I don't suppose it will do me any harm." "Capital idea," said Ingleborough, laughing.
"That's done," said West, replacing his paper sandwich in his haversack, and a few minutes later, as they still rode slowly on, Ingleborough spoke again.
"What now ?" he said.
"Making another sandwich," was the reply.
"Another ?" "Yes, of the Mafeking despatch." "Ah, of course; but you will not eat that ?" "Only in the last extremity." "Good," said Ingleborough, "and I hope we shall have no last extremes." He had hardly spoken when a sharp challenge in Boer-Dutch rang out, apparently from about fifty yards to their left, and, as if in obedience to the demand, the two Basuto ponies the young men rode stopped suddenly.
Ingleborough leaned down sidewise and placed his lips close to his companion's ear.
"Which is it to be ?" he said.

"One is as easy as the other--forward or back ?" "One's as safe as the other," replied West, under his breath.
"Forward." They were in the act of pressing their horses' sides to urge them on when there was a flash of light from the position of the man who had uttered the challenge, and almost immediately the humming, buzzing sound as of a large beetle whizzing by them in its nocturnal flight, and at the same moment there was the sharp crack of a rifle..