about midnight
`` Thank ye , sir , '' said Briggs stolidly ; `` but I should like to get the beef for the boys and a load of mealies for the horses before we talk about that . And now , if you would n't mind , I 'll have a couple of hours ' sleep . '' I felt for a few minutes so much brightened up that I was ready to go off too ; but the thoughts of poor Denham lying out dead or wounded somewhere on the veldt kept me awake , and I was in greater pain than ever from the blow I had received . And there I lay in my misery till about midnight , when there was an alarm from the sentries of horsemen approaching , and I sprang to my feet . I felt dizzy , and every movement was painful when I arose . The air was so cold that I was half-numbed ; and in addition to my bruised side I ached from the tightness of my belts , and my sword-hilt and revolver seemed to have made great dents into my flesh . However , with an effort I lifted my rifle , which had been my bedfellow on the sandy earth , and hurriedly joined the others in making good the defence of the great gateway , with its newly-made protecting screen of stones .