ll crowded into the archway and hailed once more, their shouts
seemed to return to them faintly from the arrow-shaped hollow, which
from being broad at first went off nearly to a point, and more weirdly
still from the continuation of the pit where the water ran.

"I'm beginning to be afraid he is not here," said the captain. "Open
out, my lads, and thoroughly search every hollow and corner."

The men shouted again, with no result; and then they spread out like a
fan and advanced, searching behind every stone, right on past the spot
where the second Boer had been captured, and on once more till the
cavern narrowed in and there was only room to creep.

"Hold the light closer, sergeant," said Lennox.

"See anything?" cried Roby from just behind him.

"Can't tell yet, sir.--What's that, sergeant?"

For answer the sergeant went down on his hands and knees and advanced,
pushing his lantern before him.

"There, you needn't do that," said Roby impatiently. "The man's not
here. It's a false alarm. He wasn't left behind, and we shall find him
somewhere, when we get back to quarters. Come out, sergeant. I'm sick
of this."

"But there's something here, sir."

"Eh? What is it?"

The sergeant thrust something behind him, and Lennox went down on hands
and knees, reached into the narrow hole, which the sergeant nearly
filled, and snatched the object from the man's hand.

"His helmet!" cried Lennox excitedly, and he too passed it back to where
Roby and Dickenson were, and they examined the recovered headpiece.

"Oh, there's no doubt about it," said Dickenson. "Look here," he cried
as Lennox and the sergeant came back; "what do you make of this?"

"Oh! it's the poor fellow's helmet, gentlemen," said the sergeant.
"Look at his number, sir."

"Then where is he? Is there any opening in yonder?"

"Not room for a rat, sir. Seems as if he must have been left behind and
felt his way in there to sleep. Look here, sir; I found these too."

The speaker held out a short black pipe with a little blackened,
lately-smoked tobacco at the bottom, and a tin box containing plenty of
matches.

"Why, he had all these and never said a word when I was so hard pushed,"
cried Dickenson.

"I expect he was in too much of a stoo to remember them, sir," said the
sergeant. "He must have been precious queer, or he wouldn't have left
these and his helmet behind."

"He was nearly off his chump, sergeant, with having to come down," sai