hen wakes up ready to go for any length of time. It's being a good
comrade to the poor fellow," I thought; and, picking up his rifle, I
took over his duty just as if it were my own, keeping my eyes wandering
over the dark grey stones in front, and sweeping the whole space. Then
my breath suddenly felt as if checked in my surprise, for about thirty
yards away, as near as I could guess, there was a dark shadow passing
one 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 mentally
declared I had thought about it till I seemed to see it.

"It's all imagination," I said again; and then I lowered the rifle I
held, a thrill running through me as I distinctly saw the dark shadow
again, but nearer than before. This time I was certain it was not
imagination. A figure--enemy or no--was cautiously stealing towards our
lines! 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 my
eyes upon the dark, shadowy form, I cocked my rifle, and called hoarsely
upon 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 hurrying
towards me, bending under a load which stuck out curiously from his
sides and back.

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

"Been get all these," he said as he forced his way between a couple of
stones, 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 had
alarmed the sentries on either side; but though Joeboy's load on one
side bumped against my companion sentry, he was so utterly wearied out
that he did not stir.

"Um? Idiot?" said Joeboy. "Boss Val going to be hungry. Joeboy
hungry. 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 the
darkness the plucky fellow had crept up the valley, taking advantage of
the shelter afforded by the stones, passed the lines of the Boers, and
hunted about till he came upon something worth having in the shape of a
pile of canvas forage-bags containing the men's provender, which they
had left together an