me was riding horses, and others riding in the carts."

_I. O._ "Were they going fast?"

_T._ "Yes, sir; just as fast as they could, shouting and swearing and
calling to each other. They seemed dreadful pressed for time!"

_I. O._ "We had better see if those other fellows of yours are still
in the farm. Have you got your rifle loaded?"

The Intelligence officer and trooper walked down to the little
homestead, and as they approached the door out stepped the two most
scared and astonished dragoons that South Africa has ever seen. They
were escorted by a bevy of smiling girls. When they saw their comrade
safe and sound in the company of an officer, they became absolutely
nonplussed. But the Intelligence officer got the following history out
of the corporal:--

_Corporal._ "Well, sir, we were sent off as a patrol on the right
flank, and somehow among the kopjes we lost touch, and about an hour
ago we reached this place. I left the horses under cover with Smith,
and I took one man and went to reconnoitre the farm. We found this
nice old lady inside, who speaks English; and she told us that she
hadn't seen any English troops, but that a small party of Boers had
passed in the morning, who had stopped and had some coffee, but who
seemed to be in a hurry. The good lady asked us if we would have some
coffee. Well, sir, we were very thirsty and hungry-like, so we sat
down, and they gave us some coffee and cake and things; and just as we
were eating, the old lady rushed in and said the Boers were coming,
and hustled us into a small bedroom. Well, sir, we looked through the
window, spy-like, and there, sure enough, were about ten Boers on
horses galloping past the house. They were mostly quite young boys,
but there were some greybeards amongst them. They seemed in a great
hurry, for only one just stopped at the house, and he only stayed a
moment. Then more and more passed, riding along in no formation, and
all seeming in a hurry. Just one or two turned aside and had a word
with the people of the house, but none of them got off their horses.
Then an ambulance-waggon came by, and quite a string of Cape carts:
the last cart had four horses in it, driven by a nigger, and it
stopped quite five minutes at the farm. Two men, who kept on shouting
orders to the passing Boers, were sitting in the back of it----"

_Intelligence Officer._ "What were they like?"

_C._ "One was a stout man with a long black beard; the other had a
grey bea