"Thank you," he said sarcastically. "I found that out a long time ago. I never could do anything like so much with a penny as I could with a sov.--Here, Sergeant," he cried as the first water-bag was pulled up, dripping, and with the sound of the water that fell back echoing musically with many repetitions underground, in what seemed to be a vast place. "Water good?" "Beautiful, sir. Clear as crystal and cold as ice." "Then I'll have a taste," said the Colonel, coming up. "Excellent!" he continued, after taking a deep draught from the portable cup he took from his pocket. "Now, what are you going to do?" "Keep on pouring it into that hollow among the stones, sir," said Denham, pointing to a little depression. Into this one of our makeshift bags was emptied, and the impromptu trough proved quite suitable. Then the men worked away at lowering and raising the nose-bag buckets, drawing up sufficient in a few minutes for watering half-a-dozen horses at a time. While this was progressing the Colonel returned from where he had been inspecting the top of the wall, and rearranging the men so as to take the greatest advantage of our position, to make sure the Boers could not break in through the weakest spot--the opening where the wall had fallen. "Ha!" he said to Denham and me, "you two deserve great credit for hunting out the old underground tank of this ancient fortress. Now, with plenty of provisions and fodder for the horses, we might hold this place for any length of time. I think the General ought to know of it, and place two or three companies of foot here. I see that good shelter might be contrived by drawing some wagon-sheets across the top of these double walls." "Yes, sir--easily," said Denham. "As you say, there would be no horses to keep if the place were held by foot." "Exactly," said the Colonel, who seemed much interested in the drawing of the water, and listened intently to the echoes of the splashing from the impromptu buckets. "Why, Denham, that tank seems to be of great size; quite a reservoir, and tremendously deep." "It is, sir," said Denham dryly; "only it isn't a tank." "What is it, then--a well?" "No, sir: a gold-mine," said Denham in a low tone. The Colonel looked at him sternly, and then smiled. "Oh, I see. Metaphorical," he said. "Yes, to thirsty folk a perfect gold-mine. Liquid gold--eh?" "You don't understand me, sir," said Denham quietly. "I was not speaking in a figurative way, but in plain, downright English. That really is part of an ancient gold-mine, in which the water has collected in course of time." "Really? Are you sure?" said the Colonel. "Yes, sir," replied Denham. Then in a few words he told the Colonel that we had discovered two shafts within the walls, as well as the old furnace-house and the ingot-moulds. "You astound me," said the Colonel. "Here, come along and let me see."