wrinkled up and an agonising pain contracting
his heart, for the Boer who had defended him unbuttoned the flap of his
haversack, thrust in his hand, and brought out a couple of cake loaves,
and then, one after the other, two carefully wrapped-up sandwiches,
standing for a few moments with them in his hand, hesitating, while
Ingleborough, who had recovered his senses, darted a meaning look at his
suffering companion.

"It's all over with our expedition!" he said to himself. "Why didn't
poor Noll eat his sandwiches?"

The moments were as agonising to him as to West, who could only stand in
silence; but, having become somewhat versed in the tricks of those who
fought the law through his friendship with Norton, an idea crossed his
mind, and turning in a faint appealing way to the Boer who seemed to be
holding in suspense the scales of success and failure, he said: "Don't
take our bit of provisions away! We're prisoners; isn't that enough?"

The Boer fixed him with his eyes, noted his pallid face and the blood
trickling down from the cut caused by his fall, and then, as if
satisfied and moved by a feeling akin to compassion, he nodded his head,
thrust the cake and the sandwich-like papers back into West's haversack,
and let it swing again under the young man's arm.

"Lucky for them we're not hungry!" he said, in his own tongue, "or we
shouldn't have left them much."

"Why don't you make them eat it?" cried the man who had fired. "For
aught we know, it may be poisoned."

"Bah!" cried their friend, who had done the pair so good a turn; "let
them be!"

A couple of the Boers then approached with reins, but, in spite of the
opposition that had taken place, the man who had taken West's part again
interfered, just as they proceeded to raise Ingleborough to bind his
hands behind his back.

"There is no need!" said the man sharply. "Can't you see that he is too
weak to stand? Help him upon his horse, and one go on either side to
keep him in the saddle."

Then turning to West, he continued: "Mount; but you will be shot down
directly if you attempt to escape."

"I am not going to leave my friend," said West coldly. "I could have
galloped away had I wanted to. Let me walk by his side to help him."

The man looked at the speaker searchingly and then nodded, West taking
the place of one of the Boers, who placed himself just behind him with
rifle ready. Then the little party moved off towards the kopje where
the pris