if the vedette were about to place the
lives of the two lads in fresh peril. But as they drew nearer the boys
rose and shouted; though the rushing noise of the river drowned their
words.

As the boys continued to gesticulate, the men began to grasp the fact
that they had been in the water, and what they were, for one of them
began pointing along the stream and waving his hand, as he shouted again
and again.

"Can't--understand--what--you--say!" yelled Punch; and then putting his
hand to his lips, he shouted with all his might, "English! Help!"

The word "help" evidently reached the ears of one of the dragoons, for,
rising in his stirrups, he waved the hand that held his carbine and
pointed downstream, yelling out something again.

"I don't know, comrade," cried Punch dolefully. "I think it was `Come
on!'"

"I know now," cried Pen. "It was `ford.'"

Then the drenched, exhausted pair staggered on over the dry sand, which
suggested that at times the river must be twice its present width; and
the vedette guided their horses carefully on amongst the stones of the
farther bank, till, a few hundred yards lower down, where the river was
clear of obstructions and ran swiftly on in a regular ripple, the two
horses turned right and paced gently down into the water, which,
half-way to their knees, splashed up as they made for the opposite bank,
which the lads reached at the same time as the vedette.

"Why, hallo, my lads! We couldn't make out what you were. The --th,
aren't you?"

"Yes."

"What! Have you been in the river?"

"Yes, tried to cross--'most drowned," said Punch hoarsely.

"You should have come down to this ford. Where are you for?"

"Our corps, when we can find it," said Pen.

"Oh, that's all right; about two miles away. Come on."

"Not me!" said Punch sturdily. "I have had enough of it."

"What do you mean?" said the other dragoon who had not spoken. "Afraid
to cross?"

"Yes, that's it," said Punch. "So would you be if you had had my dose.
I'm nearly full of water now."

"Well, you look it," said the first dragoon, laughing. "Here, take hold
of our stirrup-leathers. We will take you across all right."

Punch hesitated.

"Shall we risk it, comrade?" he said.

"Yes, of course."

And Punch limped painfully to the side of the second dragoon, while Pen
took hold of the stirrup-leather of the first.

"Here, I say, this won't do," said the man, as their horses' hoofs sank
in the hot