and riddled it with bullets."

"By Jove! Really!" Francis exclaimed in surprise; for, had the truth
been known, he was almost wishing he had not brought this young
despatch-rider out with him on such a trying expedition till he had
learnt how he conducted himself under fire. "Really!" he repeated,
lifting his eyebrows with astonishment. "You did not tell us anything
about it last night when all the fellows were asking you for news. Let
me know all about it at once, there's a good chap! It will help to pass
the time, and we can keep a sharp look-out all the same."

"Oh, it was only a small matter, and of little interest!" said Jack in
reply; "but if you would really care to hear it I will start right
away."

Accordingly, lying prone behind the breastwork of boulders, Jack
commenced his yarn, and modestly told his companion how he had saved a
comrade at Talana Hill, and how some days later he had rescued Eileen
Russel from the hands of the Boers.

Meanwhile they had kept their eyes open, and had broken off the
narrative to fire a couple of shots apiece, one of which evidently found
its mark. In response a storm of Mauser bullets was hurled at them on
each occasion, and once a shell tore through the air above their heads,
and swept the blanket away. In an instant Jack was on his feet, and,
running across to the spot to which the blanket had been carried, picked
it up, and with the utmost coolness and nonchalance replaced it over
their sniping ground.

It was a bold if somewhat foolhardy act, for bullets swished past him
all the while, and even threw up the dust between his feet without
striking him. But it was just one of those daring deeds for which our
countrymen are noted, not performed in the hope of obtaining praise, but
merely out of cool bravado, and to show the enemy that pluck is still a
feature of the race.

When Jack threw himself down again behind the shelter and commenced to
fill his pipe, the remarkable calmness, not to say absolute carelessness
of danger, of this new comrade filled the garrison, who happened to be
looking on, with wild enthusiasm, and they cheered loudly.

As for Francis, himself by no means a coward, he was quite upset.
"Well, I'm jiggered!" he exclaimed, shaking Jack warmly by the hand.
"Here are you walking about under fire as cool as an icicle, and only an
hour ago I was wondering whether, after all, I had been wise to ask you
to come out here, and whether you would funk