g in sight."

The major's voice came to him clearly enough, in company with another
wave of the hand in the other direction: "Ambulance?"

Dickenson swung round his glass to direct it towards Groenfontein, and
his spirits rose again, for right away beyond the long string of oxen
and wagons, as if coming to meet them, he could make out three light
wagons drawn by horses, and a knot of about twenty mounted men coming at
a canter and fast leaving the wagons behind.

"Ha!" sighed Dickenson; "that's good. The colonel must have started
them to meet us the moment the firing was heard."

He turned directly to shout his news to the watching major, who signed
to him to come down; and he descended, meeting two men coming up, one of
them carrying a field-glass.

"To watch for the enemy, sir," said the latter as they met. "Which is
the best place?"

"Up yonder by that stone, my lad," replied Dickenson, pointing. "Any
news of Mr Lennox?"

"No, sir; I can't understand it. I think I saw him running down the
side of the kopje just as we were getting on, but it was so dark then I
couldn't be sure."

"I can't understand his not being found," said Dickenson to himself, as
he hurried down to where the major was posting the men in the best
positions for resisting an attack, if one were made before the party
could get away.

Dickenson's attention was soon too much taken up with work waiting, for
the wounded had to be seen to. Rightly considering that before long the
enemy would advance to try and retake their old position, the major gave
orders that the Boer wounded be rearranged so that they were in shelter
and safety; and then, as there was still no sign of danger, the few
injured of the attacking force were borne to the nearest spot where the
ambulance party could meet them. Then the final work of destruction
began.

"Seems a thousand pities," said Captain Edwards, "badly as we want
everything nearly here."

"Yes," said the major; "but we can take no more, and we can't leave the
stores for the enemy.--Here, Dickenson, take Sergeant James and play
engineer. I have had the trains laid and fuses placed ready. You two
must fire them as soon as we are a few hundred yards away."

Dickenson shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.

"Take care, and make sure the fuses are burning; then hurry away. Don't
run any risks, and don't let Sergeant James be foolhardy."

"I'll mind, sir," said Dickenson shortly.

"The wagons wi