of our guard
climbed in, opened one of the bundles, and spread it out on the floor
beyond us. It was a great skin _karosse_, or rug, such as the Kaffirs
make up of the hides of the big game.

"It's a cold night," said the man who had spoken before; and, one at my
head and the other at my feet, they lifted me between them on the big
rug.

"Now, sleepy," he said, "rouse up."

But Denham was perfectly insensible in his deep sleep of exhaustion, and
unconscious of what was going on as he was laid beside me. Then the
second bundle was opened and thrown over us.

"There," said the big Boer; "we don't want you to be too cold to stand
up like men in the morning. Can you go to sleep now?"

"Yes; thank you," I said hoarsely, and I lay and listened as they got
out of the wagon.

"Can I sleep?" I thought. "No. But if I could, and dream all that
again! Poor old Bob!" I murmured to myself as a peculiar sensation of
warmth began to creep through my numbed limbs, and once more I lay
thinking about that strangely confused and realistic dream of which
fragments began to flit before me, and for a time made me more wakeful,
but not for long. Then the morning, the thoughts of my coming fate, the
recollection of the night-alarm which seemed to have put an end to what
must have been intended for a night-attack, even the sense of pain--all
these died away, and I was soundly asleep once more; this time without a
dream.

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

IN THE QUEER PRISON.

I was roused up by the great skin-rug being jerked off me. I tried to
rise, but sank back, just able to repress a groan, and stared wildly at
the four bearded faces looking down at me. The curtains at front and
rear had been thrown back, and the sun was shining in from the front,
the horizontal rays striking right through the wagon. For a few moments
I was so much confused and stupefied by sleep that I could not grasp the
meaning of the scene. Then like a flash it all came. These four Boers
were going to lead us out to execution--to be shot--the fate of spies!

I set my teeth, and felt as if getting hardened now. My eyes turned to
Denham, who was seeking mine. He did not speak, but nodded and smiled
faintly, the look giving encouragement. Clenching my teeth, together, I
mentally vowed I would not let him be ashamed of me.

Just then my attention was diverted by one of our morning visitors, who
differed in appearance from the others. He was better dre