waylay and capture us.

One night Grootboom and I had ridden to the neighbourhood of one of
the enemy's camps, and were lying waiting for the early dawn before we
could discover exactly where they were located.

It was during the hour before sunrise that, as a rule, the enemy used
to light their fires for cooking their early morning food. One could
thus see exactly their position, and could rectify one's own, so as
to find a place where one could lie by during the day and watch their
movements.

On this occasion the first fire was lit and then another sparkled up,
and yet another, but before half a dozen had been lighted Grootboom
suddenly growled under his breath:--

"The swine--they are laying a trap for us."

I did not understand at the moment what he meant, but he said:--

"Stop here for a bit, and I will go and look."

He slipped off all his clothing and left it lying in a heap, and stole
away in the darkness, practically naked. Evidently he was going to
visit them to see what was going on.

The worst of spying is that it makes you always suspicious, even of
your best friends. So, as soon as Grootboom was gone in one direction,
I quietly crept away in another, and got among some rocks in a
small kopje, where I should have some kind of a chance if he had any