under
cover--there wasn't a chance of being hit by direct fire, you'll
understand--and the black seemed to crumple up suddenly. Never said a
word, but just pitched on his face. I'll do my level best for him,
sir."

Leaving his water-bottle--and water was a scarce commodity, as the
supply within the kraal had been overrun by the fire--Dudley made his
way to the gap in the palisade, where other units were hard at work
digging a ditch across the exposed opening. Here he came face to face
with his brother, whose left arm was bandaged and in a sling.

"Copped it, you see, Dudley," remarked Rupert. "If there's any trouble
knocking about I'm bound to stand in. But I guess I did my whack
before I was knocked out," he added grimly. "Managed to work off sixty
rounds, and when we started I found myself wondering if I had the
strength to pick up a rifle."

"What have you got?" asked his brother.

"Bayonet thrust," was the reply. "We were jammed up anyhow, but the
fellow who gave it me won't try the trick on any one else. Have you
any water?"

Dudley shook his head.

"Sorry," he replied.

"Seems a scarcity of it," continued Rupert. "All the men's
water-bottles are bone-dry, and it's hot work tackling a kraal fire.
The niggers, too, are clamouring for water."

"The fire's burning itself out, I fancy," remarked Dudley. "Before
dawn we ought to be able to get to the well. Now I must do my whack."

Taking a spade of native workmanship from the hands of an exhausted
trooper the subaltern set to work with a will, for much had to be done
in a very short space of time. It was a case of excavating under
extreme difficulties, for apart from the smoke and heat from the
blazing huts bullets were dropping frequently and at random upon that
part of the kraal still held by the hard-pressed but as yet
unconquerable garrison.

Throughout the rest of the night the enemy made no attempt to renew the
assault. With the dawn the worst of the task of shortening the line
was accomplished, and the jaded men threw themselves down to rest,
until every available position immune from rifle fire was covered with
khaki and black figures sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion.

There was little rest for Dudley Wilmshurst and the patrol-commander.
Having visited the sentries they examined the defences in order to
discover if there were any weak points that had escaped notice during
the hours of darkness.

With the exception of half a