Charge! Part 26

"What is it, then-a well?"

"No, sir: a gold-mine," said Denham in a low tone.

The Colonel looked at him sternly, and then smiled.

"Oh, I see. Metaphorical," he said. "Yes, to thirsty folk a perfect gold-mine. Liquid gold-eh?"

"You don't understand me, sir," said Denham quietly. "I was not speaking in a figurative way, but in plain, downright English. That really is part of an ancient gold-mine, in which the water has collected in course of time."

"Really? Are you sure?" said the Colonel.

"Yes, sir," replied Denham. Then in a few words he told the Colonel that we had discovered two shafts within the walls, as well as the old furnace-house and the ingot-moulds.

"You astound me," said the Colonel. "Here, come along and let me see."

He followed Denham, and I went too, as one of the discoverers. The Colonel examined everything with the utmost interest.

"Not a doubt about it," he said at last. "You two lads have made a most curious discovery. It may be valuable or worthless; but here it is. I think that, besides being a splendidly strong place for a base, it is otherwise worth holding."

"You feel sure it is an old gold-mine, then, sir?"

"Undoubtedly, and it must have been of great value. This explains why it was made a favourite station by the ancient settlers who discovered the riches on the spot. I've heard rumours of old workings about here in the veldt; but I never thought much about them, or that they were of any consequence. I shall begin to think now that we must fight harder than ever to hold this part of the country. Which of you two made the discovery?"

"Both of us," said Denham. "No; Moray first stumbled upon the hole there."

"We were together," I said quietly; "and Sergeant Briggs helped."

"I didn't see much of his help," said Denham dryly. "We pushed, and he did the grunting."

"You shall have the credit of the discovery, never fear," said the Colonel, "and your share of the profit, if there is any; but we have something else to think about now. Come up here; I want to see how our enemies are going on."

He led the way back to the walls, and we followed him to the highest part of our fortress. The strength of the place seemed to explain a great deal, suggesting, as it did, that the builders must have had good reasons for the tremendous labour expended in making the place the stronghold it must have been.

"Ah," said the Colonel, shading his eyes and gazing over the walls at the rocky part of the kopje, "I don't want to be unmerciful; but I'm afraid we must clear the rocks of the enemy."

"The apes?" said Denham.

"Yes; the vicious little brutes have bitten two of the men; but they had to pay for it, for three were killed and I don't know how many wounded before the pack was driven off. You should both be well on the lookout when wandering about, and ready to use your revolvers, for the apes have steel-trap jaws, and muscles nearly as strong. It is astounding the strength there is in an ape."

"But if you come to the question of strength, sir," said Denham, "it seems to me that everything in nature is stronger than a man. Look at insects."

"No, thank you, Mr Denham," said the Colonel sarcastically. "I have something else to look at, and no time to listen to your lesson on natural history. Some evening, perhaps, when there is no danger, and I am sipping my coffee over a quiet pipe, I shall be happy to listen to you."

"Thank you, sir," said Denham.

"Is that meant to be sarcastic, my dear boy?" said the Colonel, laughing.

"Oh no, sir," said Denham in an ill-used tone.

"I say 'Oh yes.' But I didn't mean to snub one of my smartest officers.-Well, Moray, this is another reason for giving you your stripes. Work away, my lad, and master all your drill. I would promote you directly; but it would seem too much like favouritism in the eyes of your seniors. You may rest a.s.sured that I am not forgetting you."

"I am quite satisfied, sir," I said warmly. "Every one treats me more as a friend than as the latest recruit."

"I'm glad of it, and that Mr Denham here seems to look upon you as a companion-a brother-in-arms, I ought to say."

"Yet I've a lot of trouble with him, sir," said Denham mockingly. "He's a very impudent young brother-in-arms sometimes."

The Colonel made no reply, but took his field-gla.s.s from its case, and sat down on the highest point of the old fortress, while he proceeded carefully to examine the country round, dropping a word or two about his observations from time to time.

"The Boers seem as if they mean to stop," he said softly, and there was a pause as he swept the horizon with his gla.s.s. "A good twelve hundred men if there's one," then came, and he had another good long look. "Let it stand at twelve hundred," he muttered; "but I believe there are more." There was another pause. "Take some gra.s.s to keep all those horses," he muttered-"that is, if they stay." Another pause. "Be next door to madness to try to cut our way through them."

"Yes, sir," said Denham.

"I beg your pardon, Mr Denham," said the Colonel, lowering his gla.s.s to look at my companion.

"Beg pardon, sir; I thought you spoke," replied Denham, and he c.o.c.ked his eye comically at me as the Colonel renewed his observations.

"They evidently mean to stay; and if we made a rush for it, every man would be down upon his chest delivering such a deadly fire as I dare not expose my poor, fellows to."

"No, sir," said Denham to me silently-that is to say, he made a round "O" with his mouth, and then shaped the word "sir" as one would in trying to speak to a deaf and dumb person.

"They'd empty half our saddles, and kill no end of horses," continued the Colonel, as he kept on sweeping the plain with his gla.s.s.

There was a long pause now; and then, still speaking in the same low, distinct voice, and without doubt under the impression that he was only expressing his thoughts in silence: "That's it," he said at last, as if he had quite come to a decision as to the course he must pursue. "In the dark. A quiet walk till we are discovered by their outposts, and then gallop and get through them. Say to-morrow night, when the horses are well rested."

Another pause, during which Denham shook his head violently. Then: "No. The poor horses would be hungry. It will have to be to-night. Let me see; there is no moon. Yes, it must be to-night."

Click! went the field-gla.s.s as it was closed, and at the same moment the Colonel turned, to see Denham nodding his head violently at me in acquiescence with our chief's remarks, but in profound ignorance, till he saw my eyes, of the fact that the Colonel was watching him curiously; then he met the Colonel's glance, and blushed like a girl.

"Don't do that, Mr Denham. You'll injure your spine."

"Oh!" went Denham's mouth, and he stamped his foot, as the Colonel walked away-both movements, of course, in silence.

"There," said the Colonel loudly, as if for us both to hear; "I don't think I need try to see any more. Ha!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed as, with a sharp movement, he began to open and focus his gla.s.s again, and looking towards the west for some time. "Worse and worse. They mean to have us. I suppose they look upon us as a danger that must be crushed out once and for all."

"If they could do it, sir," said Denham.

"They evidently mean to try, Denham," replied the Colonel, with a sigh. "Some of us will have to bite the dust before this business is over. There's a fresh commando of quite five hundred men coming up yonder under the sun, and before dark we shall be regularly ringed round."

"Well, let them come, sir," said Denham bitterly; "they can't all hit at us at once. What you said was right."

"What I said was right?" replied the Colonel, staring. "Why, what did I say?"

"Something about advancing to-night in the darkness; and then, as soon as we were discovered by the outposts, making a gallop for it."

"Did I say that?"

"Yes, sir."