"Well, of all the cool impudence!" he cried. "Why, you insolent dog!" he roared, "do you expect we are such children that we are going to give you the means of attacking us again directly you are safe?--Here, Roby, see these fellows out of the lines." The colonel turned away and walked back to his quarters, followed by a torrent of abuse, which was promptly checked by Captain Roby, who gave his orders sharply, and the prisoners were marched off in front of the sergeant's guard with fixed bayonets. But the incident was not quite at an end, for before a quarter of an hour had elapsed the crackling of rifle-fire was heard in the direction of the ford, towards which men were sent at once. The alarm soon died out on the cause being known, the sergeant reporting that he had approached the ford with the prisoners and displayed a flag of truce, which brought out a party of five or six dozen Boers upon the farther side of the river, into whose charge the prisoners were given. But no sooner were all across and seen to be talking to their friends than there was a rush for cover, and before the sergeant and the outposts stationed there could grasp what the movement meant the enemy's fire was opened upon them. "Any one hurt, sergeant?" said Captain Roby. "No, sir, wonderful to relate. Our lads were too sharp for them, and dropped at once. My heart rose to my mouth, sir, for I thought three of ours were hit; but it was only their sharpness, for they were returning the fire the next moment, and we kept it up as hot as the enemy did till they fell back." "Quite time the Boers were taught the meaning of civilised war, Bob," said Lennox as they returned to their quarters. "Quite; but I'm out of heart with them," replied Dickenson. "They're bad pupils--such a one-sided lot." "What about the corn and sheep and beef those fellows are to bring to-morrow or next night?" said Lennox grimly. "Well, what about it? I'm afraid they'll be too much offended with the colonel's treatment to come." "Yes," said Lennox; "so am I." CHAPTER SIX. PLEASANT SUPPLIES. Matters looked anything but hopeful at Groenfontein, though the men were full of spirits and eager to respond to any of the attacks made by the Boers, who, with three commandos, thoroughly shut them in, joining hands and completely cutting off all communication. Time was gliding on without any sign of help from outside, and the beleaguered party would have concluded that they were quite forgotten by their friends if they had not felt certain that the different generals were fully engaged elsewhere. "Let's see," said Lennox one evening; "we've been attacked every day since our fishing-trip." "That's right; and the Boers have been beaten every day for a week." "And yet they are as impudent as over. They think that we shall surrender as soon as we grow a little more hungry."