hen-covered stone
which had fallen from the precipices above, while, as glimpses kept
appearing of the flashing, dancing water, the men began to increase
their pace, till the two foremost leaped down from rock to rock, and one
who had outpaced his comrade bounded down out of sight into the deep
gully along which the limpid water ran.

"Oh!" exclaimed Dickenson, suddenly stopping short with his face
distorted by a look of agony.

"What's the matter?" cried the captain anxiously. "Taken bad?"

"No, no. The men!" said the young officer huskily. "The water--the men
are going to drink. That place in the cavern--it is, of course, where
Groenfontein rises."

"Yes, of course," replied the captain; "but it is too late now."

He had hardly uttered the words before there was a yell of horror which
made him stop short, for the foremost man came clambering back into
sight, gesticulating, and they could see that he looked white and
scared.

"Oh!" cried the captain. "It will be _sauve qui peut_! The Boers have
surprised us, and the lads have nothing but their side-arms. Got your
revolver? I've mine. Let's do the best we can. Cover, my lads,
cover."

"No, no, no!" cried Dickenson in a choking voice. "I can't help it,
Roby. I feel broken down. He has found poor Drew below there, washed
out by the stream!"

"Come on," cried the captain, and in another few moments they were with
the men, who were closing round their startled comrade.

"Couldn't help it," the poor fellow panted as his officers came within
hearing. "I came upon him so sudden; I thought it was a ghost."

"Hold your tongue, fool!" growled the sergeant. "Fall in! Show some
respect for your poor dead officer.--Beg pardon, gentlemen. They've
found the lieutenant's body, and--thank Heaven we can--we
can--_Ur-r-r_!" he ended, with a growl and a tug at the top button of
his khaki jacket.

The men shuffled into their places and stood fast, imitating the action
of their officers, who gravely doffed their helmets and stepped down
into the hollow, where, upon a patch of green growth a few feet above
the rippling water foaming and swirling in miniature cascades among the
rocks, poor Lennox lay stretched out upon his back in the full sunshine,
which had dried up the blood from a long cut upon his forehead, where it
had trickled down one side of his face.

He looked pale and ghastly, and there was a discoloration about his
mouth and on one cheek where he s