thin, that's nothing; they're as healthy as can be. A soldier
don't want to be carrying a lot of unnecessary meat about with him; and
as to fat, it only makes 'em short-winded. See how they can go at the
double now, and come up smiling. They're all right, sir, and we can
feed 'em up again fast enough when the work's done. Beg pardon, sir:
any likelihood of a reinforcement soon?"

"You know just as much as I do, sergeant," said Lennox. "Our orders are
to hold this place, and we've got to hold it. Some day I suppose the
general will send and fetch us out; till then we shall have to do our
best."

"Yes, sir, that's right; but I do wish the enemy would give us a real
good chance of showing them what our lads are made of."

But the Boers had had too many of what Dickenson called "smacks in the
face" during their open attacks, and seemed disposed now to give
starvation a chance of doing the work for them. At least, that was the
young officer's openly expressed opinion.

"But they're making a great mistake, Drew, my lad," he said one evening
as he and his friend sat chatting together. "An Englishman takes a
great deal of starving before he'll give in. They're only making the
boys savage, and they'll reap the consequences one day. My word,
though, what a blessing a good spring of water is!"

As he spoke he picked up the tin can standing upon the end of a
flour-barrel that formed their table, had a good hearty drink, set it
down again, and replaced his pipe between his lips. "I used to think
that bitter beer was the only thing a man could drink with his pipe; but
_tlat_! how good and fresh and cool this water is, and how the Boers
must wish they had the run of it!"

"It helps us to set them at defiance," said Lennox. "They might well
call the place `Green Fountain.' It might be made a lovely spot if it
wasn't for the Boer."

"Yes, I suppose anything would grow here in the heat and moisture. I
suppose the spring comes gurgling up somewhere in the middle of the
kopje."

"It must," said Lennox, "and then makes its way amongst the stones to
spread out below there and flow on to the river."

"Seems rum, though," said Dickenson. "I never did understand why water
should shoot up here at the highest part of a flat country. It ought to
be found low down in the holes. What makes it shoot up?"

"The weight and pressure of the country round, I suppose," said Lennox.
"Hullo! What does that mean?"

"Business,"