araffin-casks full of that dry grass and hay," cried
Dickenson, who had been superintending. "It will soak up the rest, and
you can start the fire with them."

The men cheered again, and in a very short time the two barrels stood
under the tail-boards of two wagons, only awaiting the flashing-off of a
box of matches to start a fire that no efforts could check.

"Here is the ambulance party," cried Dickenson. "Come with me now,
sergeant. Let your corporals finish what there is to do."

"I don't see that there's any more to do, sir," said the sergeant,
wiping his wet face. "Want me, sir?"

"Yes; I've something to say. You will go down and see the wounded off.
Oh dear! oh dear! I've been thinking of what we were doing, and not of
poor Mr Lennox. You've heard nothing, I suppose?"

"Neither heard nor seen, sir," replied the sergeant. "Seems to me that,
in his plucky way, he must have dashed at the enemy, got mixed, and they
somehow swept him off."

"If they did," said Dickenson, "he'll be too sharp for them, and get
away."

"That he will, sir."

"I was afraid the poor fellow was killed."

"Not he, sir," cried the sergeant. "He'd take a deal of killing.
Besides, we should have found him and brought him in. He'll turn up
somewhere."

"Ha! You make me feel better, James," said Dickenson. "It took all the
spirit out of me. Now then, I've some bad news for you."

"Let's have it, sir. I've had so much that it runs away now like water
off a duck's back."

"It has nothing to do with water, sergeant, but with fire."

"That all, sir? I see; I'm to stop till the detachment's well out of
the way, and then fire the laager?"

"No," said Dickenson; "that will be done before the men have marched.
You are to stop with me and light the fuses."

"To blow up the ammunition, sir? Well, I was wondering who was to do
that."

"It's a risky job, sergeant."

"Pooh, sir! Nothing like advancing against a lot of hiding Boers
waiting to pot you with their Mausers. Beg pardon, sir; who was
Mauser?"

"I don't know, sergeant. I suppose he was the man who invented the Boer
rifles."

"And a nice thing to be proud of, sir! I'm not a vicious sort of
fellow, but I do feel sometimes as if I should like to see him set up as
a mark, and a couple of score o' Boers busy trying how his invention
worked."

"Come along," said the lieutenant.--"Then you don't mind the job?"

"Not I, sir. I always loved powder from a boy.