on in her former reserve. She had said too much at
first. She wanted an opportunity of drawing back. She had mistaken her
own feeling, her own heart--had been too impulsive. Well, such an
opportunity she should have, and accordingly he had left her
undisturbed. And now once more she had broken down the barriers, and
how it came about he knew not any more than we do. Her image began to
hover around him during his official work, to accompany his long
solitary rides, taken for purposes of business or pleasure. Yes, the
chains were weaving themselves about him again, and somehow or other he
seemed not unwilling that they should.

In due time glowing reports arrived as to the doings of the Doppersdorp
Burghers, who had met the enemy more than once with dire results to that
barbarous entity, both in slaughter and the capture of numerous head of
cattle. Presently, too, arrived, on a few days' leave, our old
acquaintance, Darrell, the attorney, whose practice being of a
precarious, not to say hand-to-mouth nature, might profitably be
neglected for a while in favour of the more certain pay of a
Field-captain in the Doppersdorp Burghers, to which office he had been
duly elected. He, his leave expired, returning to the field of glory,
pressed Roden to accompany him to the Main Camp for a few days, and go
on a patrol or two, and see something of the war; which invitation
Roden, with the sanction of his official superior--for there was a lull
in the extra work just then--decided to accept.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

"WITHIN THE VEINS OF TIME."

"Then you won't give up going to this wretched war?"

"Well, no. You see I've got it all arranged now. I can't throw up the
plan. Besides, I want to see how they work a war of this kind. My mind
is made up."

No one knew better than Mona that when the speaker said his mind was
made up, why, then it _was_ made up. Still she continued to plead.

"Ah, don't go! Besides, it is a paltry affair, and hardly worth a man's
while to touch. It is quite sickening to hear these Doppersdorp
`heroes' brag. They go away nearly three hundred strong, and come back
again with three men slightly scratched, and talk big about `terrible
hand-to-hand conflicts lasting all day,' `assegais flying as thick as
hail,' and so forth. Dear, don't go; I have a presentiment something
will happen."

Roden laughed.

"How does that pan out for a lovely bit of feminine consistency?" he
said. "After lab