SIXTEEN.

AFTER A REST.

West started up into wakefulness the next morning from a dream in which
he was galloping for his life with the Boers in full pursuit, and then
he sighed and wondered when and how he had dropped asleep, for he could
only recall being miserable, awake, and puzzled as to what to do, and
then all seemed to have become blank till he was awakened by his
captors' busy stir and the crackling of the fires being lighted.

West's first steps were to see to his companion, who did not seem to
have moved, and the first feeling was one of satisfaction; but directly
afterwards he felt uneasy, for Ingleborough seemed to be unnaturally
still, and a shiver ran through him as he leaned over where his friend
lay on the floor of the wagon, to place a hand upon the injured man's
forehead below the bandage which made him look so ghastly.

Then came reaction as it was proved that the sufferer had only been in a
deep sound sleep.

For Ingleborough's eyes opened, to gaze at him wonderingly.

"What's the matter? Oh, it's you, Noll!"

"Yes; you startled me!"

"Eh? What did I do?"

"You lay so still!"

"Did I? Oh, of course. I've been very fast asleep, I suppose. What
time it is--nearly sundown?"

"No, it's morning--sunrise."

"I'm blessed! What, have I slept all night?"

West nodded and smiled.

"Soundly, I suppose!" he said. "But how are you?"

"Horribly stupid and muddled! I don't quite make out! Oh yes, I do
now. I came down such a quelch that it knocked all the sense out of me,
and my head feels all knocked on one side. But tell me: what about the
despatch?"

"I have it all right so far!"

"That's good. Where are our ponies?"

"Tied up yonder to the wheel of a wagon."

"That's good, too, lad! Then all we've got to do is to help ourselves
to them the first chance and ride away."

"Yes," said West drily, "the first chance; but will there be a first
chance?"

"Why not? It's of no use to look at the black side of things! Where
there's ill luck there's always good luck to balance it, and we're bound
to have our share of both. We had the bad yesterday; the good will come
to-morrow, or next day, or the day after--who knows? We were not
killed. You had your ear nicked and I had a bad fall which will cure
itself as fast as the slit in your ear grows up. I call it grand to
have saved the despatch! Are they going to give us any breakfast?"

"Hah!" sighed West; "you've done me good,