for a surprise, I could take
any of the enemy's laagers."

The colonel raised his eyebrows, and looked at the speaker curiously.

"You see, sir," continued Roby, speaking in a peculiarly excited way,
"the men, as an Irishman would say, are spoiling for a fight, and we are
getting weaker and weaker. In another fortnight we shall be quite
helpless."

"I hope not, Mr Roby," said the colonel dryly. "Perhaps you would like
to try some such experiment with a couple of companies?"

"I should, sir," cried the captain eagerly; and the other officers
looked from one to the other wonderingly, and more wonderingly still
when the colonel said calmly:

"Very well, Mr Roby. I will make my plans and observations as to which
of the three laagers it would be more prudent to attack. If you do not
succeed, you ought at least to be able to bring in some of the enemy's
cattle."

That evening the colonel had a quiet council with the major, the latter
being strongly opposed to the plan; but the colonel was firm.

"I do not expect much," he said, "but it will be reading the Boers a
lesson, even if he fails, and do our men good, for all this inaction is
telling upon them, as I have been noticing, to my sorrow, during the
past three or four days. To be frank with you, Robson, I have been
maturing something of the kind."

"But you will not give the command to Roby?" cried the major.

"Certainly not," said the colonel emphatically. "You will take the
lead."

"Ha!" ejaculated the major.

"With Roby as second in command. I will talk with you after I have done
a little scouting on my own account."

Two days elapsed, and Captain Roby had been talking a good deal in a
rather injudicious way about its being just what he expected. The
colonel had been out both nights with as many men as he could mount--
just a small scouting party--seen all that he could as soon as it was
daylight, and returned soon after sunrise each time after a brush with
the enemy, who had discovered the approach to their lines and followed
the retiring party up till they came within reach of the gun, when a few
shells sent them scampering back.

It was on the third night that Captain Roby sat talking to his greatest
intimates, and he repeated his injudicious remarks so bitterly that
Captain Edwards said severely, "I can't sit here and listen to this,
Roby. You must be off your head a little, and if you don't mind you'll
be getting into serious trouble."