n Dutch, replied to by another speaker, the voices coming from
the other side of the woodland patch.

In another minute there was quite a burst of talking, and, making signs
to his two companions, the sergeant stepped softly to where the ponies
were browsing and led them in amongst the trees, which stood up densely,
until they were well hidden.

The next idea was to lift Lennox well under cover; but he was not
touched, for he was still sleeping, and already so well hidden that it
would not have been possible for any one to see him if passing round
outside the trees and the thin belt of scrub.

"Get well down there, my lads," said Dickenson then. "We'll try and
hold this little clump of stones if they do find us. If they do, we
must give them a wild shout and a volley. They need not know how few we
are."

The men crouched down among the stones while the pale grey dawn was
broadening, and waited in the full expectation of being discovered; for
though a mounted patrol might in passing fail to see the men, the
chances were that it would be impossible to go by without catching sight
of the ponies.

It was evident enough to the listeners that the Boer party had passed
the night in this shelter, and that they must have been sleeping without
a watch being kept; otherwise, in spite of the quiet movements of
Dickenson and his men, their arrival must have been heard; and now, as
they crouched there, rifle in hand, all waited in the hope that the
party would ride off at once in the direction of the ruined laager.

But Dickenson waited in vain, for the crackling of burning sticks told
that the enemy did not intend to start till they had made their
breakfast, and the young officer's brain was busily employed debating as
to whether it would not be better to try and drive them off with a
surprise volley, putting them to flight in a panic. Under the
circumstances he took the non-commissioned officer into consultation.

"If you think it's best, sir," said the sergeant, "do it; but you can't
get much of a volley out of four rifles, and if you follow it up by
emptying your magazines there'll be no panic, for they'll know what that
means."

"What do you advise, then?"

"Waiting, sir. We're only four. There's Mr Lennox, but that seems
like bringing us down to two instead of making us five. As we are we're
in a strong position, and they may ride right away without seeing us;
and that's what we want, I take it, for we don't w