ough
it."

"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 and
manager 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 face
light 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 big
athletic black; "but tell him that he must obey orders, and not be
getting up any fighting upon his own account."

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

"That incident is over, then," said the Colonel sharply. "Now, Mr
Denham, take a dozen men and continue the advance. We know now the
meaning of last night's firing; but see what you can find out about the
strength of the party holding the pass. Be careful of your party. We
are 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 and
delight at the way in which my position had altered during the last
half-hour, I was riding close behind Lieutenant Denham, while, proud of
his position, Joeboy was on in front, his knowledge of the pass we had
just descended being most valuable at such a time, the probabilities
tending to point out that he might be able to get well up to right or
left of the track and gain a pretty good idea of the strength of the
Boers without drawing a shot, whereas the sight of the horsemen, we
felt, 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 of
what was left over from the previous afternoon, I proceeded to make up
for what was lacking, eating with the better appetite for seeing that
Joeboy was busy over one of the big sandwiches provided for him by Aunt
Jenny.

This done, I seemed to forget my injuries, and rode on with the little
troop, watching the agile way in which Joeboy made his way forward, w