rned my face sidewise so as to get a glance back at my
pursuers, and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw that no Boers were
there. It was not until I raised my head a little to gaze back in the
other direction that I could see them far away in the distance,
evidently pursuing the course they had followed before the incidents of
the halt and shot occurred.

Now I held on tightly and raised my head, endeavouring to make out why
my horse had swerved. There it was plain enough: another of the stony
kops which rose up to block our way had forced him to gallop along the
unencumbered ground at the foot of a great line of hills, beyond which
was the peak I had marked down as being in the neighbourhood of Echo
Nek.

Unfortunately the land here was all strange to me, my journeys never
having led me so far on this side of the mountains. Still, I felt I
must be going in the direction of the Nek, and that sooner or later I
should come to some valley into which I could strike off to the right,
and get through and round by the peak beyond which I now certainly
believed Echo Nek must be.

I made no effort to check Sandho, who was keeping on nearly level
ground, but now raised myself upright in the saddle to watch for that
which I had forgotten during the time I was in danger, but now that I
was comparatively safe seemed to be the very first thing I should seek.

Many hours had now passed since, I had broken my fast; and at eighteen
the desire for food is a tyrant against which no growing boy or young
man can fight. But no. To my right were the rugged, barren hills
undotted by bullock or sheep; to the left a far-spreading stretch of
unfertile veldt; and though I cantered on for another full hour not a
homestead came into sight.

At last, however, I saw a break in the continuous ridge of hills on my
right, and eased Sandho down into his gentle amble, not willing to press
him hard, for I knew that at any minute I might be obliged to urge him
to his greatest speed.

In another half-hour we were bearing off to the right, for the hills had
opened into a broad valley, at the head of which the great peak I had
seen now rose up as if to block the way; and in spite of my hunger I
felt lighter-hearted, for I was getting sure of my bearings. Yes, there
beyond the shoulder of the peak was the crag just below which lay Echo
Nek only a few miles away, not more than an hour's canter along the
fairly even valley, and then--Oh, if Joebo