I looked, but could make out nothing; yet I was satisfied it was so. I now gazed eagerly in the direction of our goal, for Joeboy had first turned his eyes there. "Can you see help coming, Joeboy?" I asked anxiously. "Um? No," he replied. "Then it's all over," I said in despair. "Um? Yes, here um come." "Ah!" I cried, remembering now the signal agreed upon. "Is it the Lieutenant--Mr Denham?" "Joeboy can't see so far as that," replied the black. "Only see horses coming fas'. Coming to fetch wagons and plenty mealies and flour. Boys all say `Hurrah!' and make all horses laugh." "But do you think they will get here first?" "Um? Yes. Doppie got longer way to come." "Ha!" I ejaculated, with a sigh of relief. A few minutes later the foreloper on whom so much depended--guided, no doubt, by our anxious looks in one direction--made out the coming of our friends, and I saw his eyes open widely till there was a great opal ring round the dark pupils. Looking at me despairingly, he pointed with his long bamboo in the direction of the galloping troop. I nodded, and pointed forward. After an uneasy glance at my gun, he went on with his team in the direction we wished. "Black boy run away fas'," said Joeboy, suddenly laughing merrily, "but 'fraid lead bullet run fasser." "I suppose so," I said slowly as I turned to look back. The light being now much increased, I readily detected a strong troop of the Boers in motion, and doubtless coming in our direction. I drew my breath hard as I looked at the long lines of slowly plodding oxen and then in the direction of our rescuers, who must have seen we were pursued, for they were galloping. Then, to my horror, Joeboy turned to me and nodded, after gazing back. "Um?" he said in a long, slow, murmuring way, "'nother lot o' Doppie coming. Big lot." I darted a look at our comrades, who came sweeping along over the veldt; but they were still far distant, and we seemed to be creeping along more slowly than ever. "Not enough; not enough," I thought; but I wasted no time in regret. There were fully fifty friends, all good horsemen and able shots, coming to our help; so I need not despair. Thinking of what would be the best tactics under the circumstances, there seemed to be two ways open to us: for the troop to fall in on either side of the last wagon, and keep up a running fight; or, if the Boer party proved too strong, the six wagons could be drawn up laager-wise and turned into a temporary fort, with the bullocks outside, our men firing, till help came, from behind an improvised shelter formed by the sacks of grain and meal.