Part 19 (1/2)

”Now, Wilfred,” said Jack, ”out with that piece of beef we brought with us I'll get a fire alight, and we'll have a good ood one we shall be able to eat for so it will help to pass the hours between this and nightfall We'll push on then, and we shall have to go carefully, for there are numbers of Boers hereabouts”

Wilfred at once opened his haversack, while Jack gathered a feigs and lit a fire between so been toasted in front of the blaze, were placed on pieces of bread and eaten with great relish Then they lit up their pipes and s up to have a good look round

Late in the afternoon Jack sighted soht be a party of the enee of the trees and looked out The road ran within twenty feet of them, and very soon ten , and evidently quite unconscious of the presence of two of the hated Rooineks And in the centre of the group of horsereeable to theht before

”Ah! there is no doubt about his being a scoundrel,” whispered Jack

”Well, we shall knohat to do if we lish town after this; and if I happen to ride this ith despatches I shall certainly call at De Aar and warn them there Now I think we ain at nightfall and cover about fifty miles Then we'll lie up in a quiet spot I know of, and the following night we ought to get through to Kiht, Jack! you turn in, and I'll take the first watch,” answered Wilfred jovially ”I'll wake you in a couple of hours”

Accordingly Jack lay down, and, like a hardened caner, fell asleep at once Two hours afterwards Wilfred took his turn, and after a short nap akened Then, saddling their ponies, they turned out of the eucalyptus-trees and started on their long ride

Before dawn they were securely hidden in a donga, in the roup of s secure from observation, they lay down in their blankets beneath the shade of a huge rock and fell asleep

When darkness fell again they proceeded on their journey, and a few hours later swam their ponies across the Modder River It was risky work, but to have attee or at the drift (ford) would have led to certain discovery, for both places were closely watched by the Boers Instead of that, they had made a wide detour, and crossed at a bend in the river where the stream ran very slowly Then they turned their faces towards Kiuered town an hour or ht

They were now in a country overrun by Boers, and they therefore rode in silence, with their bayonets fixed and the e in the breech, for the accidental pressure on a trigger ht easily have betrayed theht their eyes as it sloept a broad bea the town

”Turn to the left--quick!” whispered Jack ”Now get in under this boulder It would never do to stand out in the open That light would show us up at once”

A minute or two later the electric beam had passed by, and they pushed on once more

”That is Frank Russel's farm over there,” said Jack, a quarter of an hour later, as a house loo by his property, and trusting to the Boers to leave hihts in his s--Hold on a ht I heard shouts”

”Sounds toon,”

answered Wilfred, pulling up alongside Jack and listening intently

”Yes, I'ether”

”Then they must be Boers, Wilfred! Frank Russel is an oldish man, steady and quiet, and he would never think of entertaining a party of rowdies, especially if they belonged to the ene caused him to come out here with his wife, where he has lived for about twenty years, cattle-ranching and far Tom Salter and I have had a cup of tea with him many a tihter, who runs the ho on over there? Frank is loyal to the backbone, and would never think of harbouring one of England's eneirl there, and a pretty one too, is there, Jack?”

Wilfred chuckled ”Well, if you think that soo over and investigate”

”Just what I think, Wilfred I don't like the look of things Either Frank has changed his one into Ki them Keep close beside round round here, and will see that we do not fall into a trap”

Jack at once touched his pony with his heel, and in absolute silence the two moved forward towards the far, surrounded by a neat English flower-garden, and lying isolated in theat least a mile away

As they rode up to it on the soft noiseless turf, the sound of uproarious singing becahter

”Hold on to e of the garden ”I'll be back as soon as I've seen what is going on”

Slipping to the ground, he passed the reins to Wilfred, and, cliarden, stole across the beds towards the house At the door a nurass froot close up to the to the Boers

Then he crept up to one of the s, and peered in beneath the blind, which was only partly drawn