The setting is South Africa, during the Boer war. Two young men are sent from Mafeking with important despatches which they have to get back to the General at Kimberley, travelling through Boer-occupied country, and meeting with many mishaps. Just before they finally arrive they are both severely wounded, and are unconscious for a fortnight. Luckily the despatches, which had been sewn into a jacket, now filthy and blood-stained, are still to be found, though there had been the idea that the jacket would most probably have been thrown away, as it wasn't at first anywhere to be found. There are other threads in the story, for instance there's one about illicit-diamond-dealing, and of course we meet Boers and Kaffirs, as well as English people. There is the usual well-written sequence of tense moments we get from this author. A good read, and a nice audiobook if you prefer that.