We had our haversacks pretty well lined, and each man had, of course, his water-bottle; but the possibility of being held up for over twenty-four hours was enough to make the Colonel give orders for an examination of the ruins and the rocks of the kopje around, to see if water could be found.
To Denham was given the task of making the search, and he nodded to me to accompany him, and afterwards called to Sergeant Briggs, who eagerly came to our side.
"We're to go upon a foraging expedition, Briggs," said Denham, "in case we want food and water." "Well, it won't take much looking to prove that there isn't a mouthful of food to be got here, sir," said the Sergeant, "unless we take to shooting some of those pretty creatures hiding amongst the stones.
They're as big as sheep, but I should want to be more'n usually hungry before I had a leg or a wing." "Ugh!" shuddered Denham.

"I'd sooner eat hyena." "Well, no, sir; I won't go as far as that," said the Sergeant.
"As to water," said Denham; "this has been a city at some time, so there must have been wells somewhere, for no river has ever been hereabout in the plain." "Wells or tanks, no doubt, sir, if we can find them," said the Sergeant; "but I expect we shall find they have been filled up or covered by the stones that have crumbled down from these towers and walls." "What a place to build a city in, out in the middle of this wide veldt!" I remarked.
"It's more a fort or castle than the ruins of a city," said Denham.
"It's a puzzle, and it must be very, very old; but I say bless the people who built the place, for it's a regular haven of refuge for us.
Why, we could hold these old walls against the whole Boer army." "Two of 'em, sir, if we'd got anything to eat." "And drink," I added.
"Yes," said Denham.

"That's the weak point; but there must be a big well somewhere, and we've got to find it." "I believe the horses would find it, sir, if we led one about--a thirsty one.

They're good ones to smell out water when they want it." "Well, we'll try one if we can't find it without," said Denham.

"Come on." We "came on," searching about in the inside of the place, while the outer works and the rocks were held by our troops; and after carefully examining the enclosure where the horses stood looking rather disconsolate, as they snuffed at the chaotic heaps of broken and crumbling stones, we passed through what must have been a gateway built for defence.