accustomed to the situation. I have bought a couple of trusses of hay
from Thomas, and he will send down two of his native boys to the
station. I should advise you all to put some food into your haversacks,
there is no saying how long we may be on the road."

"What sort of trucks are they, Chris?" "They have high sides, but no
roofs. Of course I would rather have had roofs, but the station-master
could not provide any waggons with them. But he showed me these, and as
the sides are quite high enough to prevent the horses getting out, they
will do very well."

The saddles were taken off and piled together. There was no chance of
rain, so they were left uncovered. The lads then walked back into the
town. There was, of course, a sad parting that evening between Chris and
his mother, but she bore up well. She knew that hundreds of other women
were parting with husbands or sons, and she felt that, as the main cause
of the war was to rescue the Uitlanders in the Transvaal from the
oppression of the Boers, it behooved all the fugitives from that country
to do their utmost.

In the morning the lads all arrived punctually at the rendezvous. The
horses were fed to the accompaniment, as usual, of pistol shots. Then
they were saddled up, the valises the lads had brought down with them
were strapped on, and with their rifles slung behind them they rode to
the station.

It was, as they had expected, a long and troublesome business to get the
horses into the trucks, but at last this was managed. Nose-bags were put
on, with a few double-handfuls of grain, then one trooper was left to
each two horses, while the rest saw to their bundles of blankets, their