"Number one, ugly question," replied Piet. "I may as well tell you that you won't see Kopje Farm to-night, and most probably not to-morrow."
"And what about my friend whom you have tied up in the cave? You will surely never leave him to starve?" queried Jack.
"By no means," answered Piet, with a laugh. "He will be released in good time—that is, when the commandant thinks fit. Christian Uys has something up his sleeve." The last sentence was uttered in a whisper.
"And what is that, Van Donnop?"
"Ugly question, number two," was the Dutchman's response. "You know what you Britishers say, 'The third time is catching-time.' I am right, I suppose?"
After that, Jack Lovat held his peace, but did not forget to use his eyes. Life on the veldt had taught him many lessons. Like the Red Indians of the western prairies, Jack had studied rocks, flowers, the sun, moon, and stars in their various phases, and in veldt-craft was becoming a past-master.
For an hour the commando rode ahead, and when halted by order of Christian Uys, had passed round Rheni Kop, which now stood four or five miles on their left flank.
The Boers debouched on a grassy plain, very limited in extent, and surrounded by little flat-topped kopjes.
To Jack's immense surprise, he saw forty or fifty waggons and Cape carts on the plain. Several hundred horses and many head of oxen were grazing on the veldt, and at least two hundred additional burghers were in the laager.
These formed the major portion of the formidable Christian Uys's commando, and Jack Lovat as he passed into the laager thought he had never seen such a motley crew.