nusual sight. The night was a fairly dark one, but we pushed
on rapidly. In the middle of a hard canter my horse suddenly struck his
forefeet against some obstacle, and came crashing down upon his head. It
was an anxious moment for me. When we had disentangled ourselves I
hastened to feel the pony's knees, and found to my joy that they were
but little damaged. Whilst still laughing over this mishap, we heard
voices to our right. We listened for a moment. First came the question
_in English_--

"Where are they?"

Then the reply--

"Don't know where they are now."

This was enough for us, and we sped forth as silently and as fast as
possible.

On approaching the bonfire we heard more voices--Dutch this time. We
rode up to the group standing round the fire. Several friends came
forward to greet us, and we became aware that this was the President's
party--about thirty men in all.

"Where are your sentries?" I asked.

"Just going out now."

"Who is in charge?"

"The President's secretary."

Calling the latter aside, I said--

"I don't wish to cause an alarm, but on coming along about a mile from
here we heard men calling to each other in English. At one o'clock the
British were only fifteen miles from here; your bonfire may have drawn a
patrol hither."

"What is it? Who has arrived?" asked Steyn, coming out of his tent. We
gave him all the information we had gained. He immediately ordered all
lights to be extinguished, and sent the guard to find out what the
voices meant. All were relieved when it turned out to have been merely a
couple of the President's bodyguard searching for their horses.

Early the next morning a couple of deserters were brought in. They had
been caught trying to slip past in the night. One said he had a sick son
at home, and was only going to see him, perhaps for the last time. The
other was going home to fetch better horses, and so forth. They were so
unfortunate as to call upon the Deity to testify to the truth of their
assertions. This roused Steyn's ire.

"How dare you be guilty of such sacrilege?" he cried. "It is this cursed
habit of yours of using God's name upon every trivial occasion that
makes our enemies think us a nation of hypocrites! Back to your
commandoes at once!"

The men slunk away. We enjoyed their discomfiture in a measure, for,
with all reverence for true religion, it must be confessed that many of
these gentry thought psalm-singing all that was required of th