"Don't," he said peevishly. "I know you want to be kind, my lad; but I'm not myself now, and it only makes me feel mad. There, thank ye for it all; but please go before I say something ungrateful." I crept away and tried to find the doctor who was with the corps; but he was busy with his wounded men, of whom he had about twenty. Giving up the satisfaction of getting his report about the young Lieutenant, I went to where Sandho was picketed with the rest, and stood by his head for about half-an-hour, petting and caressing him, before going back towards the rough breastwork--partly natural, partly artificial--which served as a shelter from the bullets. I soon came upon one of the sentries, who challenged me; but he made room for me beside him after a few words had passed. "Oh yes," he said, "you can stay here if you like; but why don't you go and lie down till you have to relieve guard?" "Because I feel too excited to sleep," I replied. "Humph! Yes, it has been warm work," said the sentry; "but I suppose we shall get used to it. I'm excited; but I feel as if I'd give anything to lie down for an hour." "Well, lie down," I said. "I'll keep watch for you." "You will?" he said joyfully. "No, no; I'm not going to break down like that. Don't say any more about it. It's like tempting a man. Here, I say," he whispered eagerly, "how quiet they are! You don't think they're going to make a night attack--do you?" "No," I said; "it's not likely. What good could they do when they couldn't see to shoot?" "None, of course. It's not as if they were soldiers with bayonets. The only thing they could do would be to stampede the horses." "What!" I whispered excitedly. "Oh, I say, don't talk like that." "Only a bit of an idea that came into my head. Don't see anything--do you?" "Nothing," I replied. "It's dark; but there's a curious transparent look about the night, and I think we should see any one directly if he were advancing." "How? I don't see that's at all likely." "If any one passed along it would be like a shadow crossing the grey stones. They look quite grey in the starlight." "Well, yes, they do," he said; "and--I say, what's that?" He pointed towards the Boers' camp-fires, and, startled by his tone, I looked eagerly in the direction pointed out; but there were the piles of grey stones looking dull and shadowy, but no sign to me of anything else. "Fancy," I said. "No. Just as you spoke I saw something dark go across one of the stones. Shall I fire?" "Certainly not. It would be alarming every one for nothing. We talked about seeing things pass the grey stones, and that made you think you saw some one." "Perhaps so," he said thoughtfully. "Anyhow, there's nothing here now. I say, that seems to have woke me up." "It would," I said; and then I crouched a little lower, shading my eyes from the starlight and keenly sweeping the chaotic wilderness of rocks again and again, but seeing nothing.