e general's words, and turned
to help at the table. It was a narrow squeak, and the two young fellows
breathed deeply with relief, while beads of perspiration appeared upon
their foreheads and trickled down their faces. But they were still in a
precarious position, and remained in silence watching the party of men
in front of them.

A few minutes later there was a stamping of feet in the front room of
the house, the door opened, and a big bearded Boer stepped up to the
table, and, leaning with one hand upon it in a most free-and-easy
fashion and removing a big pipe from his lips, said something to the
general.

"Ah, the prisoners are outside!" exclaimed the latter; "and now,
Monsieur Villebois-Mareuil, I will show you how we deal with these
Rooineks. These are not like the brave soldiers who are fighting
against us. They are chicken-hearted fools, who will fight for neither
side. But they are burghers of the Transvaal, and have received the
voting rights. Therefore they shall do their utmost for us, their
brothers, in these days of difficulty. March them in, and let them be
surrounded by a strong guard, for there is no saying what reckless act
an Englishman is not capable of. You have seen it for yourself,
monsieur, for have not the British troops times out of number attacked
us from the open and been mowed down by our rifle fire?"

"That is so," answered the French mercenary. "They are a fine race to
fight against; for though I detest them to a man, they are lion-hearted,
and the best troops the world can show. Look at their discipline. It
is superb. But we shall beat them, and then what joy there will be in
the Transvaal, my friend!"

A minute later the prisoners who had been spoken of were marched into
the room in the centre of a strong guard of armed Boers, and the latter,
opening out, halted in front of the table, and stood on either side and
behind the two Englishmen who were in their charge.

Jack and Guy stared across at them, and both gave a violent start, which
might easily have betrayed them had not the attention of Boers and
prisoners been otherwise engaged.

"That is Father! My God, what will they do with him?" Guy whispered
fiercely, grasping Jack firmly by the wrist.

"And the other man is Mr Hunter, my old friend from Johnny's Burg!"
answered Jack in a low voice. "Steady, Guy! You will let them hear
you. Keep quiet, man! If we are found, we can be of no use to them;
but if we r