ayment if he succeeded in getting information which might
lead to the arrest of Boer spies.

Mrs. van Warmelo therefore cautiously rose, while the rest of the
household lay in sleep, plucked clusters of grapes from the vines and
strewed them about the garden paths. The ruse answered excellently.

"Gentleman Jim" himself discovered the grapes lying about the garden
and was loud in his expressions of indignation.

"Them thieves have been at the grapes again," he called out.

"Look here, missis, here is a bunch--and another, and here is some
more." He shook his head in despair.

The sergeant-major too was sent for and informed of the plundering
that had been carried on in the small hours of the morning.

"What is to be done?" he asked. "Shall I put a guard here again?"

Mrs. van Warmelo thanked him for his kind offer, but thought that very
little damage had been done, and was of opinion that Carlo's vigilance
would be sufficient to prevent the thieves, whoever they might be,
from returning on a second pilfering expedition.

When Hansie woke it was past six o'clock, and the Captain was sitting
near her, drinking coffee and chatting with her mother in a
matter-of-fact way, evidently quite at home and glad to find himself
in such comfortable quarters again.

The whole of that eventful February 10th was spent in writing
dispatches and procuring articles of clothing and small necessaries
for the men to take out with them; three pairs of riding-breeches,
shirts, brown felt hats, leggings, boots, soap, salt, cotton, etc.,
etc.

Fortunately, among the few remaining men in town who could be trusted
to carry out these commissions was the young man behind the counter in
_the_ store in Church Street.

To him Hansie went with a small list, which she laid before him
without a word.

He glanced over it and whistled softly.

"Leggings? Riding-breeches? When must you have them?"

"If possible this evening," she replied.

"I'll do my best," he said, and she departed joyfully.

"Now, I could never have got those things myself without rousing great
suspicion," she thought as she cycled rapidly to the next person whom
she had been instructed to see--van der Westhuizen with the bandaged
arm.

"The Captain came last night with Venter," she whispered hurriedly.
"They are at Harmony, and Naude wishes to see you as soon as possible
on a matter of great importance. No one must know of his presence in
town this time, not even ou