r down, his left
shoulder was puffed up, and apparently excessively tender from either a
blow or wrench.

"It's beyond us," said Dickenson, with a sigh. "We'll make a start now,
and get him into the doctor's hands."

"Yes, sir; we might make a start now," said the sergeant. "Wait a few
minutes, sir, while I saddle up the ponies. I'll be quite ready before
you call the sentries, sir."

"I'll try and wake Mr Lennox, then," said Dickenson, "and we'll get him
on to the pony first."

"I wouldn't, sir, if you'll excuse me," said the sergeant. "If he's
half-insensible like that from a hurt to his head, it'll be best to let
him wake up of himself."

"Perhaps so," said the young officer; "but I don't like his being so
stupefied as this."

The preparations were soon made, and the sergeant led the horses
together, just as Dickenson rose from Lennox's side, took out his glass,
and joined the sentry on their side.

"Can you make out anything?" he said.

"Only the same little cluster as the Boers did, sir. I think it's
ponies grazing."

He had hardly spoken before there was a hail from the other side of the
little wood.

"What is it?" shouted the sergeant.

"Boers coming along fast. I think it's the same lot coming back. Yes,
it must be," cried the sentry. "I've just come across their pot and
kettle and things. This must be their camp."

"Over here," shouted Dickenson. "Now, sergeant, we must mount and be
off, for we shall not have such luck again."

"No, sir," said the sergeant gruffly. "Will you help, sir?"

Dickenson's answer was to hurry to his friend's side, and in a very
short time he was once more on a pony, with the sergeant keeping him in
his place; while the others sprang into their saddles and rode off,
manoeuvring so as to keep the enemy well on the other side of the
woodland clump, and managing so well that they did not even see them for
a time, the Boers riding back toward their old bivouac; and for a while
there seemed to be no danger.

But it was terribly slow work keeping to a walk. Twice over the pony on
which Lennox was mounted was pressed into an amble, but the shaking
seemed to distress the injured man, and the walking pace was resumed,
till all at once there was ample evidence that they had been seen, a
distant crack and puff of smoke following a whistling sound overhead,
and directly after the dust was struck up pretty close to one of the
ponies' hoofs.

"The game has begun, s