the earthworks. Occasional sharp bursts of rifle firing came from the
bush, but no reply was made by the defenders of the kraal. Ammunition
was too scarce and precious to be thrown away at haphazard firing upon
an unseen foe. The Germans' remaining machine gun was unaccountably
silent. Perhaps it had failed, after the manner of automatic weapons.
On the other hand, although the captured machine-gun was liable to jam
after a few rounds, owing to its having become overheated, the Huns
were ignorant of the fact, and thus the practically useless weapon was
a strong moral factor in favour of its captors.

Dudley slept for a solid four hours, to awake considerably refreshed to
find that some one had spread a double ground-sheet above him, so as to
form a tent, for the sun was now directly overhead.

"Hullo, Rupert!" he exclaimed, upon seeing his brother. "How goes it?"

"Feeling quite my old self," was the reply. "A fellow can buck up even
in present circumstances after being penned up by a mob of rascally
Huns."

"What happened to you?" asked Dudley.

Rupert shrugged his bent shoulders.

"Don't ask me," he replied. "Some day I'll tell you--if we get out of
this scrap."

"Did you hear what became of Robert MacGregor?" persisted Dudley.

"A thundering good old pal!" declared his brother heartily. "If he'd
not been obliged to go back to Rhodesia I don't think I would have been
landed in a German prison. I'd give a lot to shake old Bob by the hand
again."

The subaltern regarded his brother intently. Rupert, he saw, was
speaking quite naturally and without any trace of sarcasm. It was
clear that he had not the slightest idea of the double, nay multi-dyed
treachery of Ulrich von Gobendorff.

"Dash it all!" he soliloquised. "I can't enlighten old Rupert just
now. Revelations must come later--if, as he remarked, we do come out
of this business alive."

About four o'clock in the afternoon the irritating rifle fire ceased.
Fifteen minutes passed without a shot winging its way from the dense
scrub; and although one or two of the defenders boldly stood upon the
parapet to draw the enemy, their tempting position brought no response.

"Guess we'll hike out and bring in some water," declared one. "No time
like the present, and we are as dry as a bone."

"Very good," agreed the patrol-commander. "Only look sharp about it.
This lull in the firing may mean that the Boches are up to some of
their knavish trick