"All use seems to have been completely knocked out of me, and the hills and kopjes go sailing round and round." "That will soon pass off," said West, and then after a short pause: "Well, we're prisoners after all.

It does seem hard now we have got so far! I wonder where they'll send us ?" "It does not much matter!" said Ingleborough.

"Anywhere will do, if I can lie down and rest till this dreadful swimming and confusion passes off.

As soon as it does we'll escape--to eat the sandwiches," he added meaningly.
"If we can," said West; "but don't talk about them again! Oh, Ingle, I wish I had your sharp wits." "Pooh! Where there's a will there's a way," said Ingleborough faintly.
"You might have escaped, but as you insisted upon being taken to share my lot I was obliged to do something, and now I must do nothing but think of how to get away." The effort of talking was evidently too much for the poor fellow, and West confined himself to keeping him upright in the saddle, from which he would certainly have fallen but for his comrade's willing arm.
West was so fully occupied by his task, the two Boers offering not the slightest aid, that he paid no heed to the fact that their captors led them right round to the far side of the kopje, and then through a narrow gap of the rocks into a natural amphitheatre, wherein there was ample room for the formation of a great laager, the wagons being arranged in an irregular ellipse, thoroughly hidden from the veldt outside, while the rocks of the kopje roughly formed a rampart of vast strength, and apparently quite impregnable.
West took in all he could as he and his companion in misfortune were led through and within the barricade of wagons to where the horses and cattle were securely tethered, while a burst of cheering saluted the returning party as soon as it was seen that they had prisoners and a couple of likely-looking mounts.

It was a surprise, for no one journeying across the veldt could for a moment have supposed that so secure a natural stronghold existed behind the rocky barriers.
The next minute the prisoners saw their sturdy ponies tied up to the tail of one of the great wagons, so near that West began to wonder whether when darkness came it would be possible to creep to their side, cut them free, mount, and make a old dash for liberty.
But a glance at Ingleborough showed him that this would be impossible, for the poor fellow had sunk over sidewise as soon as he had been lifted out of the saddle, and lay perfectly inert and with his eyes half-closed.