Hang them to my saddle," I said.

"Quick!" The next minute I helped to raise the insensible man carefully on to the black's broad back as he bent down on one knee, Denham's arms being placed round Joeboy's neck; and then, at his request, the wrists were bound together with a sash.
"Now," I said, "can you do it ?" "Um!" was the reply; and, without a word being uttered by way of order, the man rose softly to his feet and set off at a slow, steady walk down towards the little force of mounted rifles waiting, a couple of miles or so away, to receive our news.
No sooner were we well out of the cover which had sheltered us than the firing increased, showing that our movements were under observation; but the pattering shots, which seemed to strike every spot save where we moved at a pace regulated by Joeboy's steady walk, had no effect upon the discipline of the little party.

The sergeant, a middle-aged man, like a Cornish farmer, now took the command.

He ordered half the party to follow close after their wounded officer, and halted the second half, who stood dismounted and covered by their horses, to reply to the enemy's fire.
Instead of checking the shots, our reply seemed only to increase them; but we had the satisfaction of knowing that the fire was concentrated upon us, and that Lieutenant Denham and his bearer were running no risk of being brought down.

This was kept up for fully ten minutes, during which our friends had got some distance.