The Kopje Garrison Part 61

The men reined up in a group, while the first man, who seemed to be in command, dragged out a much-battered field-gla.s.s, focussed it, and tried to fix the distant objects. But his horse was fresh and fidgety, waiting to be off.

"Stand still!" cried the Boer savagely, and he caught up the reins he had dropped on the neck of his mount and gave them a savage jerk which made the unfortunate animal plunge, sending the rest into disorder, so that it was another minute before steadiness was restored.-"Mind what you're about, there," cried the leader. "Keep close to the bushes. Do you want to be seen?"

He raised his gla.s.ses to his eyes again for a few seconds, closed them, and thrust them back into their case.

"There's too much haze there," he said. "Can't see, but I feel sure they're some of our ponies grazing."

"Going to round them up and take them back with us?"

"I would if I was sure," was the reply, "but after yesterday's work we can't afford to run risks. Curse them! They've got enough of our stores to keep them alive for another month."

Every man was gazing away into the distance, little suspecting that only a few yards away four magazine-rifles were covering them, and that at a word they would begin to void their charges, with the result that at least half-a-dozen of them, perhaps more, would drop from their saddles, possibly never to rise again. And all this while the little British party crouched there with, to use the untrue familiar expression, their hearts in their mouths, watching their enemies, but stealing a glance from time to time at the shadowy spot beneath the thick bush, wondering one and all what the young lieutenant would say next.

"He must give the order to fire," said the sergeant to himself as he covered the leader. "We shall have Mr Lennox speaking out louder directly and asking where he is."

The sergeant was quite right, for all of a sudden Lennox exclaimed:

"Why, it's light! Here, where am I?"

But it was directly after the Boer leader had shouted the order to advance, and the little body of active Bechuana ponies sprang forward, eager to begin cantering over the plain, not a man the worse for his narrow escape, as they burst out chatting together, Lennox's exclamation pa.s.sing quite unnoticed, even if heard.

"Ha!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed d.i.c.kenson, exhaling his long-pent-up breath. "I doubt if any of them will be nearer their end again during the war."

And then, after making sure that the Boer party were going off at a sharp canter, and that the risk of speaking or being seen was at an end, he crawled quickly to where Lennox lay upon his back, his eyes once more closed, and sleeping as soundly as if he had never roused up into consciousness since early in the night.

"Lennox-Drew," whispered d.i.c.kenson, catching him by the arm, but only eliciting a low, incoherent muttering. "Well, you can sleep!"

"It's not quite natural, sir," said the sergeant. "He must have been hurt somewhere, and the sooner the doctor has a look at him the better."

"Yes," said d.i.c.kenson thoughtfully.-"That was a close shave, sergeant."

"Yes, sir-for the enemy. If we had fired they'd have gone off like frightened sheep, I feel sure now."

"Yes, I think so too. But we must not stir yet."

"No, sir; I'd give those fellows time to get out of sight. We don't want them to see us. If they did, they'd come swooping down to try and cut us off. What do you say to trying if we can make out what's wrong with Mr Lennox? I think he must have been hit in the head."

"Yes; let's look," said d.i.c.kenson: and after planting a sentry to keep a sharp lookout from a sheltered spot on each side of the little woodland patch, he set to work, with the sergeant's help, to carefully examine his rescued comrade, but without the slightest result, save finding that his head was a good deal swollen in one part, and, lower down, his left shoulder was puffed up, and apparently excessively tender from either a blow or wrench.

"It's beyond us," said d.i.c.kenson, with a sigh. "We'll make a start now, and get him into the doctor's hands."

"Yes, sir; we might make a start now," said the sergeant. "Wait a few minutes, sir, while I saddle up the ponies. I'll be quite ready before you call the sentries, sir."

"I'll try and wake Mr Lennox, then," said d.i.c.kenson, "and we'll get him on to the pony first."

"I wouldn't, sir, if you'll excuse me," said the sergeant. "If he's half-insensible like that from a hurt to his head, it'll be best to let him wake up of himself."

"Perhaps so," said the young officer; "but I don't like his being so stupefied as this."

The preparations were soon made, and the sergeant led the horses together, just as d.i.c.kenson rose from Lennox's side, took out his gla.s.s, and joined the sentry on their side.

"Can you make out anything?" he said.

"Only the same little cl.u.s.ter as the Boers did, sir. I think it's ponies grazing."

He had hardly spoken before there was a hail from the other side of the little wood.

"What is it?" shouted the sergeant.

"Boers coming along fast. I think it's the same lot coming back. Yes, it must be," cried the sentry. "I've just come across their pot and kettle and things. This must be their camp."

"Over here," shouted d.i.c.kenson. "Now, sergeant, we must mount and be off, for we shall not have such luck again."

"No, sir," said the sergeant gruffly. "Will you help, sir?"

d.i.c.kenson's answer was to hurry to his friend's side, and in a very short time he was once more on a pony, with the sergeant keeping him in his place; while the others sprang into their saddles and rode off, manoeuvring so as to keep the enemy well on the other side of the woodland clump, and managing so well that they did not even see them for a time, the Boers riding back toward their old bivouac; and for a while there seemed to be no danger.

But it was terribly slow work keeping to a walk. Twice over the pony on which Lennox was mounted was pressed into an amble, but the shaking seemed to distress the injured man, and the walking pace was resumed, till all at once there was ample evidence that they had been seen, a distant crack and puff of smoke following a whistling sound overhead, and directly after the dust was struck up pretty close to one of the ponies' hoofs.

"The game has begun, sergeant," said d.i.c.kenson calmly.

"Yes, sir. Shall we dismount and give them a taste back?"

"We out here on the open veldt, and they under cover quite out of sight? No; press on as fast as we can, straight for Groenfontein. They must have it all their own way now."

"Hadn't we better try a canter again, sir?"

"Yes, sergeant, if we are to save his life. Forward!"

They were nearly half a mile on their way, and slowly increasing the distance; but it was quite time to take energetic action, for, to d.i.c.kenson's dismay, the Boers were not going to content themselves with long shots, and all at once ten or a dozen appeared round one end of the little wood, spreading out as they galloped, and coming straight for them in an open line.

Chapter Thirty.

His Dues.

Burdened as the little party was with an insensible man, escape by trusting to the speed of their active little mounts was quite out of the question; and, young officer though he was, d.i.c.kenson was old enough in experience to know what to do.

About a couple of hundred yards ahead was a scattered patch of the pleasant form of South African growth known locally, from its catching qualities, as the Wait-a-bit-thorn, and as rapidly as they could go d.i.c.kenson led his men to that, finding, as he expected, just enough cover in the midst of a perfectly bare plain, if not to shelter lying-down men, at least to blur and confuse the enemy's marksmen. Here he gave the order, "Dismount!" Lennox was laid flat upon his back, to lie without motion, and each man took the best shelter he could; while the ponies, not being trained like the modern trooper to lie down, were left to graze and take care of themselves.

The Boers came galloping on, to find, on a small scale, how much difference there was between attacking in the open and defending a well-sheltered position. But they had it yet to learn; and, evidently antic.i.p.ating an easy victory, they galloped forward bravely enough, fully intending to hold the party up and expecting surrender at once.

d.i.c.kenson waited till they were well within range before giving the order to fire, adding sternly the instruction that not a single cartridge was to be wasted, no shot being fired till the holder of the rifle felt sure.

The order was succeeded by utter silence, broken only by the thudding of hoofs, and then crack! from the sergeant's piece, a puff of greyish-white smoke, and one of the enemy's ponies went down upon its knees, pitching the rider over its head, and rolled over upon one side, kicking wildly, and trying twice before it was able to rise to its feet, when it stood, poor beast! with hanging head; while its rider was seen crawling away, to stop at last and begin firing.

Crack! again, and one of the Boers fell forward on the neck of his mount and dropped his rifle, while his frightened pony galloped on, swerving off to the right.