warworn wide-awake over
eyes grown keen as a hawk's, and a cutty-pipe sticking straight out
from his front teeth. I can see him now, so gaunt and grim and
debonair, yet already with much of the nonsense gone out of him, though
I thought he only smiled on my misgivings.

"Did he get the instructions, Bunny, or did we? Very well, then; give
the devil a chance."

There was nothing further to be said, but I felt more crushed than
convinced; so we jogged along into broad daylight, until Raffles
himself gave a whistle of surprise.

"A white flag, Bunny, by all my gods!"

I could not see it; he had the longest sight in all our squadron; but
in a little the fluttering emblem, which had gained such a sinister
significance in most of our eyes, was patent even to mine. A little
longer, and the shaggy Boer was in our midst upon his shaggy pony, with
a half-scared, half-incredulous look in his deep-set eyes. He was on
his way to our lines with some missive, and had little enough to say to
us, though frivolous and flippant questions were showered upon him from
most saddles.

"Any Boers over there?" asked one, pointing in the direction in which
we were still heading.

"Shut up!" interjected Raffles in crisp rebuke.

The Boer looked stolid but sinister.

"Any of our chaps?" added another.

The Boer rode on with an open grin.

And the incredible conclusion of the matter was that we were actually
within their lines in another hour; saw them as large as life within a
mile and a half on either side of us; and must every man of us have
been taken prisoner had not every man but Connal refused to go one inch
further, and had not the Boers themselves obviously suspected some
subtle ruse as the only conceivable explanation of so madcap a
manoeuvre. They allowed us to retire without firing a shot; and
retire you may be sure we did, the Kaffirs flogging their teams in a
fury of fear, and our precious corporal sullen but defiant.

I have said this was the conclusion of the matter, and I blush to
repeat that it practically was. Connal was indeed wheeled up before
the colonel, but his instructions were not written instructions, and he
lied his way out with equal hardihood and tact.

"You said 'over there,' sir," he stoutly reiterated; and the vagueness
with which such orders were undoubtedly given was the saving of him for
the time being.

I need not tell you how indignant I felt, for one.

"The fellow is a spy!" I said to