The native did as he was told, then he said, "Let us stop a little, baas, and listen. There may be Boers on that hill we have to cross." He stood for a minute or two listening intently. "There are men up there," he said. "Did you hear voices?" "No, but I heard a click as if a kettle had hit against a stone. I am certain that there are some of them up there--not many, perhaps, but certainly there are men there. We had better go back a little between that hill and the next. I will walk first, you follow quite close to me; I can see in the dark much better than you can. If there are rocks in the way I will stop, then you put your hand on my shoulder and I will lead you between them or show you where to climb across them." "All right, Peter! I trust in you entirely, for I could not see a stone the size of my head on the ground." It took them four hours of severe work before they came down on the Jacobsdal road. The ground had in many places been covered with rocks and boulders, through which it would have been hard work to pick a way in the daylight, and quite impossible in the darkness for Yorke, had it not been for the guidance and assistance of Peter. Sometimes they had to climb rough and precipitous hills, and more difficult still, to descend the boulder-strewn slopes. In spite of the care of his guide Yorke had had several heavy falls, had cut his hands and knees, and seriously damaged his garments. "Now, shall we follow the road, baas?" "No, we had better not. There may be parties moving between Jacobsdal and the Boer lines round Kimberley, or reinforcements coming down to Jacobsdal from the north." "They would not travel at night," Peter said positively. "Boers can ride all day, but nothing would make them go out at night if they could help it. Boers sleep like a pig." "Well, we will keep to the road for a bit then. I should like to push on as fast as we can, for we have some sixteen miles to go yet and we have lost a lot of time in getting across here, and if we were to take to the rocks again there would be very little chance of our getting through the Boer lines before daylight." They had gone about a mile when the native stopped. "Men on the road, baas." "Are you sure?" "Quite sure, baas. I heard one strike a match."