anted 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's
the horrible part of it, getting wounded and being sent back to
hospital. It's what I dread."

"You won't attempt to mount to-day?" I said. "You'd better follow in
one 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 given
to march, and the column wound down in and out among the stones of the
pass, Denham was riding with the troop, looking rather white, and no
doubt 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 in
command of the forces, ordering the Light Horse to join him on the veldt
a dozen miles away as soon as the British regiment of foot reached the
mouth of the pass; and, as I afterwards learned, the Colonel's orders
were to keep away from the kopjes and mountainous passes, where the
Boers had only to lie up and pick off all who approached, and wait for
opportunities to attack them in the open.

It was Denham who told me, and also what the Colonel said, his words
being, "Then we shall do nothing, for the Doppies will take good care
not 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 high
up 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. Then
every one seemed to cheer up when, a couple of hours later, we came in
sight of a long line of infantry steadily advancing, and the rocks rang
soon 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. "I
shouldn'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 circuit
and 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 riding
from 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 were
too slippery, we always found they had not stopped to be cut off, but
were gone. There was no doubt they had been at t