unct to the military larder,
and Dickenson had made a similar remark to that of his chief, but in a
more easy-going conversational way.

"Those chaps mean to be square, Drew, old man," he said.

"Think so?"

"Yes; so do you. What else could they mean?"

"To round upon us."

"How? What could they do?"

"Get back to their people and speak out, after spying out the weakness
of the land."

"Pooh! What good would that do, you suspicious old scribe? Their
account's right enough; they proved it by the plunder they brought and
their eagerness to sack as much tin as they could for it."

"I don't know," said Lennox; "the Boers are very slim."

"Mentally--granted; but certainly not bodily, old man. Bah! Pitch it
over; you suspect every thing and everybody. I know you believe I
nobbled those last cigarettes of yours."

"So you did."

"Didn't," said Dickenson, throwing himself down upon the board which
formed his bed, for they had returned to their quarters. "You haven't a
bit of faith in a fellow."

"Well, the cigarettes were on that shelf the night before last, and the
next morning they were gone."

"In smoke," said Dickenson, with a yawn.

"There, what did I say?"

"You said I took them, and I didn't; but I've a shrewd suspicion that I
know who did smoke them."

"Who was it?" said Lennox shortly.

"You."

"I declare I didn't."

"Declare away, old man. I believe you went to sleep hungry."

"Oh yes, you may believe that, and add `very' to it. Well, what then?"

"You went to sleep, began dreaming, and got up and smoked the lot in
your sleep."

"You're five feet ten of foolishness," said Lennox testily as he lay
down in his greatcoat.

"And you're an inch in height less of suspicion," said Dickenson, and he
added a yawn.

"Well, hang the cigarettes! I am tired. I say, I'm glad we have no
posts to visit to-night."

"Hubble, bubble, burr,"--said Dickenson indistinctly.

"Bah! what a fellow you are to sleep!" said Lennox peevishly. "I wanted
to talk to you about--about--about--"

Nothing; for in another moment he too was asleep and dreaming that the
Boers had bounded out of their wagons, overcome the sentries, seized
their rifles, and then gone on from post to post till all were well
armed. After that they had crept in single file up the kopje, mastered
the men in charge of the captured gun, and then tied the two trek-tows
together and carried it off to their friends, though he could n