court had originally been built
with two walls for an enemy to batter down before they could reach the
centre.

No enemy had battered down these walls, not even the outer one. Time
had been at work on the upper part some thirty or forty feet above our
heads, where many stones had been loosened and others had fallen; but
the greater part of the walls stood just as they had been built by the
workmen when the world was much younger, possibly two or three thousand
years ago. Had time permitted, I for one should have liked to wander
about and climb here and there, and try to build up in imagination a
theory as to what race or age the old builders of the place belonged.

"It's a puzzle," said Denham, in answer to a remark of mine; "but they
were not of the same race or kind of people as the tribes of niggers who
have lived here since, and who have never built anything better than a
kraal. But look here, Val; we mustn't stop mooning over old history;
we've got to find water for the horses, and there must be some about,
for people couldn't have lived here without."

I roused myself at once to my task, and we struck off to the left,
walking and climbing over blocks of stone which had dropped in from the
outer wall and encumbered the narrow passage, every now and then being
saluted by one of the men, who, rifle in hand, was perched on high,
watching the Boers, and ready, as Denham put it, to administer a blue
pill to any one impudent enough to come too close.

After getting along for about a hundred feet we came to a big opening on
our right--a wide gap where the huge stone wall had been broken down by
man or through some convulsion of nature, and now forming a rugged slope
full of steps, by which our men had mounted on either side of the
opening to the top, where, as stated, they had ample space for moving
and shelter from the enemy's bullets.

"What are you looking for?" said one of the troopers from the top.
"There's no one here."

"Water," said the Sergeant gruffly.

"Then you'll have to wait till it rains," said the sentry.

"Humph! we shall see about that," said Denham in a low tone, intended
for my ears only; and we climbed on over a heap of debris, at the top of
which we had a good view outward to where one of the Boer parties had
dismounted and were resting their horses before retiring or making
another attack.

Upon descending the farther side of the heap of broken stones, there was
a continuation of the