So talking, they rode along until they came to a spot where the foot of one of the hills extended almost up to the line. Then there was a sudden shout. Some fifty Boers rose from behind the rocks, and a heavy volley was poured into the little party. The officer in command and seven of the troopers fell. Yorke's horse went down suddenly, shot through the head, and the other five troopers galloped on at full speed, the Boers keeping up an incessant fire upon them. Three fell, and but two rode on to Graspan. Yorke's leg was pinned under his fallen horse, and he made no effort to rise, for he knew that any motion would draw a dozen rifle-shots on him. When the firing had ceased the Boers came down. "I surrender," Yorke said, as the first came up to him. "Are you wounded?" "No, except that my leg feels crushed under my horse. I would rather have been wounded myself than have lost him." "You will have no occasion for him at present," the Boer said; and, calling two or three others to him, they raised the horse sufficiently to be able to drag Yorke out. "The others are all dead," one of the Boers said. "Some of them got half a dozen bullets through them. This is an officer, isn't it?" "Yes," Yorke replied, "I am a subaltern in the 9th Lancers, you can see the number on my shoulder-strap; and I carry a field-glass and revolver as well as a rifle." "What is your name?" "Yorke Harberton." "Can you walk?" "I don't think I can at present," Yorke said, "but I may be able to do so presently." "That won't do," the man said. "We shall be having some of the cavalry from Graspan on us, as the two men who have got away will ride there with the news. However, we have got spare ponies behind the hill here. Two of you take this youngster, and carry him. I suppose you were not in command here?" he went on, as two men lifted Yorke from the ground and carried him off. "No, that officer was in command." "I see he is older than you. I suppose he was taking some message to Graspan?" "He did not tell me," Yorke answered truthfully, "and it was not my business to ask him; but of course he must have had some orders. More troops are coming along--three or four hundred, I believe." "Then, there is no time to lose. Hurry on, men! I will see if the officer has any despatches on him." He rejoined the party just as they reached the ponies. "Not a scrap of paper of any sort," he said. "He can only have had verbal orders. It won't do for us to carry out the business we came here for, for they might be upon us before we had time to pull up half a dozen rails, and were we to try it they might catch us before we had time to get away. At any rate, we have done a good morning's work--ten men and an officer; we have got a prisoner, two pairs of field-glasses, two revolvers, and ten carbines."