grapes, and surrounded by a
beautiful hedge of monthly roses that formed a blaze of bloom. Near the
house, too, was a bed of double roses, some of them exceedingly lovely,
and all flowering with a profusion unknown in this country. Altogether
it was a delightful spot, and, after the noise and glare of the camp,
seemed a perfect heaven. So they sat there and talked a great deal about
the farm and old Silas Croft and a little about Bessie.

"This _is_ nice," said Jess presently, putting her hands behind her head
and looking out at the bush beyond.

"Yes," said John. "I say, I've got a notion. I vote we take up our
quarters here--during the day, I mean. Of course we shall have to sleep
in camp, but we might eat here, you know, and you could sit here all
day; it would be as safe as a church, for those Boers will never try to
storm the town, I am sure of that."

Jess reflected, and soon came to the conclusion that it would be a
charming plan. Accordingly, next day she set to work and made the place
as clean and tidy as circumstances would allow, and they commenced
house-keeping.

The upshot of this arrangement was that they were thrown more together
even than before. Meanwhile the siege dragged its slow length along. No
news whatever reached the town from outside, but this did not trouble
the inhabitants very much, as they were sure that Colley was advancing
to their relief, and even got up sweep-stakes as to the date of his
arrival. Now and then a sortie took place, but, as the results attained
were very small, and were not, on the whole, creditable to our arms,
perhaps the less said about them the better. John, of course, went out
on these occasions, and then Jess would endure agonies that were all
the worse because she was forced to conceal them. She lived in constant
terror lest he should be among the killed. However, nothing happened to
him, and things went on as usual till the twelfth of February, when
an attack was made on a place called the Red House Kraal, which was
occupied by Boers near a spot known as the Six-mile Spruit.

The force, which was a mixed one, left Pretoria before daybreak, and
John went with it. He was rather surprised when, on going to the cart in
which Jess slept, to get some little thing before saddling up, he found
her sitting on the box in the night dews, a cup of hot coffee which she
had prepared for him in her hand.

"What do you mean by this, Jess?" he asked sharply. "I will not have