you think we are facing now? North, I
should say."

"East," I replied, pointing away straight in front. "That's the morning
breaking."

"For the beginning of another day," said Denham softly. "Well, I shan't
be unhappy when this one's work is done."

"Nor I," was my reply. "I half-wish we had stayed among the ruins."

"To be starved," said Denham bitterly. "No; this is far better. It
gives us something to do."

"Yes," I replied; "and there's some more, for the Colonel's coming up."

CHAPTER TWENTY.

WHAT PEOPLE THINK BRAVE.

The Colonel was coming up, and it was quite time, for day was breaking
fast, and the black darkness which had been our friend during the night
was gradually dying away.

There was but one thing to be done: to select the best direction for
making our dash; and, glass in hand, the Colonel stood near us,
carefully scanning the country round. We who were waiting did the same,
and saw the distant hills which seemed to turn the broad plain which had
been the scene of our night's encounter into a vast amphitheatre. It
was too dark yet to make out much of the enemy's position; but right
away to our left, and not many miles distant, was the heavy-looking mass
of the great kopje and the ancient buildings we had left.

For some time we sat waiting, with the grey dawn broadening, and at last
I could clearly make out bodies of the mounted Boers in nearly every
direction; while, as I still scanned the distance, I gradually grew less
surprised that we were evidently so thoroughly hemmed in, for the plain
seemed to be alive with the enemy, though the nearest party must have
been about half a mile off. Still there was no movement on the part of
the enemy towards us, as doubtless, in the dim morning light, our
dust-coloured jackets and broad-brimmed felts caused us to be mistaken
for some of their own people.

However, it was only a few minutes before a change took place. The
Colonel had made up his mind, and the horses' heads were turned for the
open country, where there was a gap in the hills; and away we went at a
steady walk, orders being given for the corps to break up its regular
military order and ride scattered in a crowd, after the fashion of our
enemies. This served us for a few minutes, during which we covered a
mile in the direction we were to go; but the light had grown stronger,
and it became evident that a body on our right was moving slowly to cut
us off. Before another