reshing
beauty, being a wide ravine stretching up into the height, and with a
bubbling stream of water running outward and inviting the ponies at once
to take their fill.

"This settles it at once!" said Ingleborough, letting his bridle fall
upon his mount's neck.

"Yes; we can go well in yonder, leading the ponies along the bed of the
stream. There is plenty of cover to hide half a regiment."

"Of Boers," said Ingleborough shortly. "It will not do for us."

"Why?" said West, staring. "We can hide there till they have gone."

"My dear boy," said Ingleborough; "can't you see? The beggars evidently
know this place, and are making for it on account of the water. We saw
none on the other side."

"Very well," said West sharply; "let's ride off, and keep the hill
between us and them."

"Too late!" said Ingleborough. "This way; come on!"

For as he spoke there was the loud beating noise of many hoofs,
indicating that the whole or a portion of the commando was coming at a
gallop round the opposite side of the kopje from that by which the
fugitives had come; and to have started then would have meant a gallop
in full sight of a large body of men ready to deliver a rifle-fire of
which they would have had to run the gauntlet.

"We're entering another trap," said West bitterly, as they led their
reluctant ponies along the bed of the stream, fortunately for them too
stony for any discoloration to be borne down to show the keen-eyed Boers
that someone had passed that way, and at the same time yielding no
impress of the footprints of man or beast.

As far as the fugitives could see, the ravine went in a devious course a
couple of hundred yards into the eminence, but, as it proved, nearly
across to the other side. It was darkened by overhanging trees and
creepers, which found a hold in every ledge or crack of the almost
perpendicular sides, and grew darker and darker at every score of yards;
but the echoing rocks gave them full notice of what was going on near
the entrance, the voices of the Boers and the splashing noise of their
horses' feet coming with many repetitions to drown any sound made by
their own.

"It isn't a bad place!" said Ingleborough, as they hurried on, with the
ravine growing more narrow and the sides coming more sharply down into
the water. "It strikes me that we shall find the water comes out of
some cave."

Five minutes later Ingleborough proved to be quite correct, for they
paused at a rugg