ial can be to a man who knows that he's sure to be found
guilty and shot."

"But not till he has been justly condemned," I put in.

"Like to know any more about what's going on round about the fort, sir?"
said the Sergeant, after giving me a queer look.

"Yes, of course," cried Denham.

"Well, not much, sir. Colonel's always going round about to see that
the men don't expose themselves, and I expect that at any time there'll
be orders given that neither the horses nor the bullocks are to be
driven out to graze."

"Then they are all driven out?" I said.

"Of course, sir. We couldn't keep the bullocks alive without."

"I wonder the Boers don't shoot them," I said.

"Don't like shooting their own property," said the Sergeant, with a
grin. "They're always hoping they'll get 'em back; but they'll have to
look sharp if they do, for if they're much longer we shall have eaten
the lot."

"Take some time to do that, Sergeant," said Denham, laughing.

"Not such a very long time, sir. You see, the men have nothing but
water to drink; tobacco's getting scarce; there's no bread, no coffee,
no vegetables; and the men have very little to do but rub down their
horses to keep 'em clear of ticks: the consequence is that they try to
make up for it all by keeping on eating beef, and then sleeping as hard
as ever they can."

"I don't know what we can do unless we cut our way through the enemy,"
said Denham sadly. "I go on thinking the matter over and over, and
always come back to the same idea."

"No wonder," said the Sergeant. "That is the only way; so the sooner
you two get fit to mount the better, for I don't see that anything can
be done till then."

"Are there any more--cripples?" said Denham bitterly.

"Oh, there's a few who'd be off duty if things were right," said the
Sergeant cheerfully; "but they make shift. The Colonel limps a bit, and
uses his sword like a walking-stick; six have got arms in slings, and
four or five bullet-scratches and doctor's patches about 'em; but there
isn't a man who doesn't show on parade and isn't ready to ride in a
charge."

"But riding," I said, with the eagerness of one who is helpless--"what
about the horses?"

"All in fine condition, gentlemen," said the Sergeant emphatically, "but
a bit too fine, and they look thin. The Colonel's having 'em kept down
so that they shan't get too larky from having no work to do."

"But they're not sent out to graze now?" I said.

"Oh