his
bedside; and as soon as he came up he stopped short and made what little
blood poor West had left flush to his face, for he cried:

"Hullo! Why, it is our illicit-diamond-dealer! I thought we were never
to see you again!"

"It is not true!" cried West. "The man who denounced me lied!"

"Then you have been to Mafeking?"

"Yes, sir: Mr Ingleborough and I."

"And brought back a despatch?"

"Yes, sir: here it is!"

"Where?" said the Commandant, glancing down at the stained tunic on the
bed.

"Open it now, sir," said West to the doctor, who took out his knife
again, slit the cloth, and drew out the big letter, terribly soaked with
its bearer's blood.

"Bravo! Brave messenger!" cried the Commandant, grasping West's hand
before tearing open the packet and finding enough of the despatch
unstained to allow him to decipher the principal part of the text.
"Hah!" he cried, when he had finished, "on the whole good news; but," he
continued, glancing at the date, "you have been a long time coming."

"Have I, sir? We lost no time!"

"The poor fellow has been lying here for a fortnight, sir," said the
surgeon.

"A fortnight ago? Why, that was the day when the reconnoitring party
returned with the captured sheep and cattle. Yes, I remember now: they
had a brush with the Boers up the river. Of course, yes: they were
attracted by the firing, and saved two young Englishmen. You are one of
them?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well done, then! Our raiding party did good work, though they did have
a desperate fight afterwards to get through the Boer lines. Getting
better?"

"Yes, sir," said West, with a sigh of relief: "now that I have got my
despatch safely into your hands!"

"But what about your bad character?"

"It was a false accusation, sir!" cried West indignantly. "The man who
denounced me was the criminal himself."

"Well, you have done your duty so truly that I believe you in preference
to him."

"But I shall be able to fully clear myself, sir, soon, for this man is a
prisoner now with the cavalry brigade. Has that come into the town yet,
sir, with the prisoners, guns, and the convoy they captured?"

"Hah!" cried the Commandant: "this is news indeed! Has the brigade
captured all you say?"

"Yes, sir," said West, and he told all that had taken place up to the
time of he and Ingleborough being cut off and chased by the Boers.

"We knew nothing of this!" said the Commandant. "We are prisoners
ourselve