he miserable pain in my head which
I keep on having since my fall. Now then, what are they going to do
with those ponies?"

Sitting well back, the prisoners watched all that went on, and saw the
ponies mounted and put through their paces by a couple of big Boers of
the regular heavy, squat, Dutch build.

"Bah! What a shame!" whispered Ingleborough; "it's murdering the poor
little nags. A regular case for the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. Those fellows want a couple of dray-horses to carry
them."

"Yes, and they've found it out," said West softly.

For as they looked on they saw the two Boers pull up after a canter up
and down the full length of the laager, and then drop clumsily off, with
the result that the ponies spread out their legs and indulged in a good
shake which nearly dislodged their saddles.

Then a couple more of the onlookers tried the little mounts, but stopped
after one trot up and down, and a general conversation ensued, resulting
in the ponies being led off and tied up again in the same place, making
West's heart beat as fast as if he had been running hard, while all the
time he tried to crush down a feeling of elation, lest he should be
premature in his hopefulness and be met with a fresh disappointment,
for, though he saw the reins fastened in the same places, there was
plenty of time before dark for the ponies to be removed.

Just then their examination of the Boers' proceedings was brought to an
end by one of their captors bringing the roughly-prepared portion of
food that was served out to them every day.

It was rough, but good of its kind, for the Boers seemed to like to live
well, and they did not stint their prisoners, who, at a word from
Ingleborough, fell to at once.

"Appetite or no appetite, eat all you can," he said. "We may have to
work very hard to-night, and shall need all our strength."

There was a fair amount left after they had done, and this was carefully
tied up ready for taking with them if they were successful that night.
After this there was nothing more to be done but to wait till darkness
fell, and they sat back watching while the sentry was again changed,
when the fresh man visited the wagon, to climb in, look carefully round,
and eye them suspiciously before returning to his post.

"Does that fellow suspect anything?" whispered West.

"Of course; but nothing fresh. He comes on duty under the full
impression that we mean to escape if we