ne-chest of his, and when he's a bit down he takes nips of them."

"I don't believe it," said a brother officer, laughing. "Old Emden,
M.D., take his own physic? Too clever for that!"

The darkness had closed in soon after the officers had taken their
seats--early, after tropic fashion--and one of the messmen had lit four
common-looking paraffin-lamps, which swung from the rafters, smelt
vilely of bad spirit, and smoked and cast down a dismal light; but the
men were in high spirits, chatting away, and the meal being ended, many
of them had started pipes or rolled up cigarettes, when an orderly was
seen to enter by the door nearest the colonel's seat and make quickly
for his place.

There was a cessation of the conversation on the instant, and one motion
made by every officer present--he glanced at the spot where his sword
and revolver hung, while their servants turned their eyes to the
rifle-stands and bandoliers, listening intently for the colonel's next
order: for the coming of the orderly could only mean one thing under
their circumstances--an advance of the Boers.

They were right. But the increased action of their pulses began to calm
down again; for instead of standing up according to his wont and giving
a few short, sharp orders, the colonel, after turning towards the
orderly and hearing him out, merely raised his eyes and smiled.

"Wonders will never cease, gentlemen," he said, and he sent a soft, grey
cloud of cigarette smoke upward towards the roof of the barn. "You all
remember our prisoners, brought in after Lennox and Dickenson's fishing
expedition?"

There was an eager chorus of "Yes" from all present save the two young
officers mentioned, and they were too eager in listening to speak.

"Well, gentlemen, I told those men that the wisest thing they could do
was to go back to their farms, give up fighting, and collect and bring
into camp here a good supply of corn and beef."

"Yes, sir, I heard you," said Captain Roby, for the colonel paused to
take two or three whiffs from his cigarette.

"Well, gentlemen, you will hardly credit the news I have received when
you recall what took place, and be ready to place some faith in a Boer's
sound common-sense."

"Why doesn't he speak out at once?" said Dickenson in a whisper. "Who
wants all this rigmarole of a preface?"

"What is it, colonel?" said the major.

"That Boer, the leader of the little party of prisoners, evidently took
my advice," contin