"Have they brought down one of the Dutchmen ?" He pressed his horse's sides and rode out from behind the great stone, while I followed him, to learn directly what was the meaning of the cheering.

It was plain enough, for there, about five hundred yards up the narrow pass, was Joeboy coming after us at a quick run, dodging round the great stones, and pretty well contriving to keep them between him and the enemy, whose rifles kept on spitting bullets fiercely after him.
It was as Denham had suggested.

Joeboy had leaped down from behind the stone as soon as he had drawn the enemy's fire, then started to follow us, running the gauntlet of their bullets, and reaching us in a very short time, flushed, triumphant, and very little out of breath.
"Well," cried Denham, "see the Boers ?" "Um!" replied Joeboy.
"Were there a great many of them ?" I said eagerly, as I sat hoping the poor fellow did not give me the credit of forsaking him in a cowardly way.
For answer he held up both hands with fingers and thumbs outspread; dropped them, and raised them once more; and would have kept on for long enough if I had not checked him.
"You see," I said to Denham, "they are in great force up there." "Yes, and no wonder," was the reply, "for it's a very strong position.
Now then, all here, and forward once more." The men ran back into the rallying-place as quickly as so many rabbits, mounted, and once more we were in full retreat, with Joeboy trotting beside my horse holding on to the stirrup-iron, while Denham kept coming to me, to talk.
"Just to give you a few lessons in the art of war," he said, with his eyes twinkling and a laugh beginning to show at their corners.

"There, you see we have done exactly what the Colonel wanted us to do: made a regular reconnaissance and drawn the enemy's fire, proving that he is holding the pass.

What the old man will do now remains to be seen.