hat he was going to make
some communication. They were right, for he threw down his spoon on the
clothless board and said suddenly:

"Well, gentlemen, the French proverb says, _Il faut manger_."

"Yes," said the doctor, with a grim smile; "but it is necessary to have
something in the manger."

"Quite so, doctor," said the colonel, with a good-humoured nod; "so I
may as well open a discussion on the position at once, and tell you that
while Roby and his company have been searching the kopje the major and I
have formed ourselves into a committee of ways and means, and gone round
the stores.--Tell them, major."

The gentleman addressed shrugged his shoulders.

"There is so little to tell," he replied; "only that with about
quarter-rations we can hold out for another week. That's all."

"Not all," said the colonel. "We have the horses as a last resource;
but they are life to us in another way, and must be left till the very
end."

Dead silence reigned, every man looking down at the rough table.

"Well, gentlemen," continued the colonel, "after giving every thought to
our position I come to the conclusion that at all hazards I must hold
this place."

"Hear, hear!" came from every lip.

"We are keeping three commandos fully employed, and that is something."

There was a sound like a murmur of satisfaction.

"I might determine," said the colonel, "to try and reach Rudolfsberg,
and somehow or another we would cut our way there; but our losses would
be terrible, and we should reach safety--some of us--with the feeling
that we had not done our duty by holding Groenfontein at all hazards."

"That's quite right," said the major as his chief paused, and a murmur
of assent followed the major's words.

"Then, gentlemen, that brings me back again to the French proverb. We
must eat, so the first thing to do is to decide on which direction a
raid is to be made: that means scouting, and the discovery of the
nearest Boer store of provisions, with sheep and cattle. We are quite
alone here, without the possibility of my words being heard, so I can
speak out freely. Scouting parties must go out at once in the direction
of each of the three commandos, and on the strength of their reports the
expedition will be made."

"To-night?" said the major.

"Yes," replied the colonel. "Hush! Don't cheer! Let matters go on as
if nothing fresh were on the way. We cannot afford to have our
proceedings carried out of the lines b