the burghers
from the Transvaal who were to join with them in attacking Kimberley.

All this time Jack had remained silently amongst the huge splintered
rocks tumbled haphazard on the kopje, listening with all his ears, and
ready at a moment's notice to slip away and gallop for his life. He was
in a precarious position, even more so than when a prisoner in the
magazine near Volksrust. For here he was surrounded by a band of men
armed to the teeth and ready for war, and only too willing to wreak
their vengeance on the hated English. Glancing up at the top of the
kopje, he noticed now what he had failed to see before, a broad flag,
the vierkleur, flying from a post wedged between the rocks. A few
seconds' consideration showed him that his best course was to lie
quietly where he was, without attempting to move, unless some Boer
happened to discover him. His ponies lay as if dead upon the ground,
and were not likely to betray him except by snorting or answering the
neighs of other animals, and to guard against this he rapidly passed the
thong employed in knee-haltering them round their muzzles, effectively
preventing them from making a sound.

Minutes passed, dragging terribly slowly for Jack, but at last there was
a distant shout, and a few moments later a commando, about five hundred
strong, rode silently across the veldt and pulled up on the road.
Almost at the same instant a large force of men and wagons came up on
the road from Hoopstad, and after all bad exchanged greetings, and a
brief prayer had been recited by one of them, who was evidently in
command, they scrambled into their saddles and set off at a walk.

Jack watched them file past, in threes and fours, and in any kind of
order. Then came the wagons, drawn by long spans of patient, toiling
oxen, showing clearly in the white moonlight, so that several large
pieces of cannon were visible. More wagons followed, heaped high with
shell and cases of ammunition, while others contained sacks of flour and
mealies, and a few Boer women who had cast in their lot with their men
folk, and had come to act as cooks. There were also a few Kafir
servants and drivers; while in rear of all rode a small body of bearded
men, joking and laughing uproariously, and evidently in the highest
spirits at the prospects before them. Jack gave them half an hour to
get well away, and to make sure that there were no stragglers following.
Then he cast off the thongs from the muzzles