But seriously, can you stick on a horse tightly when at full gallop ?" "Oliver West can, sir," replied Ingleborough.

"He's a regular centaur foal." "Nonsense! Don't flatter," cried West.

"I can ride a bit, sir; but Ingleborough rides as if he were part of a horse.

He's accustomed to taking long rides across the veldt every morning." "Oh, we can ride, sir," said Ingleborough coolly; "but whether we can ride well enough to distance the Boers has to be proved." "I'll mount you, my boys, on such a pair of ponies as the Boers haven't amongst them," said the director warmly.

"Do you know my stables--the rough ones and enclosure I have had made ?" "We heard something about the new stabling near the mine, sir," said West; "but we've been too busy to pay much heed." "Come and pay heed now, then." The speaker led the way towards the great mine buildings, and halted at a gate in a newly set-up fence of corrugated-iron, passing through which their eyes were gladdened by the sight of about a dozen of the rough, sturdy little cobs bred by the Basutos across country, and evidently under the charge of a couple of Kaffirs, who came hurrying up at the sight of their "baas," as they termed him.
Here Ingleborough soon displayed the knowledge he had picked up in connection with horses by selecting two clever-looking muscular little steeds, full of spirit and go, but quite ready to prove how little they had been broken in, and promising plenty of work to their riders if they expected to keep in their saddles.
"Be too fresh for you ?" said the owner.
"We shall soon take the freshness out of them, poor things!" said Ingleborough.