"When you get half-way back, Jack," Yorke said, "take off those blankets from the horse's feet, so that our sentries can hear your approach. If you were to come up quite silently, and they did not hear you till you were close to them, they might fire hastily. Therefore, lead the horse, and when you get near the lines strike up a song—not too loud, but so that they can hear you a hundred yards away. When they challenge, that is to say, when they call, 'Who comes there?' you answer as I told you, then they will let you pass, though they may keep you until their officer comes. As I spoke to him on the way out, he will pass you through. Don't go right into the lines near the Modder; half a mile outside lead the horse off the road and wait with him till it is daylight. You would be challenged by every sentry in camp if you were to enter in the dark."
"Good fortune to you, baas! I wish I were going with you," Jack said, and then led the horse away.
"Now, Peter," continued Yorke, "our work begins. The first thing is to put the strips of blankets round our feet. You had better put on your own shoes and muffle them, otherwise you might lame yourself among the rocks, and that would be fatal to us both."
The native did as he was told, then he said, "Let us stop a little, baas, and listen. There may be Boers on that hill we have to cross."
He stood for a minute or two listening intently. "There are men up there," he said.
"Did you hear voices?"
"No, but I heard a click as if a kettle had hit against a stone. I am certain that there are some of them up there—not many, perhaps, but certainly there are men there. We had better go back a little between that hill and the next. I will walk first, you follow quite close to me; I can see in the dark much better than you can. If there are rocks in the way I will stop, then you put your hand on my shoulder and I will lead you between them or show you where to climb across them."
"All right, Peter! I trust in you entirely, for I could not see a stone the size of my head on the ground."
It took them four hours of severe work before they came down on the Jacobsdal road. The ground had in many places been covered with rocks and boulders, through which it would have been hard work to pick a way in the daylight, and quite impossible in the darkness for Yorke, had it not been for the guidance and assistance of Peter. Sometimes they had to climb rough and precipitous hills, and more difficult still, to descend the boulder-strewn slopes. In spite of the care of his guide Yorke had had several heavy falls, had cut his hands and knees, and seriously damaged his garments.
"Now, shall we follow the road, baas?"