portant that it is absolutely necessary that
no one should have an idea as to what are our intentions. Get away from
this secretly. There--I will leave the rest to you. Do as well as you
did while escaping from Ladysmith, and we shall have nothing to complain
about."

It was still pitch dark, therefore, when Jack vaulted into his saddle
and rode silently across the camp. Arrived at the outskirts, he turned
to the left and kept steadily on, keeping carefully on the grass, which
dulled the sound of his pony's hoofs. Very shortly he was clear of the
pickets, and turning once more to the left pushed forward for the
beleaguered town of Kimberley. Soon a brilliant moon came up, and he
carefully concealed himself amongst the rugged boulders of a kopje, and,
raising his head, swept the country round with his glasses. There was
no one in sight, so he mounted his pony again and cantered on at a rapid
pace. Early the next morning he rode into Kimberley, having slipped
through the circle of Boers with the greatest ease.

He was immediately taken before Colonel Kekewich, the commander of the
town, and delivered his message.

"I was instructed by Lord Roberts," he said, after saluting the colonel,
"to tell you that, all being well, you may expect him to relieve you in
a month's time from this date. He also asks that you will be ready to
act, as far as possible, in conjunction with his relieving force."

The news, meagre though it was, was eagerly listened to, and Jack had to
answer many questions before he was permitted to leave. Outside the
house he found Tom Salter, his old friend, waiting for him with a
welcoming smile on his sunburnt face.

"Ah, Jack!" he cried out with a merry laugh, "turned up again like a bad
penny, have you? Well, I quite expected it, and my only wonder is that
you haven't been here before. You've so many friends to meet again,
haven't you, old boy? Why, I can assure you that I know several who are
simply longing to see you, one especially, Eileen Russel, turned as
white as a sheet, poor girl, when she heard the news. Ha, ha, it's a
shame to tease you now, but she's a splendid girl is Eileen Russel!"

Tom laughed heartily, and smacked Jack on the back, and then grasped his
hand and shook it up and down like a pump-handle.

"Then she is all right, Tom!" exclaimed our hero, with a sigh of relief,
for ever since he had ridden north to Mafeking he had been wondering
whether the brave English