Dawn was not far away, and before daybreak he must have the hill which was the key to the whole position, which commanded the left flank of the foe.  An hour or so after he got it, if the artillery and infantry did their portion, a great day’s work would be done for England; and the way to the relief of the garrison beyond the mountains would be open.  The chance to do this thing was the reward he received for his gallant and very useful fight at Wortmann’s Drift twenty-four hours before.  It would not do to fail in justifying the choice of the Master Player, who had had enough bad luck in the campaign so far.

The first of his force to salute him in the darkness was his next in command, Barry Whalen.  They had been together in the old Rand Rifles, and had, in the words of the Kaffir, been as near as the flea to the blanket, since the day when Rudyard discovered that Barry Whalen was on the same ship bound for the seat of war.  They were not youngsters, either of them; but they had the spring of youth in them, and a deep basis of strength and force; and they knew the veld and the veld people.  There was no trick of the veldschoen copper for which they were not ready; and for any device of Kruger’s lambs they were prepared to go one better.  As Barry Whalen had said, “They’ll have to get up early in the morning if they want to catch us.”

This morning the Boers would not get up early enough; for Rudyard’s command had already reached the position from which they could do their work with good chances in their favour; and there had been no sign of life from the Boer trenches in the dusk—­naught of what chanced at Magersfontein.  Not a shot had been fired, and there would certainly have been firing if the Boer had known; for he could not allow the Rooinek to get to the point where his own position would be threatened or commanded.  When Kruger’s men did discover the truth, there would be fighting as stiff as had been seen in this struggle for half a continent.

“Is it all right?” whispered Rudyard, as Barry VVhalen drew up by him.

“Not a sound from them—­not a sign.”

“Their trenches should not be more than a few hundred yards on, eh?”

“Their nearest trenches are about that.  We are just on the left of Hetmeyer’s Kopje.”

“Good.  Let Glossop occupy the kopje with his squadrons, while we take the trenches.  If we can force them back on their second line of trenches, and keep them there till our supports come up, we shall be all right.”

“When shall we begin, sir?” asked Barry.

“Give orders to dismount now.  Get the horses in the lee of the kopje, and we’ll see what Brother Boer thinks of us after breakfast.”

Rudyard took out a repeating-watch, and held it in his closed palm.  As it struck, he noted the time.

His words were abrupt but composed.  “Ten minutes more and we shall have the first streak of dawn.  Then move.  We shall be on them before they know it.”