leed him enough!"

"You know these two?" asked the officer.

"Well, in a way," said Anson, in a haughty, indifferent tone. "They
were a pair of underlings where I was engaged at the diamond-mines.
Insolent bullying fellows, both of them! But you'll tame them down."

The Boer leader nodded.

"A bit sore at being taken prisoners!" he said.

"No," cried West; "it is the fortune of war, sir. We are Englishmen,
and we made a dash to escape Kimberley, and got through your investing
lines."

"To carry despatches to the rooineks?"

"No," replied West. "Your men searched us and found no despatches."

"Messages then. You were going to the British forces?"

"We should have joined them after a time, perhaps," said West, speaking
more coolly.

"He's lying!" said Anson sharply. "Have them searched again!"

The Boer commandant nodded, gave the order, and half-a-dozen of his men
came forward, after which the prisoners were ordered out of the wagon,
and they let themselves down, when they were thoroughly searched from
head to heel--of course, without result, and the Boer chief turned
frowningly to Anson.

"They must have hid the letter somewhere about the wagon then!"

"Two of you get in and search!" said the commandant.

This was carefully carried out, and the men descended.

"Then they must have destroyed their message before you took them,"
cried Anson, "or somehow since."

"They were carefully searched as soon as they were taken," observed one
of the field-cornets.

"Yes," said the commandant, "and I saw it done. Well, they will not
carry any news to Mafeking. Tell them that the British are being swept
into the sea east and south, and their rule is at an end. I want brave
men who can ride and fight, so if they like to join the Federal forces
and do their duty there will be a prosperous time for them. If they
refuse there will be a long imprisonment, perhaps something worse."

"Mr Anson, the renegade, need not trouble himself, sir," said West
quietly. "Neither my companion nor I will do as he has done."

"You had better!" said Anson sneeringly. "It's a grand chance for you
now your characters are gone and the I.D. detectives are after you."

Ingleborough looked at the speaker sharply; but Anson made believe not
to notice it and went on.

"You've no character now, either of you," he continued coolly. "Old
Norton came after me as I was trekking south, utterly sick of the
English lot. He came on t