of oxen!--that's all beef. Six wagons!--that means bread.
There, you be off and tell the Colonel you're going to start; and I'll
see about the troop that's to follow and bring you in. I say, pick out
a wagon of meal; not one of mealies. I don't know, though. Couldn't
you bring both?"

"There's plenty of time," I said.

"Time? The Colonel ought to know by now. Here, give me that glass."

"Be quiet," I said, angry with excitement. "I want to watch and make
sure where the wagons are drawn up."

Denham ceased speaking, and during the next half-hour I watched till I
had seen tin; six wagons drawn up pretty close together, and their black
drivers moving about attending to the oxen; now all grew faint and
indistinct, then completely faded out of sight; not, however, until I
had made up my mind that I could go straight away from the old fort and
find the place, though there were minutes when the task in the dark
seemed impossible.

Turning to Joeboy, who had twice looked through the glass, I asked:

"Do you think we could find those wagons in the dark?"

"Um? Joeboy could," he replied promptly. "Go right straight."

I breathed more freely then, and suggested to Denham that I should go
and report to the Colonel what I had seen.

"Yes; at once," he said. "Come along; and I want to have command of one
of the troops sent out to bring you in."

We had commenced the descent when Denham stopped me.

"Look here," he said; "I have a good thought. We ought to arrange some
signal to let me know your whereabouts when you are returning with the
wagon."

"I haven't got it yet," I said.

"No, but you're going to get it," he said confidently; "and I want to be
able to come to you with fifty men, and to make sure of bringing you in.
Now then, what will your signal be? Because, if I hear it out on the
veldt we can ride straight off to you. Can you yell like a hyena?"

"No," I said promptly. "Joeboy can."

"Wouldn't do," said my companion, upon second thoughts. "Those beasts
are singing all over the place sometimes, and they might lead us wrong."

"So would the cry of any animal."

"Yes," said Denham thoughtfully. "I don't know, though. Here, can you
suggest something?"

"I can't do it; but Joeboy can roar like a lion splendidly."

"Wouldn't that scare and stampede the bullocks?"

"Oh no," I said; "the cry would cheat the Boers, perhaps; the bullocks
would know better--wouldn't they, Joeboy?"

"Um? Big