"If you say wagon again I shan't be able to contain myself," cried Denham passionately. "I don't want to kick you, Val; but I shall be obliged. Look here, if I feel as bad to-morrow evening as I do now, I'll mount and desert to the Boer ranks." "Not you," I said. "But I will, just for the sake of eating as much as ever I can. Then I'll desert again and join our own ranks." "Why, Denham--" I exclaimed excitedly, and then I was silent. "Why, Denham--" he replied. "Wait a minute," I cried; "let me make sure." "Sure of what?" he said, growing excited in turn on hearing the elation in my voice. "Wagons!" I cried. "Ah, would you?" he shouted. "Didn't I say that if you spoke of wagons again--" "One--two--three--four--five--six!" I cried, with the glasses to my eyes. "Hurrah! There's a fresh lot coming into camp, right into that opening you saw. Be quiet and let me watch"--for Denham had given me such a slap between the shoulders that I nearly dropped the glass. "Say it again, old man--say it again." "There's no need," I replied. "Yes, I can make them out quite plainly-- six wagons, with their long teams of oxen and black drivers and forelopers. You can see the black bodies and white cloths." "I don't want to see them," cried Denham wildly. "I'll take your word. Six teams of oxen!--that's all beef. Six wagons!--that means bread. There, you be off and tell the Colonel you're going to start; and I'll see about the troop that's to follow and bring you in. I say, pick out a wagon of meal; not one of mealies. I don't know, though. Couldn't you bring both?" "There's plenty of time," I said. "Time? The Colonel ought to know by now. Here, give me that glass." "Be quiet," I said, angry with excitement. "I want to watch and make sure where the wagons are drawn up." Denham ceased speaking, and during the next half-hour I watched till I had seen tin; six wagons drawn up pretty close together, and their black drivers moving about attending to the oxen; now all grew faint and indistinct, then completely faded out of sight; not, however, until I had made up my mind that I could go straight away from the old fort and find the place, though there were minutes when the task in the dark seemed impossible. Turning to Joeboy, who had twice looked through the glass, I asked: "Do you think we could find those wagons in the dark?" "Um? Joeboy could," he replied promptly. "Go right straight." I breathed more freely then, and suggested to Denham that I should go and report to the Colonel what I had seen. "Yes; at once," he said. "Come along; and I want to have command of one of the troops sent out to bring you in." We had commenced the descent when Denham stopped me. "Look here," he said; "I have a good thought. We ought to arrange some signal to let me know your whereabouts when you are returning with the wagon." "I haven't got it yet," I said.