ome on," shouted Dickenson. "We've caught the ghost. Don't let him
go."

"Here, hold these, some one," cried Sergeant James, and as soon as he
had got rid of his lantern he made fast, as a sailor would say, to the
prisoner and held on; while, to use his words, his mate pulled out the
prisoner's stings, for he had three--two revolvers (one of course
discharged) and a keen-bladed sheath-knife, something like an American
bowie.

Five minutes later the light of the held-up lanterns fell upon a
fierce-looking, much bruised and battered, black-bearded Boer, lying
upon the rocky shelf, tied hand and foot, his face so smeared and
disfigured by blood that it acted like a mask.

"Carry him down at once," said Captain Roby; "he is evidently badly
wounded."

"Not he," growled Dickenson savagely. "He hurt me more than I hurt him.
He used pistol; I only used fist and punched him in the nose."

Sergeant James smiled grimly, and drawing a roll of bandage from his
wallet, tore off a bit and wiped the blood from the prisoner's face.

"Hullo!" he cried.--"Hooray, Captain Roby, sir! This is our Boer friend
who tried to blow us up."

Lennox stopped forward eagerly, and signed for the lantern to be
lowered.

"Yes," he cried wonderingly; "that is the man."

"And no mistake," said Dickenson. "Come, I call this a good catch."

The other officers looked down at the dark eyes scowling up at them.

"Yes," he growled fiercely, "I am the man; and I'll do it yet."

"Perhaps your precious game may be stopped now, my good fellow," said
Captain Roby meaningly.

"Yes," said Captain Edwards sternly. "You were treated well and
generously the first time; this time you may find that the English
officers can be stern as well as generous to a beaten enemy.--Well,
Captain Roby," he continued, "there was no mistake, you see, about the
alarm."

"So I see," said the latter officer coldly.

"The thing is, what was he doing here?"

"Playing the spy, or hiding and waiting for a chance to get away, I
suppose."

"Well, you will take him down with you, and report to the colonel," said
Captain Edwards.

"Stop a bit," cried Dickenson. "You haven't got the other."

"What other?" cried the two captains in a breath.

"This fellow's comrade."

"Has he one?"

"You heard what the private said about seeing two," cried Dickenson.

"Oh, the words of a man in a scare go for nothing," said Captain Roby
contemptuously.

"Perhaps not; but this f