"We're to go upon a foraging expedition, Briggs," said Denham, "in case
we want food and water."

"Well, it won't take much looking to prove that there isn't a mouthful
of food to be got here, sir," said the Sergeant, "unless we take to
shooting some of those pretty creatures hiding amongst the stones.
They're as big as sheep, but I should want to be more'n usually hungry
before I had a leg or a wing."

"Ugh!" shuddered Denham. "I'd sooner eat hyena."

"Well, no, sir; I won't go as far as that," said the Sergeant.

"As to water," said Denham; "this has been a city at some time, so there
must have been wells somewhere, for no river has ever been hereabout in
the plain."

"Wells or tanks, no doubt, sir, if we can find them," said the Sergeant;
"but I expect we shall find they have been filled up or covered by the
stones that have crumbled down from these towers and walls."

"What a place to build a city in, out in the middle of this wide veldt!"
I remarked.

"It's more a fort or castle than the ruins of a city," said Denham.
"It's a puzzle, and it must be very, very old; but I say bless the
people who built the place, for it's a regular haven of refuge for us.
Why, we could hold these old walls against the whole Boer army."

"Two of 'em, sir, if we'd got anything to eat."

"And drink," I added.

"Yes," said Denham. "That's the weak point; but there must be a big
well somewhere, and we've got to find it."

"I believe the horses would find it, sir, if we led one about--a thirsty
one. They're good ones to smell out water when they want it."

"Well, we'll try one if we can't find it without," said Denham. "Come
on."

We "came on," searching about in the inside of the place, while the
outer works and the rocks were held by our troops; and after carefully
examining the enclosure where the horses stood looking rather
disconsolate, as they snuffed at the chaotic heaps of broken and
crumbling stones, we passed through what must have been a gateway built
for defence. The sides of this gateway were wonderfully sharp and
square, and the peculiarity of the opening was, that it opened at once
upon a huge blank wall not above six feet away, completely screening the
entrance to the great court, and going off to right and left. So that,
instead of going straight on to explore the exterior of the court, we
had the choice of proceeding along one of two narrow passages open to
the sky, but winding away just as if the