"Only the same little cluster as the Boers did, sir. I think it's ponies grazing." He had hardly spoken before there was a hail from the other side of the little wood. "What is it?" shouted the sergeant. "Boers coming along fast. I think it's the same lot coming back. Yes, it must be," cried the sentry. "I've just come across their pot and kettle and things. This must be their camp." "Over here," shouted Dickenson. "Now, sergeant, we must mount and be off, for we shall not have such luck again." "No, sir," said the sergeant gruffly. "Will you help, sir?" Dickenson's answer was to hurry to his friend's side, and in a very short time he was once more on a pony, with the sergeant keeping him in his place; while the others sprang into their saddles and rode off, manoeuvring so as to keep the enemy well on the other side of the woodland clump, and managing so well that they did not even see them for a time, the Boers riding back toward their old bivouac; and for a while there seemed to be no danger. But it was terribly slow work keeping to a walk. Twice over the pony on which Lennox was mounted was pressed into an amble, but the shaking seemed to distress the injured man, and the walking pace was resumed, till all at once there was ample evidence that they had been seen, a distant crack and puff of smoke following a whistling sound overhead, and directly after the dust was struck up pretty close to one of the ponies' hoofs. "The game has begun, sergeant," said Dickenson calmly. "Yes, sir. Shall we dismount and give them a taste back?" "We out here on the open veldt, and they under cover quite out of sight? No; press on as fast as we can, straight for Groenfontein. They must have it all their own way now." "Hadn't we better try a canter again, sir?" "Yes, sergeant, if we are to save his life. Forward!" They were nearly half a mile on their way, and slowly increasing the distance; but it was quite time to take energetic action, for, to Dickenson's dismay, the Boers were not going to content themselves with long shots, and all at once ten or a dozen appeared round one end of the little wood, spreading out as they galloped, and coming straight for them in an open line. CHAPTER THIRTY. HIS DUES. Burdened as the little party was with an insensible man, escape by trusting to the speed of their active little mounts was quite out of the question; and, young officer though he was, Dickenson was old enough in experience to know what to do.