mockingly; and Captain Roby, who seemed unable to
restrain the anger rising within him, turned away.

"See that he has no revolver, Lennox," he said hoarsely, "and try to
find out whether he has any companions."

"He wouldn't say if he had," replied Lennox; "but we'll soon search and
see. Sergeant James is making him fast. Yes, he had a revolver," he
continued as he saw the sergeant take the weapon and thrust it inside
his belt.

The next minute the prisoner was secure between two men, and the
light-bearers went forward, to be brought to a standstill almost
directly by the contraction of the cellar-like place, out of which there
was no way in that direction.

Having satisfied themselves of this, the party hastened back to the
tree, and stood looking about for a time, examining a few cracks and
rifts, before the orders were given to mount to the upper cave--a risky
and unpleasant task, for the tree-trunk was loose. The men, however,
for the most part made light of it, and as soon as the big chamber was
reached they proceeded to thoroughly examine that, when, to the delight
of all, its real character of a hiding-place and storehouse belonging to
one of the native tribes was revealed: for scores of huge woven baskets
were piled-up, looking at a few yards' distance, with no better
illumination than the military lamps, like masses of rock, but
containing hundreds upon hundreds of bushels of hard, sweet corn,
failing which there would soon have been only one chance of escape for
the detachment, and that by a bold attempt to cut their way through.

The search was continued, but nothing more rewarded their efforts.
There was the ample supply of corn, stored up by some tribe, and outside
the bags of gunpowder hidden by the Boers, whose plan was quite evident,
and thoroughly realised by all who had discovered the entrance--to blow
up the great gun captured from them and destroy the stronghold that
checked their advance.

Before long a sentry was marching up and down in front of that ingenious
specimen of native work, the big stone entrance to the cave which ran so
easily upon a pivot; while the detachment in charge of the big gun
talked shudderingly of the risk they had unknowingly been running, for,
given a little longer time and the right opportunity, their two crafty
enemies would undoubtedly have fired their mine and blown the greater
part of the kopje-top into the air.

"I was growing anxious over the long silence