king. But though all seemed quiet, he
was not to reach his destination without some startling adventures. Had
he but known it, three roughly-dressed Boers had caught sight of his
figure as he left his hiding-place, and, following him cautiously
through the bush, had soon surrounded him. Wide-awake as Jack generally
was, it was only when a horseman mounted on a snaggy pony suddenly
appeared in front of him that he became aware that there was a Boer
within miles of him. To halt and glance all round was the work of an
instant only, and showed him the figures of two other horsemen hemming
him in on every side. Next moment he had slipped to the ground and had
unslung his rifle. Fortunately he happened to be riding through a thick
part of the bush, so that, lying flat on the ground, he was completely
invisible to the advancing Boers. When within three hundred yards of
him all three halted and shouted to him to surrender. By this time, in
spite of the sharp spikes and thorns, Jack had crawled a little way into
the bush and was some feet from his pony. Then, gently kneeling up, he
lifted his head inch by inch and looked about. Immediately surrounding
him was a thick clump of mimosa bush which completely hid him, while the
Boers, seated upon their animals, were well above the top of it.

"I'll wait a moment where I am," thought Jack, "and if they fire I will
pick one of them off and crawl away to another position at once. Then
I'll fire at another. There are three of them, but after all I am in a
good position, and unless they gallop in and finish me, I ought to get
safely away."

Once more one of the Boers shouted to him to surrender, and as Jack kept
silent, all three fired at the bush close to his pony, one of the
bullets killing the poor animal instantly, while another passed through
the top of Jack's hat, as he happened to be just in the line of fire.

In no way put out by the occurrence, though his hat leapt from his head,
Jack hastily replaced it, and, lifting his rifle, fired at the man whose
bullet had so nearly been the means of ending his career. At such a
short range it was not a difficult shot, and the Boer threw up his arms
and fell backwards over the quarters of his pony with a bullet through
his chest.

Next moment there were two sharp reports, and the ominous swish, swish
of Mauser projectiles flying close above him. But Jack escaped unhurt,
and though the Boers emptied their magazines into that