try that dodge on
about those two going off with the smuggled loot. I'll wait. Here goes
to whistle for the Boers, as the sailors do for wind."

Saying this, he drew out the little mahogany case which held his flute,
and coolly took the pieces and fitted them together, before crossing his
legs upon the rough seat and beginning to blow, keeping up a series of
the most doleful old Scotch and Irish laments, while the oxen plodded on
and the police rode by the wagon side, listening and looking in vain for
any sign tending to point out the fact that the flautist was a dishonest
dealer in the coveted crystals which were so hard to get, but all the
same keeping a keen look-out for danger in the shape of advancing Boers.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

IN THE THICK OF IT.

The report of the rifle was magical in its effect upon the Basuto
ponies, each rearing up on its hind legs and striking out with its
forefeet; but the same punishment was meted out by the riders--namely, a
sharp tap between the ears with the barrels of the rifles--and the
result was that beyond fidgeting they stood fairly still, while _flash,
flash, flash_, three more shots were fired. The bullets whizzed by with
their peculiar noise, sounding quite close, but probably nowhere near
the riders--those who fired judging in the darkness quite by sound.

"Let's keep on at a walk," whispered West; but, low as his utterance
was, the sound reached an enemy's ears.

"Mind what you're about!" said someone close at hand, evidently
mistaking the speaker for a friend; "one of those bullets went pretty
close to my ear. Whereabouts are they?"

"Away to the right," whispered Ingleborough, in Dutch.

"Come on then," said the former speaker. "_Ck_!"

The pony the man rode made a plunge as if spurs had been suddenly dug
into its sides, and the dull beat of its hoofs on the dusty soil told of
the course its rider was taking.

West was about to speak when the rapid beating of hoofs came from his
left, and he had hard work to restrain his own mount from joining a
party of at least a dozen of the enemy as they swept by noisily in the
darkness.

"What do the fools think they are going to do by galloping about like
that?" said Ingleborough gruffly.

"If they had kept still they might have caught us. Hallo! Firing
again!"

Three or four shots rang out on the night air, and away in front of the
pair the beating of hoofs was heard again.

"Why, the country seems alive wit