Bob made a rush for father; but one of the Boers leaned down and caught him by the shoulder, while another snatched the rifles from his hands, and laid them across the pommel of the saddle in which he sat. "Give up, Bob; give up," cried father sternly, as my brother began to struggle with all his might. "It is no use to fight against fate." "Hear him now," said the captain. "He can talk sinse at times." "Yes," said my father, "at times;" and he gave the captain a look which made him turn away his eyes.--"Val, my boy, I cannot have you exposed to the ignominy of being bound." "Sure, no," cried the captain. "I forgot to say a wurrud about stirrup-leathers across his back if he didn't behave himself." "Fate is against us for the present, my boy," continued my father, "and you must ride with this party till I have applied to the proper quarters to get the matter righted." "Now, man, be aloive," said the captain, and I winced and looked vainly round for a way of escape; but I was seized by the wrist by another dismounted Boer, who slipped a raw-hide noose over my wrist, just as two more came riding back, leading my own horse, Sandho, between them. The poor beast, who followed me like a dog, uttered a shrill neigh as soon as he caught sight of me, springing forward to reach my side. "Stop!" cried my father loudly; "there is no need for that. My son will ride with you, sir." "Indade, sir, I'm obleeged to ye for the inforrmation," said the captain mockingly; "but sure it's a work of shupererrogation, me dear friend, for I knew it, and that he was going to ride backward. If, however, he gives up sinsibly, he may ride with his back to the horse's tail, and ye needn't tie his ankles togither. Have ye ever ridden that horse before?" "He has ridden it hundreds of times, ever since it was a foal," said my father quickly, for I felt choked.--"Stop, man," he added angrily; "your captain said my son was not to be bound." "Sure I didn't say a wurrud about his wrists, old man," cried the captain contemptuously. "Ye want too much. I've let him off about the ankles, and let him ride face forward, so be contint. Make his wrists fast behind him." I was compelled to resign myself to my fate, and stood fighting hard to keep down all emotion while my wrists were secured firmly behind my back, the thin raw-hide cutting painfully into the flesh. By this time Sandho was bridled and saddled, and just then my father turned to Bob. "Take in those rifles, my boy," he said. The captain turned sharply and gave my father a searching look; but he contented himself with nodding, and my brother snatched the rifles from where they lay across the Boer's knees, and rushed indoors with them. I knew well enough why, poor fellow: it was to hide the tears struggling to rise, and of which he was ashamed.