ll again directly after, and the time glided slowly on again,
till that which I expected came suddenly; for I heard the trampling of
feet behind me in the darkness, and a voice whispered, "Where's that new
recruit Moray?"

"I am here, sir," I said.

"Quick! the Colonel wants you."

I left my post, and another man stepped into my place, while I followed
the sergeant who had summoned me.

"I say, young fellow," he said, "you're in for a bullying. The
Colonel's horribly wild about your false alarm. Are you sure the
Doppies were coming on?"

I told him what I had learned, and that I had felt obliged to report it.

"Humph! Yes, of course; but it's a great pity, when the men wanted
rest."

The next minute I was facing the Colonel in the middle of the pass,
where he stood with a group of the officers, about half-way between the
two lines of men facing up and down, but lying so close that they were
only visible here and there.

"Oh, here you are, young fellow!" were the words that saluted me, spoken
in a low, angry whisper. "Now then, where are these two attacking
parties of Boers?"

"I only reported that one was coming, sir--one descending the pass."

"Very well; you shall have credit for only one, then. Well, where is
it?"

"I can't say, sir," I replied. "I was warned of it by my native
servant."

"Then just go back and flog your native servant till you have given him
a lesson against spreading false alarms to rob tired men of their rest.
It is perfectly abominable--just when we want all our strength for the
work in hand for us to-morrow."

"I'm very sorry, sir," I said.

"Sorry? What must I be, then? I can't fight unless I have plenty to
eat and as much sleep as I can get. There, get back to your post. I
wish to goodness you had stopped at home or joined the Boers, or done
something else with yourself, instead of coming and giving this
confounded false alarm. Be off.--Here, call in the men again, and--Yes,
what now?"

"Enemy coming up the pass in great strength, sir," said one of the
scouts, who had come breathlessly back.

"What!" said the Colonel in a hurried whisper. "Could you make them
out?"

"Yes, sir; two or three hundred, I should say."

"You got near enough to see?"

"I couldn't see much, sir; but I could hear. They seemed to spread
right across from the side I was on."

"Here, you, Moray," said the Colonel, turning to me, for at this
announcement I had stood fast. "Get bac