eight, and the thunder was roaring overhead in long,
continuous claps, Jack quietly pulled up, turned on to the veldt, and
galloped back, leaving his prisoner still marching on in blissful
ignorance.

When he arrived at the scene of the recent conflict he dismounted,
picked up both of the Boer rifles and bandoliers, and, mounting again,
galloped away into the veldt, where he smashed the butts against a
boulder.

"That fellow is safe to return as soon as he finds I have slipped away,"
he thought, "and if I left the rifles the chances are he would follow
and stalk me. That will settle him at any rate."

Once more he cantered on, and caught up the cart about two miles along
the road. Wilfred at once pulled up, and the two young fellows held a
consultation.

"It was a piece of bad luck all through," said Jack, with an exclamation
of disgust. "If there had been light enough I should have seen those
fellows, and could have warned you so as to avoid them. That flash of
lightning just spoilt our chances. If it hadn't been for that we should
have got through. One thing is certain too, that if we had given in to
them, and pulled up when they ordered us to do so, we should have had
our cart and horses commandeered, and then we should have been in a nice
pickle."

"That's just what I thought," answered Wilfred. "I knew it meant that
we were prisoners, or that the cart and team would go, so I held on and
gave them a taste of the whip when they came alongside. My word,
though, it was a precious near shave for us! I very nearly went flying
on to the horses' backs. But as it is, neither of us is hurt, thanks to
you, Jack, old boy!"

"Well, it was a near shave," agreed Jack. "That Boer's bullet has cut a
long slice out of my hat. I was sorry to shoot the poor fellow, but he
brought it on himself, and certainly deserved it, for he meant to kill
you. But now, about the other man. I took him up the road, and on the
way back broke the rifles. I noticed, too, that both their horses had
scampered away on to the veldt. For all that he is now on his way to
the nearest station, and before two hours have passed the news will have
been telegraphed down the road to Yolksrust, and the Boers will be on
the look-out for us. What are we to do? We are sure to run our heads
into a trap if we go on in this direction."

"Why not bear to the right and strike into the road for Villiersdorp in
the Orange Free State, and from there t