"But we shall be challenged by their rear-guard."

"Perhaps," said Ingleborough coolly; "perhaps not. I reckon on getting pretty close up without. If we are challenged, I want you to do as I tell you."

"Of course," replied West. "Anything to fulfil our task!"

"Ready?"

"And waiting!"

"Then mount!"

Their ponies were waiting patiently by their sides, and the next minute they had sprung into the saddles and rode off in the direction taken by the train.

West asked no questions, for he was full of confidence in his long-tried companion, and with the ponies well-refreshed and eager from their rest, they rode steadily on, keeping a sharp look-out for danger, but meeting with no adventure for quite a couple of hours, by which time both felt that they must be getting near to the end of their journey.

But they had nothing to guide them, for they were off the track, and even had they been on, it would have been impossible to follow it in the strange eerie light shed by the quarter-moon. Once they had evidence that they were in all probability going right, for a horrible odour suddenly a.s.sailed their nostrils, making them press their ponies' sides and go past something indistinct at a gallop, holding their breath till they were well beyond what was in all probability the body of some wretched horse or ox that had died of overwork and exhaustion.

"We must keep on now!" whispered Ingleborough. "I feel that we are going right."

"But the Boer laagers and outposts!" whispered back West.

"Somewhere ahead, lad; but we must leave something to chance. We are, say, within half-a-dozen miles of Mafeking, so I put it; perhaps not more than two or three. Keep a sharp look-out for lights."

"The enemy's?"

"Or friends'," replied Ingleborough. "There's a good deal of chance now, and we must trust a little to our luck."

"In other words, you mean make a bold dash?"

"Yes, but not a blind one! I want to put a little gumption into what we do! You'll trust me?"

"I will!"

"Forward then, and give the ponies their heads!"

West gave vent to a deep low "Hah!" of satisfaction, and away they went, with their mounts seeming to exult in the freedom from pressure on their bits, keeping close together, and bounding along over the level veldt as if perfectly familiar with the way, though their riders knew it to be bespread with pitfalls in the shape of the burrows made by the aardvarks and other animals that made the wide open veldt their home.

The moon shone brightly now, though the light was puzzling, and the distance ahead looked strange and weird; but the pace at which they were going had a peculiarly exhilarating effect upon both of the riders, who seemed to share the excitement of their ponies.

For, guesswork though it was, West felt that Mafeking must lie right ahead, and as they dashed on he began to feel a kind of certainty that if left to themselves their sagacious steeds would take them right into the town.

A good four miles must have been pa.s.sed over in this way, and at last a fresh sensation began to attack West, filling him with anxiety lest they should be going in the wrong direction. For he argued that they must before now, if right, have come upon signs of the besiegers, and he was in the act of leaning over towards Ingleborough to make him acquainted with his fears, when all doubt was chased away by a loud challenge from his right, followed by a flash and a report.

That one shot was the opening note of an overture, for directly after the b.a.l.l.s began whistling over their heads, and the first reports grew into a loud rattle followed by the trampling of horses and loud shouting.

"It's all right," said Ingleborough coolly; "they're firing at random.

It's impossible to take aim on a night like this! Can you see them?"

"No; only the flashes!" said West excitedly.

"That's enough! Then they can't see us! We're through their lines too, for they're firing behind us, and I'll back our horses to beat theirs in a race."

Reports now began to ring out on their right, and directly after they came from their left.

"Shall we shout?" whispered West.

"No. What for?"

"We must be getting among our own people!"

"No such luck, my lad! Keep steadily on! Ah! Poor beast!"

"What is it?" said West excitedly, as his mount stopped short, obeying its natural instinct and the love of companionship of a gregarious animal. For Ingleborough's pony had suddenly uttered a peculiar neighing cry, reared up, and fallen backwards.

"Are you hurt?" whispered West again.

"No; I just escaped! Quick; jump down."

West was on his feet directly, and Ingleborough grasped his arm.

"I'd say ride for it alone, lad," he whispered, with his lips close to his companion's ear; "but my way is safest. Now down on your hands and knees and let's play wild dog or baboon!"

"I don't understand you!" whispered West.

"Never mind; do as I do!" and the next minute they were going along on hands and knees over the level ground, feeling it quiver with the trampling of galloping horses all round, while the flashing of rifles and the crackling reports seemed to be coming from all directions.

So near to them came some of the hors.e.m.e.n that West felt certain they must be seen; but there was no hail, no whistling bullet, and, wearisome though the way of progression was to the muscles and painful to hands and knees, West kept on side by side with his companion till the firing began to drop off and then ceased, though the hurrying to and fro of horses still went on.

"It was sooner than I intended," said Ingleborough at last; "but I meant for us to dismount at last and crawl. If we are seen the enemy will take us for hyaenas or dogs."

He had hardly whispered these words before a shot was fired from, their left, the bullet whistling over them, when to the astonishment of West, Ingleborough uttered a snarling yelp, followed by an excellent imitation of a dog's bark.

"Do as I do!" he whispered, and the next moment he had thrown himself upon his side and lay perfectly still.

"What folly!" West was disposed to say; but he followed his companion's example, letting himself sink sidewise like a dying quadruped, feeling the despatch crackle beneath him as he lay listening to the trampling of horses growing more distant, and waiting for Ingleborough to speak.

"Seems a stupid sort of dodge!" said the latter at last; "but I thought it better to let them think we were hyaenas than human beings."

"But we had a narrow escape of being shot!" replied West.

"Yes, and escaped. If they had taken us for human beings we should have been either shot or taken prisoners. Now we're safe!"

"Safe, with this bright moon shining ready to show every movement?"

"Then why move until we are safe, lad? The enemy will not come near us so long as they think we are dead animals."

"But if they make out what we are--how then?"

"How then?" said Ingleborough, with a low sarcastic laugh. "Why, then they'll behave like Boers, and come and see if there's anything worth taking in our pockets. They are sweet people! But wait a bit. As soon as they are farther off we'll continue our journey."