too," replied the Boer, nodding his head slowly and
sagely.

"And come down to the last ten sacks of the Indian corn?"

"Mealies? Yes, I know that too."

"Well, in the name of all that's sensible, why should we want to get you
taken by your own people?"

"To be sure; I see now," said the cornet. "Better for us to get the
wagons full again, and drive in some more sheep and oxen."

"Of course."

"Well, I don't know," said the man thoughtfully. "They will be all on
the lookout, thinking that you will attack them in the night, and twice
as watchful. I don't know, though. There is no moon to-night, and it
will be black darkness."

"It is already," said Dickenson.

"Ha! Yes," said the Boer quietly, and he puffed at his pipe, which,
after dropping in his fright, he had picked up, refilled, and relit at
the lantern door. "Yes, that is a very good way. I shall go and tell
the colonel that we will go to-night. You will come with me?"

"No," said Lennox; "the colonel does not like his young officers to
interfere. It would be better for you to go."

"Your chief is right," said the Boer firmly. "He thinks and acts for
himself. I do the same. I do not let my men tell me what I should do."
He spoke meaningly, as if he were giving a side-blow at some one or
other of his companions. "I think much and long, and when I have
thought what is best I tell them what to do, and they do it. Yes, I
will go to the colonel now and speak to him. Wait here."

"No," said Dickenson quietly. "Go, and we will come back and hear what
the colonel thinks."

The Boer nodded, thrust his pipe in the folds of the tilt, after tapping
out the ashes, and went off, the two officers following him at a
distance before stopping short, till they heard him challenged by a
sentry, after which they struck off to their left to pass by the corn
store, and being challenged again and again as they made a short tour
round by the officers' quarters, going on the farther side of the
corrugated iron huts and the principal ones, four close together, which
were shared by the colonel, the doctor, and some of the senior officers.
As they passed the back of the colonel's quarters there was the faint
murmur of voices, one of which sounded peculiarly gruff, Dickenson said.

"Nonsense! You couldn't distinguish any difference at this distance,"
said Lennox. "Come along; we don't want to play eavesdroppers."

"Certainly not on a wet night when the rain i