"And a nasty, dirty, cowardly blow, too," said the poor fellow feebly. "Beg pardon, sir; you'll pull me round as quickly as you can--won't you?" "Of course," said the doctor, smiling. "Thank ye, sir. I want to have an interview with that gentleman again." "I suppose so," said Denham; "and so do about four hundred of the corps. He'd have been stood up with his back to one of the walls and shot by this time, but the brute has got away." "We shall run against him again, though, sir," said the wounded man confidently, "and we shan't mistake him for any one else.--Beg pardon, though, sir; you're quite sure my skull isn't broken?" "Quite," said the doctor. "Now be quiet." "Certainly, sir; but is it cracked?" "No, nor yet cracked," said the doctor, smiling. "You're suffering from concussion of the brain." "And I'll concuss his brain, sir, if I can only get a chance; but I will do it fair and--Yes, sir, I've done, and I'm going to sleep." He smiled at us both, and then closed his eyes; while, after a few words with the doctor, Denham picked up the lamp, and we went gently to the other rough curtain. "It's just as near to go back this way," said Denham as I lowered the canvas again, and we passed on, to be confronted directly after by a sentry, who challenged with his levelled bayonet pointed at our breasts; but after giving the word we passed on. "Seems queer for poor Sam Wren," said my companion, "changing places like that. Sentry one moment; patient the next. Bah! it is a nuisance that the prisoner should have been able to get away." "And go back to the Boers, full of all he has seen here," I said. "Well, it will make us all the more careful," said Denham, still shading the lamp with his hat as we went on, till we had passed where we could hear the movement of the horses tethered to the long lines, with none too much room to stir, poor beasts! Commenting on the condition of our mounts, I remarked that, as the Boers had come in so close, the horses would have but little opportunity for stretching their legs. "Oh, don't you be afraid about that; the chief isn't the man to let the Doppies come close like this without having something to say on his side. You may depend upon it that the moment he feels that the horses are going the wrong way, there'll be such a dash made as will astonish our friends outside." "Well, I shall not be sorry," I said, "for I don't like being shut up as we are. Look up. I say, what a lovely starlight night!" "No, thank you," replied Denham. "I like fine nights, but I like to take care of my shins; and if I get star-gazing the lamp will be blown out, and we shall be going down one of those holes into the old gold-mine. There is one just in front--isn't there?" "Two," I said; "but there are great stones laid across now." "Across the middle; but there's plenty of room to go down on one side. Look! Here we are."