his end he had, directly after the discovery of the
entrance to the cavern, supplemented the stores found there by removing
all they had from the village, and making additions from time to time
whenever suitable captures were made; while, greatest prize of all,
there was the inexhaustible supply of pure cold water, easily enough
obtainable as soon as proper arrangements were made.

Hence it was that the little English force was always ready, the plans
for the defence arranged, and nothing remained to be done but for the
various defenders to march quietly to their appointed places.

Consequently, after the watch-setting, the orders were given, and party
after party moved silently through the soft darkness, till by the
brilliant starlight each battery was manned and the trenches which
commanded the probable approaches to the kopje lined, while the same
precautions were taken in the village, where wall and hut had been
carefully loopholed; and then all was ready. The men lay down in their
greatcoats and blankets to snatch such sleep as they could get, as it
was anticipated that several hours would probably elapse before the
attack--if any--was made.

"I was in hopes," said Dickenson when all was ready, "that we should be
up yonder, ready to cover the gunners. It would be a treat to play Boer
and show them what firing from behind stones is like. Something new for
them."

"But we shall not stay here very long if they do come," replied Lennox.

"No; we understand all that. Been drilled into us pretty well. But it
strikes me that, according to the good old fashion of nothing occurring
so likely as the unexpected, if they do come it will not be to where we
are waiting, but from somewhere else."

"Where else can they come from?" said Lennox sharply.

"Oh, don't ask me," said Dickenson, laughing. "I'm not a Boer: how can
I tell? They'll have hatched out some dodge. Got a balloon all the way
from Komati Poort, perhaps, and about three o'clock they'll have it
right over the top of the kopje, and if we had been up there I dare say
we should have found them sliding down ropes like spiders."

"Highly probable," said Lennox dryly.

"Ah, you may jest; but you see if they don't come crawling right close
up like so many slugs on a wet night. The first thing we shall know
will be that they are there."

"Ah, now you are talking sense."

"But I don't guarantee that it's going to be like that," said Dickenson
quickly, "s