"They were not dear, certainly; and the fact that they came from him is
in itself a sufficient recommendation. We have got some thirty from him,
but they are a different stamp of animal and did not cost half that
figure. And now we must be riding to join the rest of our fellows. We
made you out when you were a couple of miles away, and were sent off to
ascertain what you were. By the way, you will find Brookfield there. He
arrived with his men by rail last evening." Riding on, they soon came
upon the mounted corps, and were warmly received by Captain Brookfield.

"You are back just in time," he said. "I suppose that you saw something
of the fight yesterday, but, as I see your number still complete, you
can scarcely have been in the thick of it?"

"We were with two squadrons of Hussars, and captured a good many waggons
and did a little fighting, but nothing very serious. There were only a
few casualties. We heard, however, from Colonel Yule, who has succeeded
poor Symons, that up to ten o'clock last night, another of the squadrons
of the Hussars and a company of mounted infantry with them had not
returned, and nothing was known of their whereabouts."

"Had they not got into camp when you started?"

"I did not hear, sir. In fact, we set off by daylight. But last night it
was hoped that the squadron, which was acting independently, had lost
their way, and would come in this morning. Where is the Boer force now?"

"Our batteries have shelled them out of the station. They were wholly
unprepared for it, and bolted at once to those hills a mile and half
east of the line. Their camp lies at the bottom of that conical hill.