"Yes; but we shall be out of the jaws of the trap before it closes," I said, "and we're leaving the last lot behind fast." "Oh," said Denham between his teeth, "if we can only get time to hurry the horses into shelter and give the enemy one good volley before they sneak off!" "Well, it looks as if we shall. But look! look!" I said excitedly; "that's not a kopje." "What is it, then?" "A town, with a fort and walls. We're riding into a solid trap, I'm afraid." "Nonsense; there's no town out here." "But look for yourself," I said excitedly. "It's a fort, and occupied. I can see men on the walls." "Impossible. There's no fort or town anywhere out here." "I tell you I can see plainly," I said stubbornly, for I had in those days capital eyes, well trained by hunting expeditions to seeing great distances. "I tell you you can't," cried Denham. "I can, and that's what the Boers are doing. They're driving us into a trap, and that troop that has been racing us is fighting to get here first so as to cut us off when we find out our mistake and try to get away." "I say, are you talking foolishness or common-sense?" said Denham. "Common-sense," I replied; "the sort that nobody likes to believe." "If you are we're galloping into a horrible mess; the Colonel ought to be told. Yes, I'm beginning to think you're right. Ah! I can see the people there. They're manning that tower in the middle; I can just make them out. Val, lad, your horse is faster than mine. You must try and drop out, or spin forward, or do something to get to the Colonel's side and tell him what you can see." I made no reply, but rode on stride for stride with my companion; but I kept my eyes fixed upon the strange-looking rocks and edifices in front, and made no effort to change my position. "Did you hear what I said?" cried Denham. "Yes, I heard," I replied. "But how is it to be done?" "Don't ask me how it's to be done," he said angrily; "do it." "There's no need," I said; "the enemy is scuttling off as fast as he can go." "Retreating?" "Seems like it. Why, Denham, can't you see?" "See? No! What? Speak out, before it's too late." "Look again," I said, laughing. "It's a troop of baboons." "What!" cried Denham. "Well, of all the absurd things! So it is." There was no doubt about the matter, and five minutes' gallop brought us close up to where a mob of two or three hundred of the fierce and hardy half-doglike creatures were racing about over the rocks, after leaving the walls and battlements of the great buildings in front of us, and leaping higher and higher amongst the rocks of the great clump which stood like an island in the midst of a dried-up sea.