I thought of this for a time, and I ate my bread and cold salt pork slowly and without appetite, for the thoughts of the pleasant old farm came back; and I began to wonder how father and Bob were, and what Aunt Jenny would be thinking about. Then, between the mouthfuls, a vision of Joeboy's black face and grinning white teeth seemed to rise up; and I fell to thinking how disappointed he would be when he returned from the foraging expedition to find that the corps had been suddenly called out. "Poor old Joeboy!" I thought to myself; "it's a pity father didn't keep him at home. It would be horrible if he were to be shot by the Boers." But I was eating again heartily soon, the conversation of the men taking up my attention, for they were discussing what was to be done that evening. "It's only a reconnaissance," said one. "We're going to give the Doppies a stir-up to show them we're `all alive, oh!'" "Nonsense," said another. "We shan't do anything; the Colonel don't care about working in the dark." "That's right," said another voice. "It would be absurd to move from such a strong place as this. Why, we could laugh at twice as many as they could bring against us." "Don't you talk nonsense, my lads," said a familiar voice which made me turn my head sharply. "Who's talking nonsense, Sergeant?" said one of the troopers. "The man who spoke," was the reply. "What's the good of a strong place like this to us if we've got no provisions for selves and horses?" "The horses might be driven out to graze under the fire of our rifles." "How long would the scanty grass round here last? No: the chief's right enough, and as soon as it's dark the orders will come, `Boot and saddle.' We've got to cut our way through that mob of Dutchmen to-night." "Oh, very well," said one of the men who had not yet spoken; "this is rather a dreary sort of place, so by all means let us cut." The men grew very quiet afterwards as the twilight began to fall, and I noticed that most of them, after finishing their meal and getting a draught of water freshly drawn up out of the old mine, walked up to their horses and began to make much of them, patting and smoothing, and then examining girths, bridles, and every buckle and strap. The night was coming on fast now, and the Boers began to mingle with the haze in the distance. We saw they had filled up all the gaps between their lines, opening out till they formed a complete hedge of dismounted horsemen around our stronghold; and they looked a very formidable body of men. "Yes," said Denham, who had drifted to my side again, according to what had now become a custom of his--for I could not go to him--"we're regularly ringed round, Val." "Yes, they're very strong," I said. "No, they're not, lad, for a ring's very weak, and bends or breaks if it's pushed from the inside; but if pushed from the outside it takes a deal to break it. We'll both bend and break it to-night."