right. He always did seem very fond of you--never happyunless he was at your heels; but he hasn't been hanging about thehospital, you see. It looks like as if that Irishman had given him acrack on the head too, and pitched him down one of the mine-holes. "

"Oh no; horrible!" I said. 

"Glad you take it that way, " said Briggs grimly, "because it would bebad for the water. Well, there's only two other things I can think ofjust now. One's that he might have been shot by the enemy when drivingin the cattle. "

"Is it possible?" I said, in alarm. 

"Well, yes, it's possible, " said the Sergeant; "but I didn't hear anyone hint at such a thing happening. "

"Oh, surely the poor fellow hasn't come to his end like that! Here, what was your other idea?"

"I thought that, being a keen, watchful sort of fellow, perhaps he mighthave caught sight of our prisoner escaping. "

"Ah!" I ejaculated. 

"Yes; and knowing what I do of my gentleman, it seemed likely that hemight have followed him just to see that he didn't get into moremischief, particularly if he saw him upset you two. "

"No, no; he couldn't. We saw no sign of him, " I said excitedly. --"Didyou, Denham?"

"Who could see a fellow like that in the dark?" cried Denham peevishly. 

"It is possible that, knowing what he did of Moriarty's treatment of me, he may have felt that he had a kind of feud with him, and watched him. "

"For a chance to say something to him with one of those spears hecarried, " said Denham, suddenly growing interested in our remarks. 

"Oh no. I don't think he would use his assagai except in an emergency. "

"That would be an emergency, " said the Sergeant. "I've thought it outover my pipe, and this is what I make of it: he has followed MasterMoriarty, and I expect that we shall never hear of him again. "

"What! Joeboy?" I cried. 

"No; Master Moriarty. "

"But that would be murder--assassination, " I cried. 

"You can use what fine words you like over it, " said the Sergeantgruffly; "but I call it, at a time like this, war; and when Mr JoeBlack comes back--as I expect he will, soon--and you ask him, he'll sayhe was only fighting for his master; and that's you. "

I was silenced for the moment, though my ideas were quite opposed to theSergeant's theory. 

But Denham spoke out at once. 

"That's all very well, Sergeant, " he said, "but Mr Moray's black boy isabout as savage over his ideas of justice as he is over his ideas ofdecency in dress. He looks upon this man as an enemy, and his master'senemy; and if he overtakes Moriarty he won't have a bit of scruple aboutsticking his spear through him. "

"And serve him jolly well right, sir. "

"No, no; that won't do, " said Denham. 

"Not at all, " I cried, recovering my balance a little. 

"But isn't he a renegade, sir?" said the Sergeant. 

"We call him so, " replied Denham. 

"And didn't he attack you two and try to murder you, sir, just as he didpoor Sam Wren?"

"Yes, I grant all that, Sergeant; but we're not savages. Now, supposeyou had gone in chase of this man, and say you had caught him. Wouldyou have put your revolver to his head and blown out his brains?"

"That ain't a fair question, sir, " said the Sergeant gruffly; "and allI've got to say is, that I'm very glad, knowing what I do, that I wasn'tin pursuit of him, sword in hand. "

"You mean to say that you would have cut him down?" I cried. 

"I don't mean to say anything at all, Mr Private Moray, only that I'vegot my feelings as a soldier towards cowards. There, I won't sayanother word. "

"Then I'll speak for you, " said Denham. "You wouldn't have cut thescoundrel down, nor shot him, but you'd have done your duty as trainedsoldiers do. You'd have taken him prisoner, and brought him in to theColonel. "

"And he'd have had him put up against the nearest wall before a dozenrifles and shot for a murderous traitor, sir. "

"But not without a court-martial first, Briggs, " said Denham sternly. 

"I suppose you're right, sir; but I don't see what comfort a trial bycourt-martial can be to a man who knows that he's sure to be foundguilty and shot. "

"But not till he has been justly condemned, " I put in. 

"Like to know any more about what's going on round about the fort, sir?"said the Sergeant, after giving me a queer look. 

"Yes, of course, " cried Denham. 

"Well, not much, sir. Colonel's always going round about to see thatthe men don't expose themselves, and I expect that at any time there'llbe orders given that neither the horses nor the bullocks are to bedriven out to graze. "

"Then they are all driven out?" I said. 

"Of course, sir. We couldn't keep the bullocks alive without. "

"I wonder the Boers don't shoot them, " I said. 

"Don't like shooting their own property, " said the Sergeant, with agrin. "They're always hoping they'll get 'em back; but they'll have tolook sharp if they do, for if they're much longer we shall have eatenthe lot. "

"Take some time to do that, Sergeant, " said Denham, laughing. 

"Not such a very long time, sir. You see, the men have nothing butwater to drink; tobacco's getting scarce; there's no bread, no coffee, no vegetables; and the men have very little to do but rub down theirhorses to keep 'em clear of ticks: the consequence is that they try tomake up for it all by keeping on eating beef, and then sleeping as hardas ever they can. "

"I don't know what we can do unless we cut our way through the enemy, "said Denham sadly. "I go on thinking the matter over and over, andalways come back to the same idea. "

"No wonder, " said the Sergeant. "That is the only way; so the sooneryou two get fit to mount the better, for I don't see that anything canbe done till then. "

"Are there any more--cripples?" said Denham bitterly. 

"Oh, there's a few who'd be off duty if things were right, " said theSergeant cheerfully; "but they make shift. The Colonel limps a bit, anduses his sword like a walking-stick; six have got arms in slings, andfour or five bullet-scratches and doctor's patches about 'em; but thereisn't a man who doesn't show on parade and isn't ready to ride in acharge. "

"But riding, " I said, with the eagerness of one who is helpless--"whatabout the horses?"

"All in fine condition, gentlemen, " said the Sergeant emphatically, "buta bit too fine, and they look thin. The Colonel's having 'em kept downso that they shan't get too larky from having no work to do. "

"But they're not sent out to graze now?" I said. 

"Oh yes, regularly. "

"Then why don't the Boers shoot them, so as to make them helpless?"

The Sergeant chuckled. 

"Colonel's too smart for them, " he said. "The bullocks are sent out inthe day with a strong guard on foot to keep behind the oxen, but thehorses go out as soon as it's dark, every one with his man to lead him, and all ready for an attack. Ah! but it's miserable work, and I shallbe very glad when you two gentlemen are ready to mount again, so that wecan go. "

"You'll have to go without us, Briggs, " said Denham sadly. "I don'tsuppose the Boers will shoot us if we're taken prisoners. "

"That's just what the Colonel's likely to do, sir. It's his regular waywith his men. I must be off now, though. Time's up. You'll like tosee this, though, Mr Denham?"

The Sergeant began to fumble in his pouch, bringing out severalcartridges before he found what he wanted--a dirty-looking piece ofmilky quartz. 

"What have you got there?" we asked in a breath. 

"Stuff the men are finding in a hole at the back of the cook'sfireplace. "

"Why, it's gold ore, " I said eagerly. 

"Nonsense! What do you know about it?" said Denham, turning the lumpover in his hand. 

"I know because pieces like that are in the kopje near my home. Joeboycould find plenty like that. He took some to my father once, and fathersaid it was gold. "

"Then you've got a mine on your farm?"

"I suppose so; but father said we'd better get rich by increasing theflocks and herds. Look there, " I said; "all those are veins of gold, and those others are crystals and scales. "

"There, catch, Sergeant, " said Denham bitterly. "We don't want gold; wewant health, and a way out of this prison. "

"That's right, sir; and if you like I'll try and come and tell you howthings are going to-night. "

"Yes, do, " cried Denham. Then the Sergeant thrust his piece of gold oreand quartz back into his pouch, and marched away. 

"Val, old chap, " said Denham as soon as we were alone, "that fellowseemed to cheer me up a bit while he was here. "

"Yes, " I said; "he roused me up too. "

"But now he's gone I'm down again lower and lower than ever I wasbefore. I begin to wish I were dead. Oh dear! who'd be a wounded manwho feels as helpless as a child?"

I was silent. 

"Is that doctor ever coming to see us again?"

"Yes, " said a sharp, clear voice. "Now then, most impatient of allpatients, how are you getting on?"

"Getting ready for the firing-party to waste a few cartridges over, doctor. Can't you see?"

"Humph!" said our visitor, feeling the poor fellow's head and then hispulse. "Here, drink a little of this. "

"More physic?" groaned Denham despondently. 

"Yes, Nature's, " replied the doctor, holding out a folding cup which hehad refilled. "Fresh water; a bucket just brought to the screen thereby the orderly. "

As he spoke he raised the poor fellow up with one arm and held the cupto his lips. 

Denham took a few drops unwillingly, then a little more, and finallyfinished the cupful with avidity, while the sight of my companiondrinking seemed to produce a strange, feverish sensation in my throat. 

The next minute the doctor had let Denham sink down, and refilled thecup and handed it to me. It was delicious, and I drained the littlevessel all too soon. Then I was gently lowered, and the doctor repeatedthe dose with us both. 

"That's better, " he said quietly. "You two fellows have been talkingtoo much; now shut your eyes and have a good long sleep. "

"What! in the middle of the day?" protested Denham. 

"Yes. Nature wants all your time now for healing your damaged places. No more talking. I'll come again by-and-by. "

"How absurd!" said Denham as soon as the tilt had fallen back to itsplace. "I can't sleep now. Can you?"

"Impossible, " I said, and I lay looking up at the long slit of blue skyover the wagon-tilt. Then I was looking at something black as ink, andbeyond it the slit of blue sky was fiery orange. 

"Joeboy?" I said wonderingly. 

"Um? Yes, Boss, " was the reply. 

"How long have you been here?"

"Um? Long, long time. Boss Val been very fass asleep. "

"Hist! Is Mr Denham asleep?" I whispered. 

"Um? Very fass; not move once. "

I was silent for a few moments, struggling mentally to say something, Icould not tell what. 

"Boss Val like drink o' water?" said the black just then. 

"Yes--no. Ah, I remember now, " I cried eagerly, for it all came back. "Where have you been all this time?"

The black smiled. 

"Um? Been to see Boss and Aunt Jenny. "

"You have?" I cried eagerly. "But stop a moment. You went after thatIrish captain?"

The black nodded, and, to my horror, his face contracted and his lipsdrew away from his white teeth, but not in a grin. 

I lay back looking at him wildly, and as I gazed in his eyes theappearance of his countenance made me shudder just then, lit up by thefiery glow of the sunset which flooded the place through the openingsabove the tilt. It seemed to me horrible, and for a long time I couldnot speak. At last the words came:

"Did you know that he struck down Mr Denham, and nearly killed usboth?"

"Um? Yes. Soldiers tell Joeboy. "

"And you followed him?"

"Um? Yes, " came, accompanied by a nod. 

"And you've killed him with your assagai?" I said, with a shudder, as Iglanced at where three of the deadly weapons lay at the side of my roughcouch, across his shield. 

"Um? No. Nearly kill Joeboy. "

"Ah!" I cried, with a curious feeling of relief. 

"Joeboy run after him all away among the Doppies; when they shoot, Joeboy lie down, and then follow um till he see um. Then he shoot, and--look here. "

Joeboy held up his left arm, smiling, and I saw that it was roughly tiedup with a piece of coarse homespun. 

"He wounded you?"

"Um? Yes. Shot pistol, and make hole here. "

"And he got away unhurt?"

"Um? Yes; this time, " said the black. "Next time Joeboy make hole frooum somewhere. Hate um. "

"But your wound?" I said. "Is it bad?"

"Um? Only little hole. Soon grow up again. "

"Now tell me, how are all the people at home--my father, my aunt, andBob?"

Joeboy shook his head. 

"What do you mean?" I said. "Haven't you seen them?"

"Um? No; all gone right away. Doppies been and burnt all up. Allgone. "

"What's that?" said Denham, who had been awakened by our talking--"theBoers have been and burnt up that jolly old farm?"

"Um? Yes, Boss. All gone. "

"The brutes!"

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. 

THE DOCTOR'S DOSE. 

"Look here, Denham, " said the doctor; "you're an ill-tempered, ungrateful, soured, discontented young beggar. You deserve to surfer. --And as for you, sir, " he continued, turning to me, "you're not muchbetter. "

That was when we were what the doctor called convalescent--that is tosay, it was about a fortnight after our terrible experience in the oldmine-shaft, and undoubtedly fast approaching the time when we mightreturn to duty. 

"Anything else, sir?" said Denham sharply. 

I said nothing, but I winced. 

"I dare say I could find a few more adjectives to illustrate yourcharacter, sir, " said the doctor rather pompously; "but I think thatwill do. "

"So do I, sir, " said Denham; "but let me tell you that you don't allowfor our having to lie helpless here fretting our very hearts out becausewe can't join the ranks. "

"There you go again, sir, " cried the doctor. "Always grumbling. Lookat you both; wounds healing up. "

"Ugh!" cried Denham. "Mine are horrid. " I winced again. 

"Your muscles are recovering their tone. "

"I can hardly move without pain, " groaned Denham. I screwed up my facein sympathy. 

"Your bruises dying out. "

"Doctor!" shouted Denham, "do you think I haven't looked at myself? I'mhorrible. "

This time I groaned. 

"How do you know? You haven't got a looking-glass, surely?"

"No; but I've seen my wretched face in a bucket of water, " cried Denham. 

"Bah! Conceited young puppy! And compared notes, too, both of you, I'll be bound. "

"Of course we have, lying about here with nothing to do but suffer andfret. You don't seem to do us a bit of good. "

"What!" cried the doctor. "Why, if it hadn't been for me you'd have hadno faces at all worth looking at. Most likely--There, there, there! Iwon't get into a temper with you both, and tell you what might havehappened. "

"Both would have died, and a good job too, " cried Denham bitterly. 

"Come, come!" said the doctor gently; "don't talk like that. I know, Iknow. It has been very hard to bear, and you both have been rather slowat getting strong again. But be reasonable. This hasn't been a properhospital, and it isn't now a convalescent home, where I could coax youboth back into health and strength. I've no appliances or medicinesworth speaking about, and I must confess that the diet upon which I amtrying to feed you up is not perfect. "

"Perfect, Val!" cried Denham. "Just listen to him. Everything ishorrible. "

"Quite right, my dear boy, " said the doctor; "it is. "

"The bread--Ugh! It always tastes of burnt bones and skin and grease. "

"Yes, " said the doctor, with a sigh; "but that's all the fuel we havefor heating the oven now the wagons are burned. "

"Then the soup, or beef-tea, or whatever you call it. I don't knowwhich is worst--that which is boiled up in a pannikin or the nauseousmess made by soaking raw beef in a bucket of water. "

"But it is warmed afterwards, my dear boy, " said the doctor, "and it isextremely nutritious. "

"Ugh!" shuddered Denham. "What stuff for a poor fellow recovering fromwounds! I can't and I won't take any more of it. "

The doctor smiled, and looked hard at the grumbler. 

"Won't you, Denham?" he said. "Oh yes, you will; and you're going tohave bits of steak to-day, frizzled on ramrods. "

"Over a bone fire!" cried Denham. "I'm sick of it all. "

"Come, come, come! you're getting ever so much stronger, both of you. "

"But are we really, doctor?" I said; "or are you saying this to cheerus up?"

"Ask yourselves, boys. You know as well as I do that you are. Climb upon the wall this morning and sit in the sunshine; but mind you keep wellin shelter. I don't want one of the Boers to undo in a moment what hastaken me so long to do. "

"Oh, I don't know, " said Denham dismally. "We're poor sort ofmachines--always getting out of order. "

"Have you two been falling out?" said the doctor, turning to me. 

"No, " I said; "we haven't had a word. Denham's in rather a bad temperthis morning. "

"Why, you impudent beggar!" he cried, "for two pins I'd punch yourhead. "

"Bravo!" cried the doctor. "Here, I'll give 'em to you. Humph! No;only got one. Stop a minute; I'll give you a needle out of my caseinstead. Will that do?"

"Look here, doctor, " cried Denham; "I can't stand chaff now. "

"Chaff, my dear boy? I'm in earnest. That's right; go at him. Have areally good fight. It will do you good. "

"Bah!" cried Denham, as he saw me laughing. "Here, come along up to thewall, Val. I don't want to fall out with the doctor any more. "

"That you don't, " said that gentleman, offering his hand. "There, good-morning, patients. I know. But cheer up. I like that bit ofspirit Denham showed just now. It was a splendid sign. You'll eat thegrill when it comes?"

He did not wait for an answer, but bustled away, Denham looking afterhim till he was out of hearing. 

"I wish I hadn't been so snappish with him, " he said ratherremorsefully. "He has done a lot for us. "

"Heaps, " I said. 

"And we must seem very ungrateful. "

"He knows how fretful weak people can be, " I said. "Come, let's get upinto the sunshine. "

For I was having hard work with poor Denham in those days. Hissufferings had affected him in a curious way. He was completely soured, and a word or two, however well meant, often sent him into a toweringrage. Even then I had to temporise, for he turned impatiently away. 

"Hang the sunshine!" he said. 

"But it will do you good, " I said. 

"I don't want to get any good. It only makes me worse. I shall stopdown here in the shade. "

"I'm sorry, " I said, "for I wanted to be up in the fresh air thismorning. "

"Oh, well, if you want to go I'll come with you. "

"Yes, do, " I said; and we went out into the great court, where thehorses were fidgeting, and biting and kicking at one another, and beingshouted at by the men, who were brushing away at their coats to get theminto as high a state of perfection as possible. There were the bullockstoo, sadly reduced in numbers, and suggesting famine if some new effortswere not made. 

"Don't stop looking about, " said Denham peevishly. "How worn and shabbythe men look! It gives me the horrors. "

I followed him, but after his remark I gave a sharp look at the groupsof men we passed, especially one long double line going through thesword exercise and pursuing-practice under the instructions of SergeantBriggs; and as, at every barked-out order, the men made theirsabre-blades flash in the sunshine, I felt a thrill as of returningstrength run through me; but I noticed how thin, though still active andstrong, the fellows looked. 

We climbed up the rugged stones, which had gradually been arranged tillthe way was pretty easy, and reached the top of the wall, now protectedby a good breastwork high enough to enable our sentries to keep wellunder cover. 

It was very bright and breezy up there; but Denham did not seem disposedto sit down quietly and rest in the sun, for he stepped up at once towhere he could gaze over the breastwork, resting his elbows on thestones and his chin upon his hands. 

"Hi, Denham! don't do that, " I said. "It's not safe. "

"Bah! I want to look out for those ammunition-wagons old Briggs wastalking about. "

"But--" I began, and then I was silent, for Joeboy had followed us up, and seeing Denham's perilous position, he stepped up behind him, put hishands to his waist, and lifted him down as if he had been a child. 

"How dare--Oh, it's you, Blackie, " he said, laughing. 

It was a strange laugh, and I could see that the poor fellow had apeculiar look in his eyes. For as Joeboy snatched more than lifted himdown, _ping, whiz_, the humming of two bullets went so close to his headon either side that he winced twice--to right and to left; and _crack_, _crack_ came the reports of the rifles fired from the Boer linesopposite. 

"Doppie want to shoot Boss Denham, " said Joeboy coolly. "Shootstraight. "

"Yes, they shoot straight, " said Denham; "but I didn't think--I don'tknow, though; perhaps I did think. I say, Val, " he added in a strange, inconsequent way, as if rather ashamed of his recklessness, "that wasrather near--wasn't it?"

"Why do you act like that?" I said reproachfully. 

"I suppose it was out of bravado, " he replied, seeming to return to hisold manner again. "I wanted to show the brutes the contempt I feel forthem. "

"You only made them laugh to see how quickly your head disappeared whenthey fired. "

"How do you know?" he said sharply. 

"Because that's exactly what they would do, " I replied. 

Denham frowned, and turned to Joeboy. 

"Here, " he said, "put up that big stone on the edge there. "

The black obeyed, and then Denham pointed to another. 

"Put that one beside it, and leave just room between them for me to peerout. I want to see whether it's possible to do as you did, Val, andbring out a wagon of cartridge-boxes. "

Joeboy raised first one and then another great stone upon the edge as hewas told, and Denham stepped up directly to look between them, butbobbed his head and stepped down again directly, for _spat, spat, spat_, three rifle-bullets struck the stones and fell rattling down. 

Denham looked sharply towards me, frowning angrily; but I met his eyeswithout shrinking. 

"I wish I wasn't so nervous, " he said, by way of apology. "It's frombeing weak, I suppose. "

"It's enough to make a strong man shrink, " I said. "Don't look again. The next bullet may come between the stones and hit you. "

"But I must look, " he said angrily. "It's quite time you and I didsomething to help. "

"If you are hit it will do every one else harm instead of good. "

He turned upon me fiercely, but calmed down directly. 

"Yes, " he said; "I suppose you're right. Oh, here's the Sergeant comingup. He has done drilling, I suppose. "

The Sergeant announced that this was so directly after joining us. 

"The boys are getting splendid with the sword now, " he said, seatinghimself upon a block of stone and wiping his moist brow; "but it'sdreary work not being able to get them to work. "

"Tell the Colonel to get them all out, then, and make a charge. Weought to be able to scatter this mob. "

"So we could, sir, " said the Sergeant gruffly, "but they won't give us achance. If they'd make a mob of themselves we'd soon scatter them, numerous as they are; but it's of no use to talk; we can't charge wagonsand rifle-pits. It wouldn't be fair to the lads. Why, they'd emptyhalf our saddles before we got up to them, and then it would be horriblework to get through. No, it can't be done, Mr Denham, and you know itas well as I do. "

"No, I don't, " said my companion stubbornly. "It ought to be done. Once we were all through, the enemy would take to flight. "

"Once we were all through, " said the Sergeant, with a grim chuckle; "butthat's it. How many would get through? Now, just put it another way, sir. Say there's only six or seven of them out there, and there's oneon our side. That's about how it stands as to numbers. Very well; sayyou lead that charger of yours out. The Boers see what's going tohappen directly, and the minute you're up in the saddle they begin tofire at you--the whole seven. "

"You said six, " cried Denham. 

"Six or seven, sir. Well, let it be six. Don't you think it verylikely that one out of the six Doppies would manage to hit you?"

Denham frowned and remained silent, while Joeboy sat all of a heap, hisarms round his knees, watching the Sergeant, and I saw his ears twitchas if he were trying hard to grasp the whole of the non-com's theory. 

"You think not, sir?" continued Briggs. "Well, I don't agree with you. They'd hit you perhaps before you got far; they'd hit you for certain, you or your horse, before you got close up; and let me tell you that thechances would be ever so much worse if we were galloping up to them inline. "

"Yes, you're right, Sergeant, " said Denham slowly. "It would be murder, and the chief couldn't, in justice to the men, call upon them to charge. But they'd follow us, " he added excitedly. 

"Follow their officers, sir? Of course they would, and some of 'emwould get through. "

"Gloriously, " cried Denham. 

"Well, I suppose some of those fine writers who make history would callit glorious; but I should call it horrible waste of good stuff. Itwouldn't do, sir--it wouldn't do, for there'd be nothing to gain by it. If we could make an opening in the enemy's lines and put 'em a bit intodisorder, so as to give a chance for another regiment to slip in androut 'em, it would be splendid; but to do it your way would be justchucking good men's lives away. "

"Yes, yes, Sergeant; you're right, and the Colonel's right, and I'm allwrong. I know better; but my head got so knocked about by that renegadeIrishman and my fall down that hole that it doesn't work right yet. "

"I know, sir, " said the Sergeant, nodding his head. "When you talk inthat bitter way I know it isn't my brave, clever young officer speaking;and I say to myself, `Wait a bit, old man; he'll soon come round. '"

"Thank you, Sergeant; thank you, " said Denham, holding out his hand, which Briggs grasped, shook warmly, then turned to me to go through thesame business; he did so hotly, for my hand felt crushed, and I vainlytried to respond as heartily, while the tears of pain rose in my eyes, but did not dim them so much that I could not see my torturer's eyeswere also moist. 

"Well, what are you looking at?" he growled. "I say, don't squeeze aman's hand like that. Why, you've made my eyes water, lad. Look, they're quite wet. Phew! You did squeeze. "

"It's because he has so much vice in him, Briggs, " said Denham, smiling. 

"That's it, Mr Denham. Well, we must wait, for there's nothing to bedone but send one or two smart fellows to creep through the enemy'sranks in the night, on foot. You can't get horsemen through. "

"You mean, send for help from the nearest British force?" said Denham. 

"That's it, sir--some one to tell the officer in command that we shallsoon be on our last legs here; but if he'll como on and attack them inthe rear, we'll be out and at 'em as soon as we hear the shooting; andif we didn't polish off the Doppies then, why, we should deserve tolose. "

"Briggs, " said Denham warmly, "of course that's the plan. You ought tohave been in command of the corps yourself. "

"Ah! now your head's getting a bit the better of you again, sir, "replied the Sergeant, "or you wouldn't talk like that. What I say'sonly second-hand. That's the chief's plan. "

"Then why doesn't he carry it out?" I said indignantly. 

"You hold your tongue, " growled the Sergeant. "You're only a recruityet, and your head's getting the better of you too. --Yes, Mr Denham, that's the Colonel's own plan, and he's tried it every night for thelast twelve nights. "

"What!" I cried. 

"Yes, my lad; called quietly for volunteers, and sent out twelve of ourlads; but so far there don't seem to be one that has got through, andthe game gets expensive. There, I must go down again now and get toduty. I saw you two coming up while I was going through the exercise, and I'm very glad to see you both looking so much better. --Well, JoeBlack, " he said as he turned away, "how's Mr Moray's horse?"

"Um? Coat shine beautiful, " said Joeboy. 

"And enough to make it, my lad, seeing the way you rub him down. "

"Denham, " I said that night as we lay wakefully gazing up at the stars, "do you feel any stronger yet?"

"I don't know. I seem to fancy I do. Why?"

"I thought you did because you've been so quiet ever since we had thattalk with the Sergeant. I feel stronger. "

"Why do you ask?" he said. 

"Because I've been thinking that I ought to do that job, and you oughtto be on the lookout again, to come to my help if I succeed. "

"No, " he said quickly; "it's a job for two. I'd go with you. "

"But I should take Joeboy. "

"Then it's a job for three, Val; we can take our time, and the slower wego perhaps the better. If we get stopped by the Boers, we're woundedand getting away from the fighting. "

"Yes, that might do. We do look bad. "

"Horribly bad, Val. You look a miserable wreck of a fellow. "

"And you, I won't say what, " I retorted, a little irritably. 

"So much the better. When shall we go--to-night?"

"No. Let's have a good sleep to-night, and talk to Joeboy about it inthe morning. To-morrow night as soon as it's dark we'll be off, " Isaid. 

"The Colonel won't let us go if we volunteer. "

"Of course not. Let's go without leave; but that will look likedeserting. "

"I don't care what it looks like so long as we can get through and bringhelp. "

"The same here. "

"But we ought to steal away to-night, " said Denham. 

"No; let's have Joeboy. Ha!" I said, with a sigh of relief. "I seemto see my way now, and I shall sleep like a top. "

"I'm so relieved, Val, old chap, that I'm half-asleep now. Quite arestful feeling has come over me. Good-night. "

"Good-night, " I replied; and I have some faint recollection of the raysof a lantern beating down and looking red through my eyelids, and thenof feeling a soft hand upon my temples. But the next thing I fullyrealised was that it was a bright, sunny morning, and that Denham wassitting up in his sack-bed. 

"How do you feel?" he cried eagerly. 

"Like going off as soon as it's dark. "

"So do I, " he said. "I'm a deal better now. What's the first thing todo--smuggle some meal to take with us?"

"I don't know, " I replied. "Yes, perhaps we'd better take some; and, I say, we must have bandages on our heads as well as thesticking-plaster. "

"Of course. Then, I say, as soon as ever we've had breakfast we'll talkto Joeboy. "

"Exactly, " I replied. "He'll be half-mad to go, and when we've said allwe want to him we'll come back and lie down again. "

"Oh! What for?"

"So as to rest and sleep all we possibly can, for if all goes well weshan't have a wink to-night. "

"Perhaps you're right, " said Denham. 

"There's one more thing to think about. "

"What's that?"

"Our going off without leave, " I said--"you an officer, I a private. "

"Oh! I say, don't get raising up obstacles. "

"I don't want to, " I said; "but this is serious. "

"Very, for us to run such risks; and of course it isn't according torule. But it's an exception. Let's argue it out, for it does lookugly. "

"Go on, " I said, "for I want my conscience cleared. "

"Look here, then; what are we going to do?"

"Try and get help, of course. "

"Then I consider that sufficient excuse for anything--in a corps ofirregulars. Old Briggs would say it was mutinous in the regular army. To go on: if we asked leave, the Colonel or Major would say we were mad, and that we are not fit. Then--Oh, look here, I'm not going to argue, Val. I confess it's all wrong, only there's one thing to be said: we'renot going to desert our ranks, for we're both on the sick-list; and, come what may, I mean to go and bring help somehow. You're not shirkingthe job after sleeping on it?"

"No, " I said emphatically. "Now for breakfast, and then we'll have atalk with Joeboy. "

CHAPTER FORTY. 

JOEBOY IS MISSING AGAIN. 

"What a breakfast!" groaned Denham half-an-hour later. 

"Never mind, " I said; "we'll get something better, perhaps, to-morrow. "

"That we will, even if we commando it at the point of the sword, whichis another way of saying we shall steal it. I say, though, the thoughtof all this is sending new life into me. "

"I feel the same, " I said; then we sat back waiting till the doctorvisited us, examined our injuries, and expressed himself satisfied. 

"Another week, " he said, "and then I shall dismiss you both. Nature andcare will do the rest. "

The doctor then left us; and, watching for an opportunity, we called toone of the men passing the hospital, and told him to find the black. However, ten minutes later we found that this might have been saved, forthe Sergeant paid us a morning call, and on leaving promised to go roundby the horses and send Joeboy to us. 

"What news of the messengers?" we asked. The Sergeant shook his headsadly, and replied, "Don't ask me, gentlemen. It looks bad--very bad. The Boers ain't soldiers, but they're keeping their lines wonderfullytight. "

"That's our fault, " said Denham. "We gave them such lessons by ournight attack and the capture of the six wagons and teams. "

"I say, " said the Sergeant, and he looked from one to the other. 

"Well, what do you say?" cried Denham. 

"Doctor been changing your physic?"

"Why?" I said. 

"Because you both look fifty pounds better than you did yesterday. "

"It's the hope that has come, Briggs, " cried Denham, his face lightingup. 

"Haven't got a bit to spare, have you, sir?" said the Sergeant; "becauseI should like to try how it would agree with my case, for I'm horriblydown in the mouth at present. I don't like the look of things at all. "

"What do you mean?" asked Denham. 

"I had a look round at the horses, sir, last night. "

"Not got the horse-sickness, Briggs?"

"No, sir, not so bad as that; but, speaking as an old cavalry man, I saythat they mustn't be kept shut up much longer. But there, I shall bespoiling your looks and knocking your hope over. Good-morning, gentlemen--I mean, lieutenant and private. Glad to see you both look sowell. I'll tell Joe Black you want him. "

"Yes, he'd upset our hopefulness altogether, Val, if it wasn't for onething--eh?" said Denham as the wagon-tilt swung to after the Sergeant. "But, I say, that fellow of yours ought to be here by now. "

"Yes, " I said. But we waited anxiously for quite an hour before the manwe had sent came back. 

"Can't find the black, sir, " he said. 

"Did you go to the horses?"

"Yes, sir, and everywhere else. "

"You didn't go to the butcher's?" I asked. 

"Yes, I did; but he hadn't been there. "

"Perhaps he's gone out with the bullock drove. "

"No, " said the man; "the oxen are being kept in this morning because theBoers have come a hundred yards nearer during the night. They're wellin opposite the gateway, and the Colonel's having our works therestrengthened. "

"The Sergeant didn't say a word about that, " Denham said to me. 

I shook my head, and turned to the messenger. 

"Is he asleep somewhere about the walls?" I asked. 

"No; I looked there, " was the reply. "He always snoozes up on the innerwall, just above the water-hole. There's a place where a big stone hasfallen out and no bullets can get at him. I looked there twice. "

"Hasn't fallen down one of the holes, has he?" said Denham. 

"Not he, sir, " replied the man, laughing. "He'd go about anywhere inthe dark, looking like a bit o' nothing, only you couldn't see it in thedarkness, and never knock against a thing. It's his feet, I think; theyalways seem to know where to put theirselves. He wouldn't tumble downany holes. "

"Keep a sharp lookout for him, and when you see him send him to medirectly. "

"Yes, sir, " replied the man. "I dessay he'll turn up in the course o'the morning. He's always hiding himself and coming again when you don'texpect it. "

"I say, Val, " cried Denham as soon as we were alone, "we didn't reckonon this. Why, if he doesn't turn up our plan's done. "

"Not at all, " I said. 

"Eh? What do you mean? We couldn't go without him. "

"Indeed, but we could; and what's more, we will, " I said firmly. "Iwould rather have had him with us; but we're going to-night--if we can. "

Denham seized my hand and wrung it warmly. 

"I like that, " he said; "but you shouldn't have put in that `if wecan. '"

"Obliged to, " I replied. "We may be stopped. "

"Oh, but I shall give the password. "

"We may find even that will not be enough. The orders are very strictnow. Besides, if we did not come back the guard would report usmissing, and then there'd be great excitement at once. "

"What would you do, then?" he asked. 

"Take a lesson out of that Irishman's book. "

"Knock two or three sentries on the head with a stone?"

"No, no, " I cried, laughing. "Get a couple of reins, tie them together, and then slide down from the wall. "

"Good!" exclaimed Denham; and, after a pause: "Better! Yes, that willdo. Start from the far corner?"

"No, from just up here where Joeboy arranged the stones. We can tie upto one of those big ones that you stand on to look over. You feelstrong enough to slide down?--it isn't far. "

"Oh yes. "

"Then, once on the ground, we can crawl away. That's how I mean to goall along. "

"What about the tethering-ropes?"

"We'll go and have a look at our horses towards evening, slip the coilsover our shoulders, and bring them away. No one will interfere. "

"Val, " he cried, "you ought to be a commissioned officer. "

"I don't want to be, " I said, laughing. "I want the war to be over, andto be able to find my people, and settle down again in peace. Thisfighting goes against the grain with me. "

"But you always seem to like it, and fight like a fury when we're in forit. "

"I suppose it's my nature, " I said; "but I don't like it any thebetter. "

We said no more, but waited anxiously in the hope that Joeboy wouldreturn, and waited in vain, the time gliding by, some hours being passedin sleep, till we were suddenly aroused by firing. There were two orthree fits of excitement in the course of the afternoon, and a smartexchange of shots which at one time threatened to develop into a regularattempt to assault the fort; but it died out at last, direct attack ofentrenchments not being in accord with the Boers' ideas of fighting. Itis too dangerous for men who like to be safely in hiding and to bringdown their enemies as if they were wild beasts of the veldt. 

No Joeboy appeared, and in the dusk of evening we went across the yard, had a good look at our horses, stopped patting and caressing them forsome time, then went back to the hospital unquestioned and, I believe, unseen, with the coils of raw-hide rope. From that time everythingseemed to me so delightfully easy that it prognosticated certainsuccess. 

The doctor came at dusk and had a chat; then the Sergeant looked us upto tell us that he had seen nothing of Joeboy, but that the butcher toldhim he had missed some strips of beef hung up in the sun to makebiltong, and that he believed the black had taken them. 

"Why?" I asked sharply. 

"Because he was so fond of eating; and he said the black would be foundcurled up amongst the stones somewhere in the kopje among the baboons, sleeping off his feed. "

"It isn't true, " I said warmly. "Joeboy wouldn't steal unless he knewwe were starving, and then it would be to bring it to his master and hismaster's friend. "

"That's what I like in you, Val, " said Denham as soon as the Sergeanthad left us. "You always stick up for a friend when any one attacks himbehind his back. "

"Of course, " I replied angrily. 

"Don't be cross, old man, " he cried. "I didn't mean to insult you bycalling a black fellow your friend. "

"That wouldn't insult me. Joeboy is a humble friend, who would give hislife to save mine. "

"I wish he was with us, then, so as to make a present of it to somebodyif we should be in very awkward quarters. "

"I can't understand it, " I said; "but we mustn't worry about that now. What about arms?"

"Revolvers under our jackets, out of sight, and a few cartridges in ourpouches along with the cake and beef we saved. "

"No rifle, bandolier, or sword?" I said thoughtfully. 

"Neither one nor the other, my lad. We're going to get through thelines as sick men tired of it all, and whose fighting is done. "

"Perhaps to be taken as spies, " I said. 

"Ugh! Don't talk about it, " cried Denham. "We're invalids, and no onecan doubt that who looks at your battered head. "

"Or yours, " I replied. "But look here, Denham; we must give up all ideaof capturing wagons. What we have to do is to fetch help. "

"Yes, I think so too--get through the Boer lines and find the General'squarters. The other idea was too mad. "

We sat in silence for a while, till we felt that the time had come; thenwe passed our coils of rope over our chests like bandoliers, andstrolled out into the dark court, to saunter here and there for a fewminutes, listening to the lowing of the oxen or the fidgety stamp of ahorse annoyed by a fly. Here Denham exchanged a few words with some ofthe men. Finally, after a glance at the officers' quarters, from whicha light gleamed dimly, Denham led the way to the rough ascent, and withbeating heart I followed right up on to the wall. So intense was thedarkness that we had to go carefully, not seeing the first sentry tillhe challenged us and brought us up. 

Denham gave the word, and stood talking to the man, who lowered hisrifle and rested the butt on the stones. 

"How are they to-night?" said Denham. "Quiet?"

"No, sir; they seem to have been having a good eat and drink. Morewagons came up from their rear; so the man I relieved told me. It'sbeen a sort of feast, I think. Wouldn't be a bad time for a good attackon the beggars, sir. The boys are, as one of them said, spoiling for afight. "

"Let them wait a bit, " said Denham shortly. "It will come. "

"The sooner the better, sir, " said the sentry; and we went on as far asthe next sentry, passing the stones where we had sat to sun ourselves. We talked with this second man about the Boers, received a similaraccount of the proceedings of the enemy, said "Good-night, " and thenstrolled back to the stones, to sit down for a few minutes, my heartbeating harder than ever. 

"Now, " said Denham at last, in a low tone of voice; "off with your rope, and give me one end. I'll make your line fast to mine, while you securethe other end to that big stone. Tight, mind; I don't want to fallsixty feet and break my neck. "

"Nor I, " was my reply. "Be sure of your knot, too. "

"Right. "

Then, in the silence, we each did our part of the task, ending by Denhamletting the strong thin rope glide over the edge of the great stoneswhich formed the breastwork. The next minute we stood listening to thesounds from the court, and narrowly watched for our sentries. Far outin the darkness a feeble light or two showed where a lantern burned inthe Boer lines. Everything seemed to favour our design, even to theend, and I was breathing hard with excitement, waiting to begin. Justthen a hand touched my arm and glided down over my wrist. I knew whatit meant, and grasped Denham's hand. 

"Good luck to us!" he whispered. "I'll go first and test the rope--hush! I will. As soon as I'm down I shall lie flat and hold on. Ready?"

"Yes. "

"Off!"

CHAPTER FORTY ONE. 

OUR WILD ATTEMPT. 

Denham's words sounded so loud that, as I dropped on one knee to holdthe knot of the rope round the stone to prevent it from slipping, I feltsure that the sentries to right and left must have heard him speak. Butit was only due to my excited way of looking at things. For the nextminute, after a preliminary rustling, I felt a peculiar thrill run alongthe hide rope. This went on while I wondered if my companion had madethe joining of the two ropes secure, my imagination working so rapidlythat I seemed to see the knot stretching and yielding till one of theends slipped through the loop of the knot, and--

The thrilling sensation had ceased; and the rope, which felt in my handslike some living, vibrating thing, hung loose. The next moment a kinkran up it and dissolved in my hands. It was Denham's way of saying "Allright, " and I knew my turn had come. 

The starting was the difficulty--that creeping over the breastwork, justat a time when my strength was far from at its best; but I tackled thebusiness at once, stepped up on to a stone, seated myself on the top ofthe breastwork, took tight hold of the rope, raised my legs so that Icould lie down, turned upon my face, and then softly swung my legs roundso that I could twist my feet about the rope and reduce the weight on myarms. The next minute I was hanging at full length, holding the ropewith one hand, the edge of the breastwork with the other, and afraid tomove; for, to my horror, _tramp, tramp_ came the sound of theapproaching sentry to my loft. The perspiration began to ooze out on myface and temples now, and I prepared for a rapid descent, fullyexpecting the man would see the rope, stop, and, under the impressionthat I was one of the Boers trying to get into the fort by escalade, would strike me from my hold with the butt of his rifle. 

I might have spared myself the horror of those few moments of anxiety;for even when he came nearer I could not see him, and with my headbeneath the level of the rough parapet he could not see me, but passedon. I counted the steps, and at the sixth began to let the hide ropeglide slowly through my moist hands. 

Soon I felt the knot over my boots stop my progress, and had to slackenthe rope off my feet, gliding down till my hands touched the knot. Thiswas, I thought, so very loose that I had either to tighten it or slidequickly down. I chose the latter, and went on so swiftly that my handswere hot with the friction when my feet touched Denham's hands, as heheld the rope, and then the ground. I dropped to my knees at once, thenlay, panting as if I had run a mile. 

Denham placed his lips close to my ear and whispered, "I was afraid thesentry would see you. Here, give me your knife. "

I answered by taking it out and placing it in his hands, listening, andwondering then what he was about to do, for he rose to his feet, and Iheard a peculiar sound as of cutting something and Denham breathinghard. 

He was down by me when the noise ceased, and once more his lips were atmy ear. 

"Get up and join hands, " he whispered. "There's a light straight ahead, and another about a quarter of a mile to the right. We'll make for thislast one. Mind, not a sound. "

The order was not needed. We rose silently. There, as he had stated, right in front and away to the right, were two of the tiniest sparks oflight; they were almost invisible, the nearest being fully a thousandyards off. 

Then, hand in hand and step by step, we went on through the pitchydarkness straight for the light on our right. We moved very cautiously, for our first fear was that we might be heard from the walls; and, setting aside the extreme doubtfulness of receiving a bullet in the backfrom a friend, there was the danger of one shot bringing many, as thesentries carried on the alarm, with the result that every Boer in frontwould be on the _qui vive_ and our venture rendered impossible. But allwas perfectly still, while the darkness overhead seemed to press downupon us. 

In about ten minutes Denham whispered, "Don't take any notice. "

When he had spoken there was a faint, rustling sound, and I knew he hadthrown something from him, to fall with a dull sound upon the ground. 

"Bother!" he whispered. "I didn't think it would make such a row. "

"What was it?" I asked. 

"About a dozen feet of hide rope. I cut it off as high as I couldreach; but, my word, wasn't it hard!"

"Why did you cut it?"

"So that no Boer, exploring, should run against it and take it into hishead to climb up. How do you feel?"

"Rather hot. "

"So do I. We're precious weak yet. Now, look here; we'll keep onwalking as long as we dare; then we must go down on hands and knees;last of all, we must creep on our chests, helping ourselves along withour elbows. "

"It will be very slow work, " I said. 

"Yes, but it's the only way. We shall do it, for it's gloriously dark. If we come suddenly upon a sentry we must drop on our faces and liestill till I see the way to circumvent him. "

"I understand, " I said. 

"Not all yet. If we get close up you'll have to take the lead; and thething to do is to get close up among the sleeping Boers. That meanssafety, for if any one wakes up and speaks you must answer in Dutch, with your face close to the ground. "

"It seems very risky, " I said. 

"So did your going to cut out six wagons with their teams; but you didit. Now, don't talk; come on. "

We moved forward again very slowly in what seemed to be a tediousjourney, though I knew perfectly well that, taken diagonally, it couldnot be more than twelve hundred yards, it having been reckoned that theBoers' advance-parties were about a thousand yards from the walls of thefort. But we were getting nearer, for the lights seemed to grow, notbrighter, but less dim, and during the last few minutes we had noticed athird light away to the right. I wanted to say that we were gettingpretty near to the enemy at last; but talking was now out of thequestion, and I had to telegraph to my companion, by a pressure of thehand, that we must be on the alert. 

Then, with a suddenness that startled my composure, I heard an impatientstamp close by on my left, followed by the sound of reins jerked, and anangry adjuration growled out in Dutch between the teeth by a mountedsentry. He was invisible; and, taking advantage of the startledmovements of the horse consequent upon the punishment it had received, Denham dragged heavily upon my right hand with his left, when, as Iyielded, he bore off to his right, walking very slowly, till we had leftthe sentry some distance behind. 

Directly after that incident Denham seemed to alter our course again, and once more we were walking straight for the dim lantern. This wenton for a short time, and then we had another check, for the sound oftramping feet arose to our right--not the regular beat, beat ofwell-drilled military, but a rough, heavy, anyhow walk of about a dozenmen. They were very near, and the chances were that, whether we stoodstill, went back, or hurried forward, they might come right upon us. But my companion did not hesitate. He chose to advance, hurrying meforward half-a-dozen steps, and then lay down upon his face. For a fewmoments I thought we were discovered, and that our attempt was afailure; but the men just missed us, going on twenty or thirty yards, and then a gruff Boer called "Halt!"

From what followed we knew that guard was being changed. 

Everything was still succeeding, for, instead of walking right upon adismounted sentry, we had passed him to our left, and learned not onlywhere the new one was placed, but that we had succeeded in passing theouter line of mounted men and an inner one of foot. 

As if telling me of the delight he felt, Denham's pressure on my handwas like the working of some military code; and I responded the best wayI could, as we lay listening to the resumed tramp of the guard. 

Just as Denham signalled me to rise, there was a sharp crack, a flash oflight, and we dropped down again, to look in the direction of the flash, and saw a pair of big hands lighted up as they were held lanternfashion; and, directly after we had glimpses of the lower part of abearded face, at first seen distinctly, then it grew darker, and againseen plainer as its owner puffed at the big pipe he was lighting. Thenall was in darkness once more, and the pungent smoke of coarse tobaccofloated to our nostrils. 

We started again, crawling on all-fours side by side, and pressing closelike sheep so as to keep in touch; but always forward now towards thelantern, which seemed suddenly to be very near. 

Denham's lips were close to my ear directly, and he whispered, "We mustkeep more away from the light. Now you take the lead, crawling veryslowly. I shall keep up by touching your heel regularly. If I leaveoff, stop till I begin again. "

I nodded, though it occurred to me directly afterwards that he could notsee the nod; but I showed him that I fully understood by bearing off tothe left, crawling steadily and softly, and feeling Denham's hand come_tap, tap_ regularly upon my heel. All the time I had a presentimentthat the Boers must be lying around by the hundred. 

In another minute I knew we must be close to oxen, for I could hear themruminating; and, convinced that a wagon would be before us, with perhapsa dozen men underneath, I bore still more to my left, with Denhamfollowing close, till I stopped once more, knowing that horses must bejust in front. 

I made a short pause now, longing to ask my comrade's advice; but Idared not whisper. So, feeling that probably there would only be aboutfifty yards of perilous ground to pass over before we had cleared theBoer lines, I did what I imagined was best--bore off a little to theright as I advanced--my idea being to get back towards the oxen and passsoftly by the side of the wagon which I believed must be close at hand. 

"They'll be asleep, " I thought, "and I may get past. "

It was all a chance, I knew; but we had been lucky so far, and I hopedthat fortune would still favour us. In this spirit I still kept on, crawling now very slowly, till suddenly I let myself subside, for myhand had come in contact with the butt of a rifle lying on the ground. 

Denham too must have taken the alarm, for I felt him drawing steadily atmy heel, which I read to mean retreat. But I felt there was no retreat, knowing that we had crept right in among a number of sleeping men. So Ilet myself slowly subside, lying on my chest; and in the effort to crossmy arms and let them rest beneath my chin my left elbow struck sharplyagainst a sleeper's face, making him start so violently that he kickedhis neighbour, and in an instant there was a furious burst of Boer Dutchoaths and imprecations. 

"Quiet!" said a deep, severe voice in Dutch. "There, you've roused thepatrol. "

My heart sank, for there was the hurried tramp of footsteps approaching, and, worse than all, the gleaming of a lantern, which lit up the heavybody of a man lying right across the way I sought to go, while right andleft, and within a foot of me, were two more burly figures. They wereall in motion now, and as the lantern was borne closer it was thrownopen, and, in what one of my neighbours would have called an_augenblick_, I saw in the background on one side the tilt of a wagon, and on the other the dim forms of horses. 

My agony, in spite of feeling Denham's hand pressing firmly on my heel, seemed to have culminated; but the worst was to come, and I shivered, for a high-pitched voice cried in Dutch:

"Hwhat's all this? Didn't I tell ye to loy still and slape till it wastime to start? Why, ye blundering, thick-headed idiots, you have madeenough noise to rouse the Englanders. "

Denham pressed my heel now so that it was painful; but I did not stir, only listened to the grumbling apology of the two men. 

"Don't go to sleep again, " said the abusing voice. "We start in anhour, if you haven't put the enemy on the alert. "

Just then the light was softened, for the door of the lantern was closedand the fastening clicked. 

Then I felt that all was over, for the man on my left suddenly startedup and seized me by the arm. 

"Open that lantern again, Captain Moriarty, " he cried. "I want to seewho this is we've got here. "

"Yes, " said another voice; "two of them. I'll swear they weren't herewhen we lay down. "

CHAPTER FORTY TWO. 

IN THE TRAP. 

If either Denham or I had felt the slightest disposition to run, it waschecked by the brotherly feeling that one could not escape without theother; but even if we had made the attempt it would have beenimpossible, for the words uttered by the big Boer at my side acted likethe application of a spark to a keg of gunpowder. In an instant therewas an explosion. Men leaped to their feet, rifle in hand; there was aroar of voices; yells and shouts were mingled with bursts of talkingwhich rose into a hurricane of gabble, out of which, mingled with oathsand curses delivered in the vilest Dutch, I made out, "Spies--shoot--hang them;" and it seemed that after thrusting ourselves into thehornets' nest we were to be stung to death. 

The noise was deafening, and as we were held men plucked and tore at us, while the roar of voices seemed to run to right and left all along theline, alarm spreading; with the result that those outside the narrowspace where the facts were known took it to be a sudden attack from therear, and began firing at random in the darkness. In spite of thedespair that came over me, I even then could not help feeling a kind ofexultation--satisfaction--call it what you will--at the surprise we hadgiven the blundering Boers, and thinking that if the Colonel had beenprepared with our men to charge into them at once, the whole line of theenemy for far enough to right and left would have turned and fled, afteran ineffectual fire which must have done far more harm to their friendsthan to their foes, and then scattered before our fellows like deadleaves before a gale. 

However, we were not to be torn to pieces just then by the infuriatedBoers, for we were each held firmly by two burly fellows, whileMoriarty, yelling at the excited crowd in his highly-pitched voice, opened and held the lantern on high, so as to get a good look at ourdisfigured faces. The light fell upon his own as well, and I saw himstart and shrink, as if for the moment he fancied that we had returnedfrom the dead. But his dismay was only momentary. Then a malevolentgrin of exultation came over his countenance, his eyes scintillated inthe lantern light, and he yelled orders to those around till he obtainedcomparative silence. 

"Pass the word all along the line, " he shouted. "False alarm. Onlyspies, and we have got them. Cease firing. "

His words had but little effect for a few minutes; but by degrees thetumult was stilled and the firing ceased. The men about us readilyobeyed the Irish captain's orders. 

"They're old fr'inds of mine, " he said, with a peculiar grin--"dearfr'inds who have come after me to join our ranks; and I'm going to makethem take the oaths properly. "

There was a groan of dissent at this, but Moriarty paid no heed; he onlyshowed his teeth at us in a savage grin like that of some wild beastabout to spring. 

"Yes, " he continued, "they're old fr'inds of mine--dear fr'inds. Thatone"--he pointed to me--"is a deserter from our forces, and the othermiserable brute is an officer who has been fighting against us andhelping his companion. Be cool and calm, dear boys, and as soon as itis light you shall have the pleasure of shooting the young scoundrels. For we're all soldiers now, and we must behave like military min, unlessyou would like to set a Kaffir to hang them both from a tripod ofdissel-booms at the two ends of a rein. "

"Shoot them! Shoot them!" came in a burst of voices. 

"Very well, we'll shoot them; but we must do it properly. We'll have acourt-martial upon them, and teach the spies to crawl into our camp likesnakes. "

"It's a lie!" I shouted. "We are no spies. "

"Ah! you understand the beautiful language of my fr'inds, " criedMoriarty. "You are not spies, then?"

"No, neither of us, " I said in Dutch. 

"Indade?" said Moriarty. "And perhaps you are not a deserter from ourtroops?"

Amidst hootings, groans, and yells, I managed to make myself heard. 

"No, " I said, "I am not a deserter. I am English, and I refused tofight against my own countrymen. "

A savage yell greeted my plain words; but Moriarty held up his hand. 

"Let him condemn himself out of his own lips, brethren, " he cried. --Then, to me, "You preferred to fight against and shoot down the peopleamong whom you dwelt?" he cried. 

"I joined my own people, " I replied; "and this gentleman with me is nospy. "

"What is he, then?" said Moriarty, holding up his hand in the light ofthe lantern he kept aloft, so as to secure silence. 

"An officer and a gentleman of the Light Horse. "

"Indade!" said Moriarty sneeringly. "Then you have both had enough ofthe British forces, and have desarted to ours?"

"No, " I said coolly. "We have both been badly wounded, as you can see, and we wanted to break through the lines and get away. "

"What for?" said Moriarty fiercely. "What for?"

"We are too weak to fight, " I said. 

"Bah!" roared Moriarty, "you are both spies; and do you hear? You shallboth be shot by-and-by. "

A yell of triumph, which sounded like a chorus of savage beasts inanticipation of blood, rose from all around. 

"Get reins and tie their arms behind them, my brothers. They'reEnglish, and can spake nothing but lies. "

As some of the men hurried away to fetch the necessary cords, I turnedto one of the big Boers who held me. 

"Is it a lie, " I said, "that my friend has been badly wounded? Is it alie that I have been hurt?"

There was a low growl for reply from one, and the other--the man who hadfirst discovered my presence--only said, "But you are spies. "

"What are they all saying, Val?" said Denham coolly. "I don't seem toget on at all in this game. "

"They say we're spies, " I replied. 

"Let 'em. A set of thick-headed pigs. Don't be downhearted over itall, old chap. We played our game well, and we've lost. We'reprisoners; that's all. They daren't shoot us. "

I looked him fixedly in the eyes, but made no reply. 

"Well, " said Denham hurriedly, "it's murder if they do. But I don'tbelieve they will. Whatever they do, we won't show the white feather, Val. I say, shall we give 'em the National Anthem?"

"Hush!" I said. "You're a gentleman; don't do anything to insult them;we're in their power. "

"Yes; but I want them to see that we're ready to die game. I say, Val, we've made a mess of it this time, and we might have been lyingcomfortably asleep over yonder. "

"No, " I said; "we should have lain awake thinking of how to get help forour friends. "

"True, O Calif! so we should. --Ugh! You ugly brutes. Tie our handsbehind our backs, would you?--Here, Mr Irishman, there's no need forthis. We didn't serve you so. "

"Oh yes, " said Moriarty. "Spies like to get all the news they can, andthen to run away with their load. "

"After treacherously trying to murder the sentry on duty, and thentreacherously striking down two people in the dark. "

"Hwhat!" cried Moriarty fiercely. 

"I mean you, you cowardly hound!--you disgrace to the name of Irishman!"

There was the sound of a smart blow, and Denham staggered back againstthe men who were binding his wrists. 

A cheer rose from some of the fierce men around us, a murmur ofdisapprobation from others, as Denham recovered himself and stoodupright, with his chest expanded and a look of scorn and contempt in hiseyes. 

"Yes, " he said quietly, "you are a disgrace to a great name. I am aprisoner, and my hands are tied. "

"Silence, spy!" cried Moriarty fiercely, and a dead silence fell. 

"I'll not be silent, " said Denham. "Val, if we die for it, repeat mywords in Dutch. But if I live I'll kill that man, or he shall killme. --Moriarty, you're a treacherous coward and a cur, to strike ahelpless, wounded man. "

"A treacherous coward and a cur, to strike a helpless, wounded man, " Isaid aloud in the Boer tongue, the words seeming to come from somethingwithin me over which I had no power whatever. 

Moriarty, white with fury, turned upon me, but one of the two men whoheld me interfered, saying bluntly, "Let him talk, Captain; his tonguewill soon be still. "

"Yes, yes, " said Moriarty, with a forced laugh; "his tongue will soon bestill. Putt them in the impty wagon, and bind their legs too. Then putfour men over them as guards. You'll answer for them, Cornet. "

The grim looks of the two speakers and the horrible nature of theirwords, which meant a horrible death, ought to have sent a chill throughme; but just then I was so excited, so hot with rage against thecowardly wretch who had struck my friend, that I did not feel theslightest fear as to my fate; and, obeying the order to march, I walkedbeside Denham with my head as erect as his, till we were by the tail ofa great empty wagon, into which two of the Boers scrambled so as toseize us by the pinioned arms, causing great pain, as they stooped, andthen dragged us in as if we had been sacks of corn, and then let usdown. 

"Look here, " said my captor, speaking from the tail-end of the wagon, "there are four men on duty with rifles, and their orders are to shootyou both through the head if you try to escape. Now you know. "

While he was speaking one of the men who had dragged us in reached outhis hand for a lantern, which he took and hung from a hook in the middleof the tilt. 

Then he and his companion dropped down from the end of the dimly-litwagon, and we were alone for a few moments. But the two men who hadleft us returned directly with two more reins and set to work bindingour ankles together as tightly as they could. 

"There, " said one of them, in Dutch, as soon as they had finished, "wecan see you well from outside, and you know what will come if you try toget away. "

Then we were alone again, and as the curtain of stout canvas at the endceased to vibrate, Denham as he lay back began to laugh merrily. 

"Denham!" I cried. 

"I can't help it, old chap, " he said. "It's very horrible, but there'sa comic side to it. Blows hit terribly hard. "

"Yes, the coward!" I cried passionately, "to strike you like that!"

"I wasn't thinking of that, old chap, " he replied. "Yes, that was asnasty a thing as the savage could do; but I was thinking of how hard youcan hit a sensitive man with your tongue. "

"What do you mean?" I said. 

"Moriarty! Why, I spoke quite quietly, but if I had given him a cutacross the face from the left shoulder with my sabre, which cuts like arazor, it wouldn't have hurt the brute half as much. "

"Don't--don't talk about the business, " I said bitterly. 

"Why not? I'm just in the condition that makes my tongue run. But Isay, old chap, we've made a pretty mess of our scheme. Never told asoul what we were going to do, so we can't get any help. "

"And left a hanging rope to show our people that we have run away anddeserted them in their terrible strait. "

"Yes; that's about the worst of the whole business, my lad. Well, wemeant well, and it's of no use to cry over spilt milk. I don't think itwill be spilt blood; but it may, and if it does I'm going to die like asoldier with his face to the enemy, and so are you. "

"I'm going to try, " I said simply. 

"Then you'll do it, like a true-born Englishman, " he said cheerily. "How does that song go? I forget. There, never mind. I won't act likea sham, even if I am where there's so much Dutch courage. Now, lookhere, Val. "

"Yes?" I said gravely. 

"We're weak from our long sickness, and done up with the exertion ofwhat we've gone through. "

"Yes, " I said; "I feel as weak as a rat. "

"Then we're going to sleep, so as to be ready to face them in themorning. "

"What!" I said. "Can you sleep at a time like this?"

"My dear old Val, as you said about facing the muzzles of the Dutchrifles, I'm going to try. "

CHAPTER FORTY THREE. 

IN THE DARK WATCHES. 

"I can't sleep, " I said to myself, feeling that history was repeatingitself, as I lay on my side in the lit-up wagon, with my wrists tiedbehind my back and my torture increased by having my legs served in thesame way just above the ankles and again above the knees. "No one couldsleep in such a position, " I thought to myself; but I did not speak tomy companion in misery. I was too weary and heart-sore, thinking that Ishould never see father, brother, aunt, or home again. "Poor old homeis gone for ever, " I remember, was the thought that occurred to me. Next I fell to wondering what had become of my people, and whether theyhad fled to Natal. Then my thoughts turned quickly to something else:to the heavy, regular breathing of Denham, who was fast asleep andsuffering from a bad dream, for he began muttering angrily. Then he wassilent, but only to begin again. I believed I knew the subject of hisdream, for he suddenly exclaimed, "Coward--coward blow!" Then he wassilent for a few minutes, breathing hard and fast as if his growingexcitement had worked up to fierce passion, for he was going over thescene of an hour ago, ending with "I'll kill you--or you shall kill me. "He was suffering as if from a nightmare; and, unable to lie therelistening, I managed to work myself along over the rough, cage-likebottom of the wagon till I could get my face close to his, just as hewas panting and sobbing as if in a desperate encounter in which hisstrength was rapidly ebbing away. 

"Denham!" I whispered. "Denham!"

"Ha!" he sighed softly, and ceased to struggle; while, as I lowered myhead from the painful position into which I had strained it, I feltrelieved to know that the poor, overwrought companion of my adventurecould forget his sorrows for the time in sleep. 

"I wish I could sleep, and never wake again; for when the time comes Ishall be a coward"--such was the train of my thoughts. "Yes, I am sureto be a coward. One doesn't think of the bullets when one is fightingand they _ping_ and _whiz_ by one's head; but to stand up and face a rowof rifles, waiting for the order to fire--I'm afraid I shall be a cowardthen. "

I shivered now; and a minute later, as I listened to Denham's breathing, I shivered again. Perhaps it was from fear, perhaps it was from beingcold, for the night wind, not far removed from freezing, blew up throughthe openings in the bottom of the wagon. I told myself it was fromdread, and a peculiar feeling of shame and despair attacked me as thethought of what would occur on the coming morning rose up so vivid andclear that I strained my eyes round a little so as to look up at thehanging lantern, but lowered them again with a shudder, for I seemed tosee a row of rifle-muzzles with the orifices directed down at me. 

A noise occurred at the end of the wagon almost immediately, and uponlooking back there was in reality the barrel of a rifle forcing back thecanvas curtain, and then a second barrel appeared; but the owners onlyused their weapons to hold back the curtain while their big-beardedfaces peered in to see if the prisoners were safe. They disappeareddirectly, and I could hear muttering, and could smell the fumes of theirstrong tobacco. 

I was thinking with something like envy of the Boers' lot as comparedwith mine, and the envy had to do with Denham, who was sleeping soundly;and then something happened--the something which I had thoughtimpossible; but it was quite true. I was staring painfully up at thelantern which shed its yellowish glow all around, and then it seemed tohave gone out, and I was fast asleep, with the restful sensation whichcomes of utter exhaustion. I dreamed, and it was of home and thebeautiful orchard I had helped to plant, of driving in the cattle, ofchasing the ostriches over the veldt; and then it was of having Bob andDenham with me in a wagon, for we were after lions. It was night, andthe moon shone in through the front of the wagon with a yellowish lightlike that of a lantern hanging from the top of the tilt. The wind wasblowing up icily through the bottom, and I had just been awakened by thedistant deep barking roar of one of the great sand-coloured brutes. Hisroar had startled our oxen and made them low uneasily, as if they knewwhat the fate of one of them would be unless a flash of fire came frombeneath the wagon-tilt just as the lion had crawled up and gatheredhimself together for a spring. The night was very cold, and somehow thethought occurred to me that it would be a good thing if that lion made abound right on to the wagon-box, and then jumped in to seize me andcarry me off as a cat does a rat; and when its roar sounded again, nearer, all dread and pain died out, for it seemed as if it would be farbetter to be killed by a lion than to stand up before the muzzles of adozen rifles and be shot as a spy, while Moriarty stood smilingmalignantly at my fate. It was all very vivid as the oxen bellowedsoftly now, and Bob whispered into my ear, his breath feeling quite hotafter the chilling iciness of the night wind. "Cheer up, old Val, " hesaid; "they won't dare to shoot you. I shall be there, and if theyattempt it, and that Irishman gives the order--you know how true I canaim? I'll send a bullet right through his head, if father isn't first. "

I started violently and made an effort to rise; but I only succeeded inmaking a noise, as I looked up, to see the yellow lantern sending downits feeble light; but a lion was barking faintly in the distance, andsome oxen close at hand were lowing uneasily. There was another sound, too, at the back of the wagon--that of some one climbing up--and in awild fit of anxiety I listened for Bob's voice again. But it was onlythat of the Boer who had first seized me, and he spoke in a gruff butnot unkindly way, as he said in his own tongue:

"Hullo! What's the matter? Lion scare you?"

"I've--I've been dreaming, " I faltered heavily, my heart beating all thetime with big, regular thumps. 

"Oh!--He's dreaming too. You're two brave boys to sleep like that thenight before you're both to be shot for spies. "

"Ah!" I sighed as he dropped back heavily from the back of the wagon, "and it was all a dream. Ugh!" I shuddered. I lay still again, mymind going over the fantasy of the night, which came back so vividly, yet was so strangely mixed and absurd; but all the time Denham slept on, breathing heavily, dead to all the sorrows and horror of our unluckysituation. 

The night was cold--bitterly cold--and I was dreadfully wide awake, wishing now that I could sleep again, but wishing in vain. I lay andlistened to the sound of talking outside, two of the Boers engaging in aconversation in which I heard the word "cold. " Then there came thesound of the drawing aside of the back curtains, and a big, soft bundlewas pitched in, then another. Directly afterwards two of our guardclimbed in, opened one of the bundles, and spread it out on the floorbeyond us. It was a great skin _karosse_, or rug, such as the Kaffirsmake up of the hides of the big game. 

"It's a cold night, " said the man who had spoken before; and, one at myhead and the other at my feet, they lifted me between them on the bigrug. 

"Now, sleepy, " he said, "rouse up. "

But Denham was perfectly insensible in his deep sleep of exhaustion, andunconscious of what was going on as he was laid beside me. Then thesecond bundle was opened and thrown over us. 

"There, " said the big Boer; "we don't want you to be too cold to standup like men in the morning. Can you go to sleep now?"

"Yes; thank you, " I said hoarsely, and I lay and listened as they gotout of the wagon. 

"Can I sleep?" I thought. "No. But if I could, and dream all thatagain! Poor old Bob!" I murmured to myself as a peculiar sensation ofwarmth began to creep through my numbed limbs, and once more I laythinking about that strangely confused and realistic dream of whichfragments began to flit before me, and for a time made me more wakeful, but not for long. Then the morning, the thoughts of my coming fate, therecollection of the night-alarm which seemed to have put an end to whatmust have been intended for a night-attack, even the sense of pain--allthese died away, and I was soundly asleep once more; this time without adream. 

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR. 

IN THE QUEER PRISON. 

I was roused up by the great skin-rug being jerked off me. I tried torise, but sank back, just able to repress a groan, and stared wildly atthe four bearded faces looking down at me. The curtains at front andrear had been thrown back, and the sun was shining in from the front, the horizontal rays striking right through the wagon. For a few momentsI was so much confused and stupefied by sleep that I could not grasp themeaning of the scene. Then like a flash it all came. These four Boerswere going to lead us out to execution--to be shot--the fate of spies!

I set my teeth, and felt as if getting hardened now. My eyes turned toDenham, who was seeking mine. He did not speak, but nodded and smiledfaintly, the look giving encouragement. Clenching my teeth, together, Imentally vowed I would not let him be ashamed of me. 

Just then my attention was diverted by one of our morning visitors, whodiffered in appearance from the others. He was better dressed, wore hishair short, and his moustache and beard were clipped into points. Hishands, which he laid upon my shoulders, were white. To my surprise, this man examined my head, with its bandages and traces of injuries. Then he looked hard in my eyes, and turned me a little over to examinemy tightly-bound wrists and ankles. Next he examined Denham in the sameway, my comrade gazing straight away, with his brow knit and lipstightened into a thin red line, but he never once glanced at theexaminer. 

"Well, " said the latter, rising from one knee, "even if they are spies, you need not treat them as if they were wild beasts. "

"Captain Moriarty's orders, " said the Boer, whom I recognised as mycaptor of the previous night. 

"Bah!" growled the other angrily. "You are soldiers now; act likethem. "

I was listening with a feeling of gratitude that this man spokedifferently from the others, and he saw my eyes fixed upon him. 

"Do you speak German?" he asked sharply. 

"No, " I replied; "but I understood you just now. "

He nodded, and then turned to the others to speak in a low tone. Theresult of this was that two of the men knelt down and set our arms free, placing them before us, for they were perfectly numb and dead. Minelooked as if the thongs had cut almost to the bone, the muscle havingswollen greatly. 

The party then went out at the back; but my captor, who was last, turnedback and said:

"There are two sentries with loaded rifles at each end, and they haveorders to fire. "

"What did he say, Val?" asked Denham as soon as we were alone. 

I told him, and he laughed softly. 

"What is it?" I said wonderingly. 

"I was only thinking, " he replied. Then quickly, "Will they bind ourhands again--at the last?"

"I don't know, " I said in a low, husky voice. "Perhaps not. "

"Let's hope not; and we must rub some feeling into them first. "

"What are you thinking about?" I asked. 

"Don't you know, old fellow? Guess. "

I shook my head. 

"Well, it is hard work; but look here: they didn't search us last night, only tied us hand and foot. We've got our revolvers inside our shirts. Let's have one shot each at Moriarty before we die. "

I looked at him wonderingly, for the vivid dream of the night came back, and my brother's words seemed to be thrilling hotly in my ear once more. 

Denham looked at me curiously. 

"Well, " he said, "wouldn't you like to shoot the wretch?"

"No, " I said; "not now. If we are to die I don't want to try to killany more. "

Denham frowned, and sat gently rubbing his wrists. I followed hisexample during nearly an hour. While thus employed we could hear a gooddeal of bustle and noise going on in the neighbourhood of the wagon, andsundry odours which floated in suggested that the Boers in camp did notstarve themselves. Meanwhile we were very silent and thoughtful, expecting that at any moment we might be summoned to meet our fate. 

At last there was the sound of approaching steps, and I drew my breathhard as an order was given to halt, followed by the rattle of riflesbeing grounded. 

I was unable to speak then, but held out my hand quickly to Denham, whoseized it in both of his, and his lips parted as if to say good-bye, yetno words were uttered. The next moment he let my hand drop and turnedhis eyes away, for the big Boer who had become so familiar now climbedinto the wagon, glanced at us, and then reached down outside for twolarge pannikins of hot coffee, which he carefully lifted inside. 

"Here, " he said gruffly; "help to keep up your spirits. "

He set the tins beside us, then went to the back of the wagon andreached down again for a couple of large, newly-baked cakes, which hehanded to us. 

"The Irish captain didn't give any orders, " he said; "but we don'tstarve our prisoners to death. "

With that he scowled at us in turn, and left the wagon. 

"Toll me what he said, Val, " whispered Denham in a tone of voice whichsounded very strange. 

With difficulty I repeated in English what the man had said; I felt asif choking. 

"I wish they hadn't done this, Val, " said Denham after a minute'sinterval. "It seems like a mockery. "

I nodded, then remarked, "That man seems to have some feeling in him. "

"Yes; but we can't eat and drink now. "

"No, " I replied. "I feel as if food would choke me. "

Denham nodded, and sat gazing out at the bright sunshine. 

"Think it would give us a little Dutch courage if we had somebreakfast?"

"I don't want any, " I said desperately. "I want them to put us out ofour misery before that wretch Moriarty comes back. "

"But we want to face them like men, " said Denham suddenly. "We're soweak and faint now that we shall be ready to drop. Let's eat and drink, and we will show the Boers that English soldiers are ready to laceanything. "

"I can't, " I replied desperately. 

"You must, " cried Denham. "Como on. " He took up his pannikin, raisedit to his lips, and took a long deep draught before setting the vesseldown and taking up the cake. 

"Come, Val, " he said firmly, "if you leave yours the Boers will thinkyou are too much frightened to eat. "

"So I am, " I said gravely, "It is very awful to face death like this. "

"Yes; but it would be more awful if we stood before the enemy tremblingand ready to drop. "

I nodded now. Then catching up the tin in desperation, I raised it tomy lips and held it there till it was half-empty. Setting the pannikindown, I took up the cake, broke a piece off, and began to eat. Theanimal faculties act independently of the mental, I suppose; so, as Isat there thinking of our home and our approaching fate, I went oneating slowly, without once glancing at my companion, till the big cakewas finished; then I raised and drained the pannikin. 

It was while I was swallowing the last mouthful or two that Denham spokein a low tone. Looking in his direction, I noticed that he had alsofinished the rough breakfast. 

"They're watching us, Val, " he said softly. 

I glanced round to back and front, and saw that the big Boer and fourothers were looking in, the sight making the blood flush to my face. 

Directly after the big fellow climbed in, to stand by us with a grimsmile. 

"Have some more?" he asked. 

"No, thank you, " I replied. 

"Hungry--weren't you?" was his next question. 

I bowed my head. 

"Well, it'll put some courage into you. "

He picked up the two pannikins, and stepped out again. 

"I'm glad we took it, " said Denham. "It's better than looking ready toshow the white feather. "

"I don't think we should have faltered even without the food, " Ireplied. 

We both relapsed into silence now, for talking seemed to be impossible. We had to think of the past and of the future. One minute I felt indespair, and the next I was filled with a strange kind of hope that wasinexplicable. 

It was during one of these oft-recurring intervals, as the time wore on, that Denham turned to me suddenly and said, just as if in answer tosomething I had said, for his thoughts were very much the same as mine:

"There, I can't make anything else of it, Val: we were doing our duty, and trying to save the lives of our friends. "

"Yes, " I said quietly; then, both shrinking from speaking again, we satlistening to the sounds outside. From time to time one or other of themen on guard looked in to see that we were safe, though for the matterof that we had hardly thought of stirring, as escape seemed to be quiteimpossible. 

It was about midday, after a very long silence, when Denham suddenlyremarked, "It went against the grain at first, Val; but I won't attemptto fire at that brute. He'll get his deserts one of these days. You'reright; we don't want to go out like that. I want us to be able to standup before the enemy quite calm and steady. We must show them whatEnglishmen can do. "

I could not speak, but I gave him a long and steadfast look. 

The sound of footsteps was again heard, and I was not surprised thistime when our friendly Boer brought us two good rations offreshly-roasted mutton and two cakes. These he put down before uswithout a word, together with a tin of water, and then left us. 

Denham looked at me, and I looked at him, as--each feeling somethingakin to shame--we ate the food almost ravenously. Then the afternoonwas passed in listening to the busy movements of the Boers; but we neveronce tried to look out of our strange prison. 

At sunset, as I looked at the glorious orange colour of the sky, acurious feeling of sadness came over me, for I realised it was the lasttime I should behold the sun go down. There was such a look of calmbeauty everywhere that I could hardly realise the fact that we weresurrounded by troop upon troop of armed men ready to deal out fire anddestruction at a word; but once more my musing was interrupted by thebig Boer. He brought us coffee again, and this time cake and butter. 

"There, " he remarked as he placed all before us, "make much of it, boys, for I shan't see you again. "

A chill ran through me; but I don't think my countenance changed. 

"I'm going away with our men to the other side yonder, and the Irishcaptain's coming back. Good-bye, lads, " he said after a pause. "I'msorry for you both, for I've got two boys just such fellows as you. I'msorry I caught you, for you're brave fellows even if you are spies. "

"We are not spies, " I replied quietly. I was determined to speak now; Iwanted that Boer to look on us as honest and manly. 

He shook his head. I repeated the words passionately. 

"Look here, " I said; "we have been wounded, and were on the sick-list. We could do no good, so we said we'd try and got through your lines andfetch help. "

"Ah!" cried the Boer slowly and thoughtfully. "Yes, I see. But youwere caught, and I can do nothing, boys. Moriarty will have you shot inthe morning when he comes back, and begin to rage because it is notdone. Well, life's very short, and we must all die. I'm going to fightto-night, and perhaps I shall start on the long journey too, for yourmen fight well. God knows best, lads; and there is no fighting yonder--all is peace. "

He bowed his head down and went out of the wagon without a word. WhenDenham asked me a few minutes later what the Boer had said, my voice inreply sounded hoarse and strange, quite unlike my usual tones. 

We were now in darkness. The coffee was cold; the cakes lay untouched. We were both sunk in a deep interval of musing; but Denham broke thesilence at last. 

"Then we have another night of life, Val, " he remarked. 

"Yes, " I replied; "and then the end. "

"Look here, " he said thoughtfully, after he had taken up the coffee-tinand drunk; "that Boer said that he was going over yonder to-night tofight, and that perhaps he would be where we were. "

"Yes--dead, " was my reply. 

"Perhaps, Val. What do the doctors say?--`While there's life there'shope. '"

"I see no hope for us, " I said gloomily. 

"I do, " Denham whispered in a low, earnest tone. "We've been too readyto give up hope. "

I smiled sadly, stretching out my swollen legs. 

"Yes, I know, " said Denham; "but my hands are not powerless now, and Ihave still a knife in my pocket--the one with which I cut the reins--andit will cut these. "

His words sent a thrill through me, and I glanced at the two openings inthe wagon. 

"Be careful, " I whispered. 

"All right; but the Boers don't understand English. Look here, Val; ifthe big friendly fellow is going to fight to-night, what does it mean?"

"Of course, " I replied excitedly, "an attack upon the fort. They'regoing to get in when it's dark; and if they do there'll not be half ofour poor fellows left by morning. "

"Couldn't we slip off as soon as it's dark, and warn them? Once we wereoutside the lines we might run. "

"Might run?" I said bitterly. "I don't believe we could even stand. "

"Ah! I forgot that, " he muttered, with a groan. "Well, nothingventure, nothing have. It'll be dark enough in a few minutes, and thenI shall slip the knife under your ankles and set your legs free. Whenthat's done you can do the same for me. "

"Suppose the Boers come and examine us?"

"We must risk that. Perhaps they'll just come and look at the cordswith a lantern. We must sit quite still until they come. "

"No, " I said eagerly; "don't let's cut the rope till they've been. Idare say they'll come for the pannikins, and perhaps that Boer has toldthem to bring us those rugs again. "

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE. 

A DAMPER FOR OUR PLANS. 

I had hardly ceased speaking when a couple of our guards appeared at theback of the wagon, and climbed in after they had tossed in the two bigrugs they had taken away when the German doctor came to examine us. 

Though anxious to dart a quick glance at Denham, I dared not, for at thefirst glance I saw that each man was provided with a rein. Taking ourtins and passing them to two men whose rifle-barrels appeared above theback of the wagon, they returned to where we sat up and carefullyexamined our bonds, one of them giving a grunt and speaking to hiscompanion as he pointed to them. They next dragged our arms roughlybehind us, slipping our hands through running nooses, which they drewtight before winding the thongs round and round, securing them as firmlyas ever. 

"You needn't have done that, " I said angrily to the man who, while tyingme up, had roused my resentment by his brutality. 

"We'll take them off in the morning, when the Captain comes, " hereplied. The other man laughed. They had finished their task deftlyenough. 

"That's the way we tie up a Kaffir, " said the first one. 

"Yes, " replied the other; "and it does just as well for a spy. There, you may thank the field-cornet, Piet Zouter, for the skin-rugs. Youwouldn't have got them from us. "

"Then we won't thank you, " I said bitterly. 

"And look here; we've six men with loaded rifles about the wagon, andthey've orders to shoot if you try to get away. "

I nodded my head. One of the Boers lifted down the lantern, passed itout, and received a fresh one from a comrade. After this the menretired; and we were alone, listening to their talk, with the sentriesplaced over us. When the conversation ceased I whispered to Denham aninterpretation of all that had passed. 

"The brutes!" he muttered. "Lucky we hadn't cut our ropes; they wouldhave found us out. Now, what's to be done? We must get away. "

"How?" I asked sadly. 

"Let's draw the rugs over us, lie down, and keep on trying till we canwriggle out of the thongs. "

"How are we to get the rugs over us?"

"As a bird makes a nest--with the beak. "

I laughed bitterly. Then we each tried in turn, but vainly, andafterwards lay back panting and in great pain. 

"I know, " I said. I called aloud to the sentries. 

There was a rush, and a man appeared at once, his rifle rattling againstthe back of the wagon. I told him what we wanted, and in a grumblingway he climbed in and did as requested, spreading one _karosse_ anddrawing the other as a cover up to our chins. 

"Now loosen the reins about our wrists, " I said; "they hurt dreadfully. "

The man laughed. 

"It isn't for long, " he answered brutally. "Do you want to try toescape, so as to be shot before morning?"

With this parting sally, he climbed out of the wagon, leaving us alone. We lay still for about half-an-hour, when the sentries looked in fromfront and back to see us lying as if asleep; but as soon as they hadgone we began a hard struggle to get our wrists free. In this attemptwe only gave ourselves excruciating pain, and found, to our despair, that the knots of the Boers were far too well tied to be loosened. Atlast, with a groan, Denham gave up the attempt. I desisted then, havingonly waited for him to set the example. 

"What does that sound mean?" asked Denham after a time. 

"Moving horses, " I replied. 

"Yes; they're going to take advantage of the darkness for an advanceagainst the fort. Oh dear! We shall have to lie here and listen to thefiring soon. Val, I don't think I'd mind being shot in the morning if Icould only warn the Colonel. Do you think you could gnaw through myrein?"

"I'll try, " I said; and Denham was about to turn his back to me when weheard a sound behind us--that is to say, at the front of the wagon--which we knew to be caused by one of the sentries looking in. It soonceased; but just as I was going to fix my teeth in the thong which boundmy companion's wrists there came another noise at the foot, and thenagain there was silence. But not so at a short distance, for we couldhear whispered orders plainly enough as we lay still, followed by thetramp of horses' feet, and now and then the clink of bit or buckle, which gave ample intimation that the Boers were slowly making anadvance, not to invest the fort more closely in a contracted ring, but, as far as we could make out, in our direction. 

"They're marching in troops, I believe, " whispered Denham, "and theymust be making for the gateway. Then they'll dismount and deliver anattack. They mean to take the place by assault. "

"And we are to go through the agony of lying here and listening all thewhile, perfectly helpless. Oh Denham, they'll never carry the place--will they?"

"Not unless it's quite a surprise, " he replied. "Oh no, " he added moreconfidently; "our lads will be too smart for that. "

"They'll try hard, " I said, "and fail, losing a great number of men, andthey'll come back at daybreak mad with rage. "

"And shoot us, " said Denham coolly. "That's it. "

"Let me try at your knots now. "

"No. Listen; the sentries are coming in again. "

He was right; for, as if suspicious, the sentries climbed in, fourstrong, two standing with rifles at the ready, while the others strippeddown the top rug and carefully examined our wrists and ankles, thenspread the _karosse_ over us once more, uttering grunts of satisfactionas they did so. 

Alone again, we lay listening for the movements of the Boer troops: butthe sounds had nearly died out. 

Then the sentries began to talk together earnestly, and it seemed as ifthe man on duty in front of the wagon had joined those at the back, withthe result that the conversation was becoming excited. 

"They're on the lookout after the advance, " whispered Denham. "It seemsto be very dark outside. I believe it will not be long before we hearthe attack begin. "

"No; they'll wait till our men are asleep. "

"Perhaps, " said Denham; "but it must be getting late. Our fellows maybe asleep now. "

"Yes, " I replied, with a sigh; and then irritably, "Why did you do that?You can whisper. "

"What do you mean?" he asked after a pause. 

"Hitting me on the hands like that. You hurt me dreadfully. "

"I didn't--" he began; but I stopped him with an excited "Hush!" and layperfectly still, the perspiration starting out all over me. 

"What is it?" whispered Denham, after waiting for some time. "What'sthat gnawing and tearing sound?"

"Something under the wagon, " I replied very softly. 

"A lion?" he whispered. 

"No; some one as brave as a lion. He has been cutting a long slit inthe _karosse_, and now he has hold of my wrists with one hand, and he'ssawing with a knife through the thong with the other. "

"Val!" panted the poor fellow wildly. 

The hot perspiration on my face turned icily cold at this cry, for Iheard a quick movement among the sentries, and two of them sprang up onthe wagon to look at us lying there upon our backs beneath the upper_karosse_, under the yellow light of the lantern. I thought now all wasover; the new hope had faded out into darkness; but a measure ofconfidence returned when Denham, feigning sleep, muttered, and uttered asob which ended in a low, uneasy groan. 

My eyes not being quite shut, I could dimly see through the narrow slitthe faces of two of the Boers, one showing his teeth in a grin as theydrew back and returned to their companions, when the talking beganagain. As this went on I felt the sawing movement of the knife beingresumed, the two active hands which had been passed between the slits inthe wagon-bottom working more rapidly. Then there was a pause, and Ifelt terrible pain as something thin and hard was passed under one ofthe bands before the sawing recommenced. I could hardly repress a cryof pain; but silence meant perhaps liberty and life. I knew, too, thatit was a piece of iron that had been thrust in for the knife to cut downupon and save my wrist from a wound. 

Just then Denham whispered, "I couldn't help it, old chap; but I cheatedthem afterwards. Is he still cutting?"

"Yes; he has gone through the reins on my wrists, and has begun at myankles. "

"Val, " whispered Denham again, with his face below the great rug, "it'sthat big black angel of a fellow, Joeboy. "

"No, " I said softly, though I could hardly utter my thoughts, my voicepanting with emotion. "It's not Joeboy: the hands are too small. It'smy brother come to our help. "

I knew now that my previous night's experience was not a dream, and thatBob really was in the Boer camp with my father, and had crept under thewagon and whispered hope. 

"Are there two Val Morays in the world?" murmured poor Denham, withsomething which sounded very much like a sob. 

Lying perfectly still, I made no answer. I knew that the knife had setmy ankles free; but they were still tethered, not by raw-hide rope butwith insensibility, as if perfectly dead. 

"They will come right in time, " I thought, my heart meanwhile beatingfast. "Bob will tell us what to do. Will it be to make our escape whenthe attention of the Boer sentries is taken off us by the coming attackupon the fort?"

Then I was listening to a low tearing sound as of the knife passing oncemore through the skin-rug, and directly after I heard Denham begin tobreathe hard. I understood what that meant. Making a slight effort, asI lay covered up, I brought my arms out from beneath me, numbed andaching but not powerless, and thrust my left hand inside my flannelshirt, my fingers coming in contact with the butt of my revolver. 

"My hands are free, Val, " Denham whispered faintly. 

"Feel for your revolver, " I whispered back. "Hist! Careful"--for Icould plainly hear the Boer sentries coming towards the wagon again, andthe faint cutting noise ceased as the talking stopped. 

One of the men placed his hand on the back of the great vehicle, and wasin the act of climbing in, doubtless to examine our fastenings again. My left hand now clutched my revolver tightly, though I knew that wecould do nothing, in our helpless state, to save ourselves. 

"Oh, how hard!" I thought; "just when there was a chance of life!"

Then my breath seemed to stop short, for the sound of a shot came to usfrom out of the distance where the Boer advance must be. This checkedthe climbing Boer. Then another shot, and another. He had dropped backto join his companions, who were doubtless gazing towards the fort, where the firing was rapidly increasing into a perfect storm. 

I heard no more of the cutting; but Denham whispered that his feet werefree, and almost at the same moment a hand felt for my face and thenseized my ear as if to pull it down to the owner of that hand. 

Understanding what was wanted, I turned over on my right side and laidmy ear against the opening, listening. 

"Don't try to get up, " buzzed into it, and seemed to set my brainwhirling. "The Boers are making a great attack on the fort, and you twomust try and creep out while the sentries are listening to the firing. Can you both run?"

"We could not stand up to save our lives, " I whispered. "Our legs arequite numb and dead. "

"Then I must carry you to where father is waiting, " was whispered. 

I uttered a low sigh of misery, for I knew that was impossible. TheBoers must hear the movements, even if so young a lad as my brother hadpossessed sufficient strength. 

"Lie still, and sham sleep, " was the advice from below. "Your legs willget better. The Boers won't be back for hours yet. Hark!"

There was no need to speak, for the firing grew louder and louder, as ifechoing from the walls of the fort, not much more than half a mile fromwhere we lay; and I was thinking that a terrible assault might be made, when my brother whispered again:

"The Boers mean to take the place to-night. Now, do as I say. Pretendto sleep. I'm going to fetch father. "

He had hardly ceased speaking when there was a rush of feet, and one ofour guards scrambled up at the back, rifle in hand; but he contentedhimself with looking in when he saw us lying apparently unmoved beneaththe rug. 

"Hear that?" he said loudly. 

"Yes, " I replied as calmly as I could. 

"There'll be hundreds more prisoners to shoot in the morning. Liestill, you two, for if you try to move we'll serve you like jackals onthe veldt. "

At that moment he turned sharply to listen, and I listened too. As theBoer suddenly leaped down, uttering a warning cry, I sat up, and Denhamfollowed my example; for there was a rushing sound in the darkness fromthe side opposite that fronting the fort, and the tramp of many feet, followed by the ringing notes of a bugle, taken up by another andanother, succeeded by so close a volley that the wagon lantern lookeddim in the flashes from the rifles. Then came a ringing cheer, bugle-notes sounding the charge; and in the darkness, with cheers thatthrilled us through and through, a couple of regiments rushed the Boerlines from the rear with the bayonet. 

Charge!--by George Manville Fenn

CHAPTER FORTY SIX. 

HOW WE WERE SAVED. 

"Hurrah!"

"Hurrah!"

We yelled together with all our might; but our cheers sounded likewhispers amidst the noises of firing in front and the rush of men fromthe rear. The Boer sentries, however, were true to their duty even inthe midst of the terrible confusion in their lines; and four of themmade at once, rifle in hand, for the wagon. But we were mad withexcitement now, and _crack, crack_, our revolvers began to speak. Ourshots and the rapid advance of the soldiers made them turn and flee. 

Then came the crash: the cheering and bayonet-work of the charge, as ourmen dashed through the Boer lines, scattering them, horse and man, across the veldt, panic-stricken. 

"Denham, " I cried excitedly; "my friends!" He said nothing for amoment; then, unable to give me comfort, he said, "Oh, if the Colonelcould only bring our fellows out now and charge!"

Just then bugles rang out the recall, and in the midst of the manysounds Bob's voice rose from the front of the wagon: "In here, father--quick!"

The pair had only just clambered in when we heard the shouting of anorder and tramping of feet, and half a company of foot with fixedbayonets dashed up to the wagon, the light within having attractedattention. At the moment it looked like escaping from one great perilto plunge into another; but, frantic with excitement, Denham saved us byhis shout: "Hurrah! Prisoners; help!"

A young officer sprang into the wagon, sword in hand, followed byhalf-a-dozen of his men with bayonets levelled at us; but the officerhalted the men. 

"Prisoners, " he cried excitedly, "or a ruse?"

"Get out!" shouted Denham. "Do you take me for a Dutchman? Look at ourhands and feet. "

A sergeant sprang forward and took the swinging lantern from the hook, opened its door, and, as he held it down, they saw our horribly swollenand useless limbs, with the hide-thongs just freshly cut through. 

"Who did that?" asked the young officer. 

"My young brother here, " I said quickly; "we were just going to try andescape. "

"Ah!" cried the young man sharply, as an angry murmur ran round thegroup. "You couldn't escape with feet like that. I mean, who tied youup in that brutal way?"

"The Boers!" cried Denham passionately, for his face was convulsed, andhe looked hysterical and weak now. 

The soldiers uttered a fierce yell, and as others crowded to back andfront I heard a burst of excited ejaculations, oaths, and threats. 

"'Tention!" shouted the officer. 

"Now then, " he cried, "who are you? Oh, I see you both belong to theLight Horse. "

"Yes, " I said, for Denham was speechless. "They took us last night aswe were trying to creep through their lines to come to you for help. "

"Ah!" cried the officer. 

"They said we were spies, and we were to be shot at daybreak. "

"We've come and shot them instead, " said the officer. His men insideand out burst into a wild cheer. "But who are these? Boers?"

"No, " I cried quickly. "My father and brother, who came to help us toescape. "

"That's right, " cried the officer, and the firing and cheering went onnear at hand. Then he added hastily, "Sergeant and four men stop andhelp these gentlemen to the rear. Now, my lads, forward!"

He sprang out into the darkness, followed by his men, and we were lefttogether, with my father down upon his knees holding me to his breast, and his lips close by my ear murmuring softly two words again andagain--"Thank God! Thank God!" while Bob held on to one of my hands, jerking it spasmodically; and then I heard him cry out to one of thesoldiers, "Don't stare at me like that! I can't help it. You'd be asbad if you were as young. "

"What!" cried a rough voice. "Why, I'm 'most as bad, and I'msix-and-thirty; and here's big George wiping one eye on his cuff. "

"Sweat, Sergeant, sweat, " growled a rough voice, and there was a laughfrom other three men. 

"That was a lie, George, " said the Sergeant. "Why don't you own up likea man?"

"Well, 'nuff to make any one turn soft when he's cooling down after afight like this. Look at them two poor fellows here. "

"Ah!" came in chorus, as the men standing around bent down in sympathy. 

"'Tention!" cried the Sergeant. "Here. Files one and three mount guardfront and rear of this dropsical timber-wagon. Two and four get somewater. First aid here. Stop a minute. No; kneel down and just rubtheir legs gently as if you were trying to take out those furrows madeby the ropes. --Why, your legs and feet are like stone, sir. "

"Are they?" said Denham, quietly now, as he reached forward to shake theSergeant's hand. "I didn't know--I don't feel as if I had any legs atall. There, " he added excitedly, "I want to shake hands with you allround. It's so much better than being shot in the morning. "

"Ay--ay!" cried the men eagerly. 

"Oh, never mind our hurts. "

"But we must, sir. I didn't know you were an orfficer at first, " saidthe Sergeant. "I say, look at your head. "

"I can't, " said Denham, with a faint attempt at mirth which was verypitiful. 

"Well, I can, sir, and you can look at your comrade's. Did the Boers dothat too?"

"No, " cried Denham fiercely; "it was a brute of a renegade Irishmanserving with the Boers. "

"Is he out yonder now, sir?" said the Sergeant, giving his head a sidejerk in the direction from which, in the darkness, came the sound ofcheering and scattered shots. 

"Yes, I believe so, " said Denham. 

"Then I'm sorry for him, that's all, " said the Sergeant dryly. 

"Ah! Do you think your men are whipping them?"

"Think!" cried the Sergeant scornfully. "Think, sir? Why, we've got at'em at last with the bay'net. They've been playing at shooting behind astone and firing at a target--targets being us--till we've been sick ofit, and then up on horse and gallop away; but we've got at 'em at lastwith the bay'net, and there's no need to think. "

"But, " I cried excitedly, as I strained my ears to listen, "they'recoming back. "

"Eh?" cried the Sergeant. "Here, files two and four support one andthree. Hold your fire till they're close in, and then receive 'em onyour bay'nets. "

The two men who were chafing our deadened ankles sprang to their places, while my brother reached out of the side of the wagon and dragged in tworifles, evidently their own, and Denham and I cocked the revolvers wehad thrust back into our breasts. 

"That's good business, gentlemen, " said the Sergeant grimly. "I like tosee reinforcements when one's in a tight place. "

He patted Bob on the shoulder as my brother took his place beside thetwo soldiers at the front of the wagon, my father going to the back. 

"You can shoot, then, my lad?"

"Oh yes, " said Bob quietly. "My father taught me five years ago. "

"That's right, " said the Sergeant, and he set the lantern on one sideand covered it closely with one of the rugs. "Now, silence. We don'twant to invite attack. Here they come! They're mounted men, and theymay sweep past. Hear that bugle?" he said to me. 

"Yes, " I replied, almost below my breath. 

"Officers hear them coming. Prepare for cavalry. Here they come. They've rallied, and--No, no. Hark! Hark! Hurrah! No, no; don'tcheer, my lads. They're racing for their lives, and there's a line ofcavalry after them. "

"Hurrah, Val!" shouted Denham wildly. "Our Light Horse out and at 'emat last!"

"Oh, " I groaned, "and we not with them now!"

"But they're sweeping after them in full charge, and sabring right andleft. Look--look! I can see it all. No, no, " he groaned; "it's asdark as pitch. --But they're scattering them, Sergeant?"

"Like chaff, sir, and--Hark at that!"

_Crack! crack_! Two volleys rang out. 

"I hope that has not gone through to friends, " growled the Sergeant. "Ah, all right, gentlemen; there goes the `Cease firing. ' They knowyour Light Horse have been let loose. The Boers won't stand after this, so we may sing `God save the Queen!' `Rule Britannia!' and the rest ofit. This fight's won, boys. Silence in the ranks!"

He was just in time to stop a cheer, after which we listened to thesounds of the engagement or pursuit, now growing more distant, and Iasked a question or two of my father, who now returned to my side. 

"Your aunt, my boy? She is safe in Pietermaritzburg. The farmhouse wasburned to the ground, all the sheep and cattle commandeered, and yourbrother and I forced into the Boer ranks. "

I could ask no more questions for a few moments; but Denham was notrestrained by his feelings, and I heard him ask the Sergeant:

"But how was it you came to the help of the Light Horse, Sergeant? Didyou know we were shut up?"

"Not till yesterday morning or this morning at daybreak, sir. TheGeneral knew your corps was missing, and that there was a strong forceof Boers camped out this way; but we were precious badly shut upourselves, and could get no proper communications for want of cavalry. Our officers did nothing but swear about your corps for keeping awaywhen they would have been so useful. "

"But how did you get to know at last?"

"Through a big nigger dressed up in two white ostrich-feathers, a bit ofskin, and an assagai and shield for walking-stick and cloak. He broughtthe news, and as soon as the General had proved him a bit, twofoot-regiments, ours and `Yallow Terror Tories, ' were sent off to make aforced march. That black--Joeboy he called himself--brought us upwithin striking distance, and then he went off to warn them in that oldruin that we were coming, so that they might be ready to copyrate withus. "

"But didn't they suspect that the black might be going to lead you intoa trap?"

"At first, sir; but when he took our young lieutenant and some of ourfellows as scouts, with orders to shoot him on the slightest sign oftreachery, and he showed us where the Boers lay in the plain, and wherewe could take possession of a kopje on to which our men could march andact quite unseen, and where we could have defended ourselves against tentimes our number, we knew it was all right. "

"And you got there unseen?" said Denham. 

"That's right, sir; and then the Colonel in command of both lots letthis Crystal Minstrel go to warn the cavalry. "

"He has done his work cleverly, Sergeant, or our corps could not haveworked with you so well. "

"That's right again, sir. I quite took to that chap, Joeboy, as hecalled himself; but it's a pity he's so jolly black. "

I had been listening quietly while all this talk went on; but, with aheavy and fast-increasing feeling of depression, I could restrain myselfno longer, and exclaimed, "Oh Denham, suppose the poor fellow's killed!"

"What, sir!" cried the Sergeant cheerily. "Killed? Who's to kill achap like that on a dark night? Nobody could see where to hit. Besides, he goes through grass and bushes and rocks like a short, thickboa-constructor. He'll turn up all right. Hurrah! Hear that?"

We could hear, distinctly enough, repeated bugle-calls and the franticcheering of our men. Our little forces had gained a complete victory, scattering the enemy in all directions, the morning light showing theterrible destruction caused by our onslaught. 

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN. 

A CLEAR SKY. 

The rising sun showed that the enemy had disappeared; but ample storeshad been secured for those who had so long suffered severe privations. 

"Val, " said Denham, "we must ride with our troop this week. "

"Of course, " I said cheerfully; but I had my doubts. Some time later, after we had met our comrades again, we had a long visit from theColonel. 

"Look here, young fellows, " he said; "you're both invalids and cripples, so I'll wait till you're well before I have an inquiry into your conductin leaving the fort without leave. I'm too busy now, and you are bothtoo weak; but it will wait a bit. This matter must be thoroughlyinvestigated. "

"He'll never say another word about it, Val, " prophesied Denham. 

He never did. 

Immediately after our interview with our Colonel, Denham and I lay inour wagon--ours by right of conquest--with the doctor looking at ourinjuries in evident perplexity. 

"I never saw such a pair of scamps, " he said. "Why, if every manbehaved in the same way the life of a regimental surgeon wouldn't beworth living. Just as if I hadn't enough to attend to. Always introuble. "

"Don't bully us, doctor, " said Denham, "we're both in such pain. "

"Of course you are, my dear boys; so I'm going to have this wagon madeinto a sick-room for you. "

"Into a what?" cried Denham. "Nonsense; we want to join the ranks againto-morrow. "

"I suppose so, " said the doctor fiercely; "but--you--will--not. Yourwrists are bad enough, but look at your legs. "

"Bah! Hideous!" cried Denham. "Who wants to look at them?"

"Then your head's not healed. Now, my dear boys, experience has told methat in this country very slight injuries develop into terrible ulcersand other blood-poisoning troubles. That renegade beast you tell meabout is to answer for your limbs being in a very bad condition, and itwill take all I know to set them right. "

"But, doctor, I wouldn't have cared if they were good honest wounds. "

"All wounds are wounds, sir, and injuries are injuries, to a surgeon. Frankly, neither of you must put a foot to the ground for weeks. "

"Oh doctor!" we exclaimed together. 

"My dear boys, trust me, " he said. "I want to see you stout men, notcripples on crutches, and--How dare you, you black-looking scoundrel!"

"Joeboy!" we shouted together excitedly. "Jump in. Hurrah!"

As the doctor had spoken we noticed Joeboy's black face, with gleamingeyes and grinning mouth, rising above the big box at the end of thewagon. He wanted no further orders, but swung himself in lightly. 

"Um?" he exclaimed. "Boss Val, Boss Denham right?"

"Yes, " I cried, holding out my hand, which he took. "Joeboy, youfrightened me; I thought you were killed. "

"Um? Joeboy killed? What for? Been look all among the dead ones andbroken ones; um dead quite. "

"Who's dead?" I cried. 

"Um? Ugly white boss captain, Irish boss Boer. Joeboy meant to killum, but um run away too. "

"That will do, " said the doctor. "Just listen to my orders before I gooff to the poor fellows waiting for me. You two are not to set foot tothe ground. Promise me. I'll let you keep that black fellow to liftyou about. He will do so, I suppose?" he added, turning to me. 

"He will. He'd be only too glad. "

The doctor rose, nodded, and went away; and soon after we had visitsfrom the colonels of both the regiments, and from the young captain whohad saved us from the zeal of his men, all these visitors congratulatingus warmly upon our escape, and praising Joeboy for his bravery. 

That afternoon we were on the march in what Denham called ourperipatetic hospital; but he was not happy. Pain and disappointmentseemed always uppermost in spite of the friendly attentions we receivedfrom his brother-officers. 

"Yes, it's all very good of you, " he said sadly; "but fancy being laidaside now, after the Boers have been thrashed and there's nothing to dobut give them the finishing-cuts to make them behave better in thefuture. "

As days glided by, Denham, to his surprise, learned that there was nomore fighting to do. 

First of all, our little forces of the Light Horse and the infantry weredepressed by the news that the General, with the main body, had met witha terrible reverse from the Boers, whose peculiar way of fighting hadstood them in good stead and made up for the qualities they lacked. 

Thus the making of history rolled on; and, to the rage and indignationof the fighting-men, the order went forth that there was to be peace;that the troops were to be withdrawn, volunteers disbanded, andeverything settled by diplomacy and treaty. I need not go into thatmatter; my father only shook his head and said that such an arrangementcould never mean lasting peace. 

"I'm glad the fighting is over, my boys, " father said to Denham, who wassharing our new temporary home. 

"Oh, Mr Moray, " he replied, "how can you talk like that?"

"Because I am a man of the ploughshare and not of the sword. I want toget back to my quiet farming life again, and that is impossible whilewar devastates the land. "

"But you'll never start a home again in the old place?"

"Never, " said my father--"never. "

"No, " I said; "the Boers ruined you. They ought to be made to pay. "

"Not ruined, Val, " said my father, "though the burning and destructionmeant a serious loss; but I had not been idle all the years I was there, and I dare say we can soon raise a home in Natal, where we can be atpeace. Nature is very kind out here in this sunny, fruitful land; and Idare say when Mr Denham comes to see us, as I hope he will often do inthe future, we can make him as comfortable as in the past days when thefarm was younger, and perhaps find him a little hunting and shootingwithin reach. "

"You'll come, Denham?" I said. 

"Come? Too much, I'm afraid. I'm to have no more soldiering, I hear. I've been corresponding with my people, and asking my father if it ispossible for me to get into the regulars. He wrote back `No, ' withthree lines underneath, and said I must go back to stock-raising till mycountry wants me again to unsheath the sword. "

"Well, " said my father, smiling, "what do you say to that?"

"Nothing at all, sir, " replied Denham, with a smile. "Somehow I alwaysdo what I'm told. "

"That's what makes him such a good soldier, father, " I said, laughing. 

"Do you hear that, Bob?" said Denham. "You ought to take example fromme. But, I say, can't we have the horses out for a run?"

"Of course, " said my father, "if you feel strong enough. "

"Oh, I'm strong enough now, " replied Denham. "Nothing whatever's thematter, except that one leg gives way sometimes. Here, let's go androuse up Joeboy. Will you come with us, Bob?"

That question was unnecessary; and soon Joeboy the faithful and true hadbrought round Sandho, Denham's horse, and a fine young cob the black hadcaptured on the night of the fight and given to my brother. 

The horses were all fresh and sprightly from want of work; and when thethree were brought to the veranda of the farm which my father had leasedfor a time, Aunt Jenny--who had rejoined us, and was looking as ifnothing had occurred--warned us to be careful, for the horses lookedvery fresh. 

We promised to be careful, and were off cantering towards the veldt, thehorses soon making the dust fly beneath their hoofs in a wild gallop. 

"Oh Val, " cried Denham, with flashing eyes, "isn't this glorious?"

"Delightful, " I replied. 

"Doesn't it make you think of being in the troop once more?"

"No, " I said bluntly; "and I hope we shall never again ride knee to kneeto cut down men. "

"But if the need should arise, " he shouted, "you would volunteer again--yes, and you too, Bob?"

"Of course, " cried my brother, flushing; "and so would Val. "

"You hear that, Val?" said Denham. "Don't say you wouldn't come andhelp?"

"How can I?" was my reply. "This is sandy Africa, with savages whomight rise at any time; but I am English born, with a touch of Scottishblood, I believe. "

"I've got a dash of Irish in mine, " said Denham. "I say, shall we eversee Moriarty again?"

"I hope not, " I answered, turning red up to my hair. 

"I don't want to see him now, " Denham said. "But answer my question, Val. Will you volunteer again if a bad time comes!"

"So long as you mount a horse, and want me, " I answered. 

It was very stupid and boyish; but we were excited, I suppose, with themotion of our horses and the elasticity of the morning air. Just thenBob rose in his stirrups in answer to a sign from Denham, clapped hisfist to his mouth, and brought forth a capital imitation of a trumpet'sblast, which made the horses stretch out and tear away close togetherover the open veldt as if in answer to the cry which thrilled me withrecollections. For Denham, too, had risen in his stirrups, thrown hishand above his head, and shouted, "Charge!"

THE END.