"I don't suppose they'll mind." At that moment one of the ponies whinnied, and the other took up the cry of discontent.
"Quiet, will you?
Look here!" said Ingleborough, speaking as if in the full belief that the two animals understood every word.

"If you make that row, you'll have the Boers down upon us, and that will mean new masters, with worse treatment than you get from us! That's settled them," continued Ingleborough, speaking again to his companion, and as it happened the two animals did not repeat their challenging cry, but began to nibble at the greenery overhanging the water.
Meanwhile the climbing grew more difficult as the adventurers got higher and more excited, for all at once the rapid crack-crack-crack of rifles began telling of attack and defence, and making the climbers strain every effort to get to the top, which was at last accomplished by West, who drew himself over the edge of the rocks and lay panting for a few moments before looking down.
"Can't you manage it ?" he said; for Ingleborough had come to a stand some twenty feet below.
"No!" was the reply.

"My right foot has slipped into a crack here, and is wedged tight.

Don't wait for me! Go on, only let's have all the news as soon as you can!" West's first idea was to lower himself down; but, feeling that one was enough to find out all they wanted, he obeyed his comrade's orders and went on climbing upon all-fours what was now an easy slope with plenty of cover in the shape of bushes and huge blocks of stone.
A few minutes brought him to the top of the kopje, whence he had a clear view of all that was going on, while the firing was now general.
He saw at a glance that the Boers had not attempted to hold the natural stronghold, for upon discovering their numbers, the half-troop of lancers, some thirty in number, had begun to retire, and the Boers, of whom there seemed to be about a hundred and fifty, were streaming out in two directions, evidently with the intention of surrounding and taking them prisoners, both sides keeping up a steady fire the while.

West stopped no longer than was necessary to satisfy himself that the Boers were getting rapidly farther and farther from the kopje, and then hurried back down the slope to the top of the gully, where, leaning over, he found Ingleborough busy at work, apparently driving his rifle-barrel down into a crevice.