ng that the
enemy was in motion; and the sounds they made grew fainter and fainter,
and then died out entirely.

"They seem to be gone," whispered Bracy, with his lips close to Gedge's
ear.

"Oh yes, they're gone, sir, at last," was the reply.

"We must not be too sure. A few may be left behind to keep watch."

"Not them, sir. I can't see as it's likely."

Bracy was silent for a few moments, during which he listened intently
for the faintest sound; but all was still.

"Get up," he said briefly, and then started at his own voice, it sounded
so husky and strange.

Gedge uttered a sigh of relief as he shook the adhering snow from his
woolly coat.

"Stiff, Gedge?" said Bracy.

"Horrid, sir. A good fight wouldn't come amiss. Hear me laugh, sir?"

"When you made that sound?"

"Yes, sir: that bit would come out, though I'd shut my mouth with my
hand."

"What made you laugh at such a time?"

"To hear them cuttin' and stabbin' at the rocks, sir, and blunting their
knives."

"Oh, I see!"

"Wonder whether they chopped our 'elmets, sir. Would you mind ordering
me to see if there's any bits left?"

"The task is of no good," said Bracy. "But we'll walk back to the place
and try if we can find them. Take out your revolver. No. Fix
bayonets--we could use them better now."

There was a faint clicking, and then, with their rifles levelled, the
pair marched laboriously off the snow, and then cautiously felt their
way among the stones, Bracy's main object being to find out for certain
that there were no sentries left. The noise they could not help making
among the stones proved this directly, and they unwittingly, in spite of
the darkness, went straight to the spot where they had set up the sticks
and helmets, when Gedge uttered a low cry full of excitement.

"Why, they never come across 'em, sir. I've got 'em, standing here just
as we left 'em. Well, I'm blessed! I know the difference by the feel.
That's yours, sir, and this is mine. Talk about luck! Ha! I feel
better now. Woolly busbies is all very well, but they don't look
soldierly. I could have made some right enough, but we should ha'
wanted to take 'em off before we got back to the fort."

"A splendid bit of luck, Gedge," said Bracy as he drew the strap of his
helmet beneath his chin. "Now for our next step. What do you think?"

"Wittles, sir. Can't think o' nothing else just now. I should say,
with what we've got to do, the next thin