five
minutes, and if I haven't raised the white flag by then they will
attack."

"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Lord O'Farnel anxiously. "Don't
throw your life away, old boy. Mount your pony and make a dash for it!
I'll take care of myself."

"Oh no, you won't!" exclaimed Jack sharply. "You're hurt, and I'm going
to get you safely back to friends. I've two rifles and plenty of
ammunition. These Boers will have to shoot pretty well to touch us
here, and if they want to get closer they will have to cross the open
ground. If they try that game I think I can promise to stop every one
of them before they reach me. But when it gets dark I suppose the game
will be up. If your leg wasn't broken I'd make a dash for it."

"Why not pack me up now?" asked Farney. "One rifle will be ample for
you, for the magazine holds ten cartridges. Pull the lock out of the
other, and tie my leg to it. I was shown how to make a gun splint by an
army doctor and will put you up to the trick. Now open the lock, old
boy. That's it! Put the butt up under my arm and buckle it there with
my belt. Now tie the leg to the barrel with my handkerchief and
bandolier. That's it! you're a splendid surgeon, Jack. If you tie my
other leg to the damaged one, you can do what you like without hurting
me."

Jack did as he was directed. Placing the butt of the rifle beneath the
arm he secured it there with Farney's belt. Then he made the injured
leg fast to the barrel, and with his own handkerchief and belt lashed
both legs together.

By this time more than five minutes had passed, and bullets had again
begun to patter against the stones. But by dint of lifting a few more
boulders into position Jack succeeded in constructing a few apertures
through which he could see every part of the plain surrounding him. To
reply to the shots directed against him was useless, for there was
nothing but a series of faint puffs of flame to aim at. Still, he
occasionally let off his rifle, to show the enemy that he was on the
alert.

Lying flat on the ground, he crawled from side to side of the fort,
keeping a particularly sharp watch in the direction in which the white
flag had been shown. Suddenly he saw the flag lifted again, but this
time it was waved rapidly to and fro, and then lowered. A moment later
about a dozen dark figures burst from various parts of the ridge
surrounding the hollow, and commenced to run towards him.

Leaning his ri