e with a curse. But the poor beast had no intention of
rising again. It had lain down to die.

"It can't be helped; the news I bring will be worth a horse or two
anyhow. I must leave it, saddle and all, until I have seen the
general."

"Do you know where to find him?" hazarded the Intelligence officer. "I
am looking for his house now."

_Civilian._ "Well, I ought to; I've not run a store in this town for
five years not to know my way about. But who may you be?"

_Intelligence Officer._ "I'm staff officer to one of the columns which
came in to-day. I've been trying to find headquarters this last ten
minutes."

_Civ._ "Come along with me. I must get there at once. I've just come
in from Houwater. I was sent out by the commandant to follow up Brand,
and I have located him and Hertzog. I tell you I have come in
fast--never went faster in my life. Devilish nearly got cut off. My
word, I bore a charmed life to-day. Well, here we are. I shall go
straight in. The new general doesn't know me, but he soon will. The
commandant knows me: he knows that when I come with news there is
something worth hearing."

The little civilian bounced up the steps and dived into the lighted
hall of the headquarter's villa, before orderly or sentry could stop
him. A tall Yeoman stepped up to the Intelligence officer, and
saluting with more dignity than alacrity said, "Beg your pardon, sir;
but I am the general's orderly, and he told me to tell you that he
would only be a few minutes here, and that if you wouldn't mind
waiting he would join you immediately."

Waiting for a general is a serious undertaking, and the Intelligence
officer was tired. Moreover, he did not know where the camp was, or
when he would be expected to take over from the chief staff officer of
the column. But on active service all these things work out in their
own time, so he just sat down on the whitewashed steps of the verandah
and lit a cigarette. The tall Yeoman orderly did likewise on the far
side of the entrance. The Intelligence officer smoked in silence for
some time, engaged in the occupation most welcomed by tired men on
service--thinking of better times--until the nightmare of the column,
the orders for the morrow, the supplies and the camp, broke in upon
his reverie.

_Intelligence Officer._ "Do you know where the camp is?"

_Orderly._ "Yes, sir; it is about half a mile from here."

_I. O._ "You can find your way there in the dark?"

_Ord._ "Yes, sir;