you mean?" said West, in a startled tone.

"It's true that we've made a jolly clever escape, thanks to you; but it
isn't true that we're at liberty to go where we like."

"Why not?" said West wonderingly.

"Because you've got that despatch in your jacket somewhere, I hope."

"Yes," said West, after running his hand down a seam. "It's safe
enough!"

"Well, that despatch says we must go to Mafeking; so we're prisoners to
duty still."

"Of course!" said West cheerily. "But look here: it's of no use to tire
our ponies. We're far enough off now to let them walk, or dismount and
let them graze till we know which way to steer."

"It's all right; keep on, lad! We're steering as straight as if we had
a compass. I believe the ponies know where we want to go, and took the
right line at once."

"Nonsense! You don't believe anything of the kind. What makes you
think we're going in the right direction?"

"Because the clouds yonder thinned out a bit half-an-hour ago, and I saw
three dim stars in a sort of arch, and continuing the line there was
another brighter one just in the place where it ought to be. I know
them as well as can be of old: the big one sets just in the north-west."

"Are you sure of that?" cried West eagerly.

"As sure as that I bore off a little to the right as soon as I saw that
star, so as to turn more to the north and straight for Mafeking. I
don't guarantee that we are keeping straight for it now the stars are
shut out; but we shall know as soon as it's day by the compass."

"Why don't we strike a light and examine it now?" said West eagerly.

"Because we haven't a match!" replied Ingleborough. "Didn't our sturdy
honest captors take everything away but my knife, which was luckily in
my inner belt along with my money?"

"To be sure!" sighed West.

"And if we had matches we dare not strike them for fear of the light
being seen by one of the Boer patrols."

"Yes," said West, with another sigh. "I suppose they are everywhere
now!"

At that moment the ponies stopped short, spun round, almost unseating
their riders, and went off at full speed back along the way they had
come; and it was some minutes before they could be checked and soothed
and patted back into a walk.

"The country isn't quite civilised yet," said West; "fancy lions being
so near the line of a railway. Hark; there he goes again!"

For once more the peculiar barking roar of a lion came from a distance,
making the air