d, diving beneath the apron of the tent, crawled on to
the top of a pile of mealie bags. Suddenly his hand fell upon the face
of someone who was lying stretched fast asleep on top of the bags, and
set his heart thumping heavily with the shock. A second later he had
clapped his other hand over the sleeper's mouth, and called gently to
his comrade to help him. But long before Poynter had grasped the
awkward situation, Jack and the stranger were engaged in a desperate
struggle, the former with both hands clasped across the man's mouth, and
the Boer--for such he proved to be--endeavouring to clutch Jack by the
throat. A moment later Poynter had come to the rescue, and long before
the line of the enemy's fires was reached the sleepy burgher was bound
hand and foot with cords taken from the mealie bags, while Jack's
handkerchief was secured in his mouth. Then he was lifted to one side,
with Poynter in attendance, while Jack stretched himself full-length
upon the bags, and peeped out through the opening in the tent.

It seemed an age before the sentry was reached, but suddenly the same
foreign voice as before called out: "Who goes there?"

Jack waited a moment, and as the Kafir driver in charge of the team of
mules did not answer, he guessed that the Boer he had discovered asleep
upon the mealies was intended to give the pass-word.

"Convoy for Colenso!" he called out in a sleepy voice. "Give the
pass-word!" replied the sentry, lifting a lantern and flashing the light
upon the wagon.

"`Kruger'," Jack called out in a still more sleepy voice, and as if he
were just stifling a yawn.

"Pass, convoy; all's well!" the sentry exclaimed, and a minute later the
wagon rumbled by him, and the man in charge of the next was heard giving
the pass-word.

"Thank goodness that's over!" whispered Jack, slipping back to Poynter's
side. "Now, we have nothing more to do but to keep this fellow quiet
and wait."

"And what then!" asked Poynter, with a chuckle. "What are we going to
do?"

"You said you'd stick by me through thick and thin," Jack replied, "and
by Jove, I'm not only going to get through to Buller with General
White's despatches, but I'll take this wagon with me. Are you ready for
the job?"

"Ready?" asked Poynter, scarcely able to repress a shout of excitement.
"Try me and you'll see soon enough. It would be grand. We should
create quite a stir in the camp!"

"Then it's settled!" answered Jack shortly. "But ge