"And try to steal through the pass then," I said eagerly, "in the dark?" "Um!" he said. "All dark. No see Boss Val; no see horse." "But they'll hear his hoofs. There are sure to be plenty of sentries." "Um, plenty much Boer. Go soft, soft. Then Sandho gallop." "And what about you?" I said, as I grasped that he meant we were to steal along softly in the darkness till we were heard, and then that I was to gallop. "What about you?" "Joeboy hold stirrup and run," he said, with a laugh. "Boer better get out o' way." This seemed to be our only road out of the difficulty, and I carefully dismounted, Joeboy leading the horse farther in amongst what was now becoming a chaotic wilderness of stones; and here, pretty well hidden, but quite open to discovery by a wandering party of Boers at any time, we sat down to wait, listening to the steady _crop, crop_, as Sandho calmly set to work to improve the occasion on grass. As far as I could make out, the sentry we had seen was about a fifth of a mile distant; but in all probability there were others perched up on the lookout in various points of vantage high on either side of the pass; while those below, I felt sure now, would be in strong force, fulfilling the double duty of preventing English settlers from passing out of the country save as the Boers pleased, and defending the place. "All Boer," he said, pointing in various directions. "Can't go. Wait." "Yes," I said; "we must wait till it is dark." "Boss Val wait. Sandho eat and rest," he said. "Boss lie down." "No," I replied. "I must sit here and watch. You lie down now." "Boss Val lie down," said the black, shaking his head. "Boer see um." "Well, they'll see you," I said. "Um!" he replied, with a nod. "Only black man. See Boss Val; come and catch um." It was my turn to nod now, for his meaning was plain. If the Boers saw me, my chances of escape were gone; while if by ill-luck they caught night of him, the probability was that they would not trouble themselves about a solitary Kaffir. "You are right, Joeboy," I said. "I'll keep hidden till it grows dark." "Um!" he said softly; "get dark. Then not see Boss Val. Joeboy go and look how many."