last of which
took it into the river with a plunge of about a dozen feet right into a
deep pool. The water splashed on high, glittering in the sunshine, and
the next minute the unfortunate beast was floating slowly away towards
the swift current, just feebly pawing at the water, and on raising its
head it fell again with a heavy splash.

"They can shoot well!" said Ingleborough coolly.

West turned his gaze from the dying pony, irritated beyond measure by
his companion's easy-going coolness, and then saw the full extent of
their trouble, for Ingleborough's pony had sunk upon its knees and then
lain gently over upon its side, to die instantly without a struggle, one
of the Boers' bullets having passed right through its brain.

"Might have been worse!" continued Ingleborough. "They did not hit us!
Come along, lad! They can't see us now. Follow me, and let's creep to
the fort. Keep down, lad; keep down."

West had involuntarily dropped on all-fours as Ingleborough spoke, and
none too soon, for another dozen bullets came rattling over them,
cutting the twigs and spattering amongst the rocks, while several passed
close to them with a buzzing sound.

"There!" cried Ingleborough the next minute. "No question now about
what we're going to do. Here's our fort; there's plenty of water; and
the Boers have shot our provisions ready for us. We must cut some of
the meat up for biltong, and eat as much as we can while the rest of it
is fresh."

"For heaven's sake don't talk of eating!" cried West. "Look here: let's
creep along through the cover and try and get away."

"On foot, followed by mounted men? No good; we should be pumped out in
less than a couple of hours!"

"Then let's make the brutes pay dearly for what they've done!" cried
West angrily. "Now Ingle, let's prove to them that we can use our
rifles too! I'm going to shoot every horse I can."

"Very well: so am I; and if that does not beat them off I'm going to
bring down man after man till the rest of them run for their lives. Got
a good place?"

"Yes," said West, whose rifle-barrel rested in a crack between two
stones.

"Then fire away; but don't waste a shot!"

"Trust me!" cried West grimly. "Now then, fire; and remember the
despatch!"

He took careful aim as he spoke, and drew trigger, with the result that
one of the Boer ponies stopped short, spun round, flung its rider, and
galloped madly away.

The next moment Ingleborough's rifle cracke