"I don't care if there are five hundred," growled Lennox through his teeth. "Come along; we must keep it up till help comes from the laager." "Then you mean to fight?" panted Dickenson as he crawled after his leader; while the Boers from the other side kept up a dropping fire right into and up the gully, evidently under the impression that the two officers were making that their line of retreat instead of creeping under cover of the bushes at the foot of the cliff-like bank, till Drew stopped opposite where the abandoned rifle lay upon the stone Dickenson had left, so far unseen. Where they stopped the bushes were shorter and thinner, and they had a good view of the enemy, who had taken cover close to the edge of their bank and were keeping up a steady fire, sending their bullets searching the dense growth of the ravine, while about a dozen mounted men now appeared, cantering along towards where there was a ford about a mile lower down. "That's to surround us, old man," said Dickenson. "The miserable liars! There isn't a man this side. But oh, my chest! You've knocked in some of my ribs." "Hang your ribs! We must get that rifle." "Wait till I get my wind back," panted Dickenson.--"Oh, what a fool I was to lay it down!" "You were, Bobby; you were," said Drew quietly. "Here, hold mine, and I'll dash out and bring it back." "No, you don't!" cried the young officer; and as he crouched there on all fours he bounded out like a bear, seized the rifle from where it lay, and rushed back, followed by the shouts and bullets of four or five Boers, who saw him, but not quickly enough to get an effective aim. "Now call me a fool again," panted Dickenson, shuffling himself behind a stone. It was Drew Lennox's rifle that spoke, not he, as in reply to the fire they had brought upon them he took careful aim and drew trigger, when one of the Boers sprang up fully into sight, turned half-round, threw up his rifle, and fell back over the edge of the cliff among the bushes similar to those which sheltered the young Englishmen. "Good shot, lad!" "Yes. On his own head be it," said Lennox. "A cowardly ambush. Fire as soon as you can steady yourself. Where are you? I can't see you." "Ahint this stone, laddie," replied Dickenson coolly enough now. "And you?" "Behind this one here." "That's right; I was afraid you were only bushed. Ah! my turn,"--_crack_!--"now. Bull's-eye, old man." As the words left his lips Lennox fired again, and another Boer who was badly hidden sprang up and dropped back.