ll when the Boers
get close to us."

"Have you got a bell here?" Wilfred suddenly asked.

"Yes, there is one in the kitchen," Eileen answered, "and the handle is
just outside the door. We are the only colonists hereabouts who possess
such a thing."

"Then we'll beat them yet!" cried Wilfred. "They are certain to ride
into the garden through the opening in the rails. Open the door, Jack;
and give me a long piece of string, someone. I'll slip outside and run
it from the bell-handle to the rails and across the opening. Then the
first man who rides in will jerk it, and the bell will give us a
warning."

"Good, lad, good!" exclaimed Frank Russel with a grunt of satisfaction.
"That will just save us. Set about it as quick as you can."

Five minutes later Wilfred had carried out his plan, and not content
with running a cord from the bell-handle across the opening into the
garden, he passed others completely round the railings, so that anyone
attempting to climb them, or pass through them, would almost certainly
come in contact with one or other of the strings and warn those inside
the house. Then he joined his friends again, and the door was safely
nailed up as before.

About half an hour later, when the night had lifted a little, there was
a faint tinkling of the bell, and Jack, who had chosen a position
commanding the front of the house, caught sight of a dusky figure at the
opening to the garden. His rifle spoke out instantly, and with a shriek
of pain the man disappeared.

After that there was silence for many minutes, and then the bell jerked
feebly once or twice, and afterwards pealed loudly.

"There are a crowd of them in front of me," whispered Jack. "Give me a
hand here, Wilfred, and leave Frank and Eileen to watch the rest."

Wilfred at once darted across the floor, and, peering through a
loophole, saw a number of dusky figures hurrying into the garden through
the opening, while others suddenly appeared against the sky-line, and
then became almost invisible as they climbed over the railings and
jumped amongst the flowers.

"Let them have it with the magazine," Jack whispered again, and waiting
a moment for Wilfred to prepare, he aimed at a bunch of the enemy
pouring into the garden, and discharged shot after shot amongst them.
Meanwhile, Wilfred fired at the figures climbing the railings, while
sharp reports from the side and back of the house told that Frank and
Eileen were also engaged.

On