"Humph!" grunted Captain Roby; and Dickenson, who was full now of his adventure in what seemed to have been near the same place, spoke out: "I think there's something in what he says:" and he related his own experience. "At the time, I was so occupied in getting back for something to eat that I forgot all about the matter after dinner. But now this has occurred I begin to feel that the chirping sounds I heard really were signals, and that I did hear voices talking together afterwards." "Then it must have been Kaffirs sneaking there for water after it was dark." "But the footsteps?" said Lennox. "Well, Kaffirs have feet." "But not boots," said Lennox quietly. "I beg your pardon," said the captain warmly; "I could pick out a dozen of the black hangers-on who have boots which they have obtained from the men." Just then an orderly arrived from the colonel to know what Captain Roby had made out respecting the alarm; and upon a full report being given, the colonel sent orders for Captain Roby to march his company to the foot of the kopje, surround it, and thoroughly search it from top to bottom. This search was commenced as soon as it was light, the men having been led to the foot and stationed before day broke; and the arduous task seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by the men, who, as they slowly ascended the rough cone, naturally closed in so that the prospect of missing any one hiding among the cracks and chasms grew less and less. To the soldiers it was like a game of hide-and-seek held upon a gigantic scale, and they shouted to one another in the excitement of the hunt. Every now and then a rift would be found which promised to be the entrance to a cavern such as abounded in many of the granite and ironstone piles; but in every instance, after the men had plunged in boldly with bayonets fixed, they found the holes empty and were brought up directly, not even finding a sign of the place having been occupied. The officers advanced from four different places, but the incurvation of the mount, and its being only practicable for climbing here and there, caused Lennox and Dickenson to approach more rapidly than the others; hence it happened that by the time they were half-way to the top they were within talking distance, as they kept on trying to keep their men in line, and at the end of another hundred feet they were side by side, panting and hot from their efforts, and ready to give one another a hand or a leg up in difficult parts. "Well, Drew, old man," cried Dickenson as they both paused to wipe their faces and give their men time to breathe, "nice job this! I suppose the old man meant it to give us an appetite for breakfast." Lennox laughed. "He ought to have given us a task to take away the sharpness; but it's all right. I shouldn't be at all surprised if we started two or three Kaffirs from some hole higher up." "Why, what would they be doing there?"