t each move in different directions, going very cautiously,
and calling out if he comes upon soft ground."

He himself, with two of the troopers, remained with the horses. One
after another, the men came upon swampy ground; one only continued
to find it firm.

"I suppose that that is the way we came into it, Abdool," Harry
said, as the others returned to the horses. "We must follow him,
and will do it on foot. This is getting serious."

For a quarter of a mile, they kept on ground that was comparatively
firm. Then the man ahead of them gave a sudden shout. He had
fallen, waist deep, into a little stream. He was soon hauled out.

"There is nothing to be done, Abdool, but to halt till morning. Let
us go back, till we can find a piece of ground dry enough to lie
down upon."

They had made, however, little progress when their feet began to
sink up to the ankles.

"It is no use, Abdool. We have evidently lost our bearings,
altogether. We must stay where we are till morning, or we shall get
helplessly bogged."

The hours passed slowly and painfully. From time to time, the men
endeavoured to find firmer ground, but always without success; and
it was with the deepest satisfaction that, at last, they saw the
sky begin to lighten. Half an hour later, they were able to form an
idea of their position.

They were far in what appeared to be a wide morass. There were
pools of water in some places, and it seemed almost miraculous that
they should have succeeded in so far entering the swamp where, even
by daylight, there scarcely seemed a yard of firm ground. Abdool
again went ahead and, step by step, the little troop followed;
frequently having to turn back again, on finding the line that they
were pursuing impassable.

They were still a hundred yards from what appeared to be solid
ground when they heard loud shouts and, looking round, saw some
fifty horsemen skirting the edge of the morass. When they reached
the point opposite to the little party, they dismounted and opened
fire. One of the troopers fell dead, and several of the horses were
hit.

"There is nothing for it but to surrender, Abdool," Harry said, as
some of the troopers returned the fire.

The enemy rode off for a hundred yards; and then, leaving the
horses in charge of a few of their number, they returned to the
edge of the morass, threw themselves down in the long coarse grass,
and again opened fire. Two more of the troopers fell, at the first
discharge