But two bags had escaped, the explosive blast rising upward; and the danger being apparently at an end, the principal actors in the catastrophe roused to find officers hurrying to meet them, and men coming forward armed with pails of water to dash and scatter here and there till every spark was extinct and the remaining powder had been thoroughly drenched. "Much hurt, old chap?" cried Dickenson, who was the first to reach his friend, and he supplemented his question by eagerly feeling Lennox all over. "No! No: I think not," said Lennox, "except my head, and that feels hot and scorched. Can you see anything wrong?" "Not yet; it's so dark. Here, let's take you to the doctor." "No, no!" cried Lennox. "Not so bad as that. But tell me--what about the officers sleeping in those huts?" "All right, I believe; but the backs of the houses are blown in, and the fellows at home were blown right out of their beds." "No one hurt?" "Oh yes; some of them are a bit hurt, but only bruised. But you? Oh, hang it all! somebody bring a light. Hi, there, a lantern!" "No, no!" roared the colonel out of the darkness. "Are you mad? Who's that asking for a light?" "Mr Dickenson, sir." "Bah! Keep every light away. There may be another explosion." The colonel gave a few sharp orders respecting being on the alert for an expected attack to follow this attempt--one that he felt to have been arranged to throw the little camp into confusion; and with all lights out, and a wide berth given to the neighbourhood of the headquarters, the troops stood ready to receive the on-coming Boers with fixed bayonets. But an hour passed away, and the doubled outposts and those sent out to scout had nothing to report, while all remained dark and silent in the neighbourhood of the damaged huts. Meanwhile Dickenson had hurried Lennox and the sergeant off to the doctor's quarters, where they were examined by that gentleman and his aids. "Well, upon my word, you ought to congratulate yourself, Lennox." "I do, sir," was the reply, made calmly enough. "And you too, sergeant." "Yes, sir," said the man stolidly. "Why, my good fellow, you ought to have been blown all to pieces." "Ought I, sir?" "Of course you ought. It's a wonderful escape." "Oh, I don't know, sir. What about my back hair, sir?" "Singed off, what there was of it; and yours too, Lennox. Smart much?" "Oh yes, horribly," said the latter. "Oh, well, that will soon pass off. Threw yourselves down on your faces--eh?" "No. We were knocked down." "Good thing too," said the doctor. "Saved your eyes, and the hair about them. A wonderful escape, upon my word. Yes: you ought to have been blown to atoms.--Eh? What's that, sergeant?" "I say we should have been, sir, if we hadn't scattered the powder-bags."