lowered the
canvas again, and we passed on, to be confronted directly after by a
sentry, who challenged with his levelled bayonet pointed at our breasts;
but after giving the word we passed on.

"Seems queer for poor Sam Wren," said my companion, "changing places
like that. Sentry one moment; patient the next. Bah! it is a nuisance
that the prisoner should have been able to get away."

"And go back to the Boers, full of all he has seen here," I said.

"Well, it will make us all the more careful," said Denham, still shading
the lamp with his hat as we went on, till we had passed where we could
hear the movement of the horses tethered to the long lines, with none
too much room to stir, poor beasts! Commenting on the condition of our
mounts, I remarked that, as the Boers had come in so close, the horses
would have but little opportunity for stretching their legs.

"Oh, don't you be afraid about that; the chief isn't the man to let the
Doppies come close like this without having something to say on his
side. You may depend upon it that the moment he feels that the horses
are going the wrong way, there'll be such a dash made as will astonish
our friends outside."

"Well, I shall not be sorry," I said, "for I don't like being shut up as
we are. Look up. I say, what a lovely starlight night!"

"No, thank you," replied Denham. "I like fine nights, but I like to
take care of my shins; and if I get star-gazing the lamp will be blown
out, and we shall be going down one of those holes into the old
gold-mine. There is one just in front--isn't there?"

"Two," I said; "but there are great stones laid across now."

"Across the middle; but there's plenty of room to go down on one side.
Look! Here we are."

He stopped and held the lamp down, its feeble rays showing that he was
upon a broad stone laid across one of the old mine-shafts, one of those
close by the ancient furnace we had discovered on our first visit. On
this he now halted for a moment, partly from curiosity, partly to draw
my attention to the danger.

"I should like to tie some of the horses' reins together and have a
decent lantern, so as to be let down to explore these places."

"You couldn't," I said. "Don't you remember when we threw a stone down
this one it fell some distance and then went splash into the water?"

"It was the one farther on, not this one," said Denham, bending lower.

"Well, you may depend upon it that there'd be no going far b