rt or town anywhere out here."

"I tell you I can see plainly," I said stubbornly, for I had in those
days capital eyes, well trained by hunting expeditions to seeing great
distances.

"I tell you you can't," cried Denham.

"I can, and that's what the Boers are doing. They're driving us into a
trap, and that troop that has been racing us is fighting to get here
first so as to cut us off when we find out our mistake and try to get
away."

"I say, are you talking foolishness or common-sense?" said Denham.

"Common-sense," I replied; "the sort that nobody likes to believe."

"If you are we're galloping into a horrible mess; the Colonel ought to
be told. Yes, I'm beginning to think you're right. Ah! I can see the
people there. They're manning that tower in the middle; I can just make
them out. Val, lad, your horse is faster than mine. You must try and
drop out, or spin forward, or do something to get to the Colonel's side
and tell him what you can see."

I made no reply, but rode on stride for stride with my companion; but I
kept my eyes fixed upon the strange-looking rocks and edifices in front,
and made no effort to change my position.

"Did you hear what I said?" cried Denham.

"Yes, I heard," I replied. "But how is it to be done?"

"Don't ask me how it's to be done," he said angrily; "do it."

"There's no need," I said; "the enemy is scuttling off as fast as he can
go."

"Retreating?"

"Seems like it. Why, Denham, can't you see?"

"See? No! What? Speak out, before it's too late."

"Look again," I said, laughing. "It's a troop of baboons."

"What!" cried Denham. "Well, of all the absurd things! So it is."

There was no doubt about the matter, and five minutes' gallop brought us
close up to where a mob of two or three hundred of the fierce and hardy
half-doglike creatures were racing about over the rocks, after leaving
the walls and battlements of the great buildings in front of us, and
leaping higher and higher amongst the rocks of the great clump which
stood like an island in the midst of a dried-up sea.

There was no time for natural-history studies of the ape. The squadron
of Boers we had been racing to get first to the ruins--as we now saw
them to be--were only far enough off to afford us time to pull up,
spring from our horses at the foot of a huge wall, and, from our steady
position, give the advancing enemy a volley with such good effect that
over a dozen saddles were emptied,