Charge! Part 34

"Why should you?" I replied. "They are only acting according to their nature, and- Hullo! Look yonder; what's the matter with the baboons?"

Away to our left a loud chattering had begun amongst the ridges of ironstone and blocks of granite which formed the kopje. The drove, herd, flock, family, or whatever it was, of the dog-faced apes was running here and there, chattering, grimacing, and evidently in a great state of excitement. There were some five or six big fellows, evidently the leaders, and these kept on making rushes right down to the bottom of the stones, followed by others; while the females with their young, which they hugged to their sides in a curiously human way, kept back, partly in hiding, but evidently watching the males, and keeping up a chorus of chattering.

"Why, the beggars are going to attack our butchers."

"Yes; but they think better of it," I said, laughing; for the leaders of the troop turned back and began leaping up the hill again, but only to come charging down once more to the bottom of their little stony home, and stand chattering and grimacing menacingly.

"They're hungry," said Denham.

"Oh no, I don't think they'd behave as badly as we do," I replied. "I don't think they'd eat horse."

"What do they eat, then?"

"It always seemed to me when I've seen them that they ate fruit, nuts, and corn. There used to be a pack of them in a big kopje not far from our place, and they would come down and make raids upon the farm till we had to make it too hot for them with small-shot, and then they went right away."

"They don't like to see those horses dragged in," replied Denham.

"Not used to it," I said. "There, they are going back into hiding now."

The horses had now been drawn in to be treated as if they were oxen, and in a few minutes not one of the baboons was to be seen. There were two or three alarms in the course of the day, but no direct attack; and the whole of the horses had a good long graze, the vegetation after the late rains being fairly abundant in places, though for the most part the veldt in the neighbourhood of the old fortress was very dry and bare. There was abundance of water, however, for a stone tied to the end of four reins carefully joined did not suffice to plumb the well-like hole.

That evening, as Denham and I sat playing the part of voluntary sentry, my companion lent me his gla.s.s to watch the distant troops of Boers, which I did diligently. We were seated on the top of the wall, for the simple reason that both of us were terribly stiff and bruised, and consequently extremely disinclined to stir. Then I uttered a loud exclamation.

"What's the matter?" said Denham quickly.

"Take the gla.s.s," I said; "the sloping sun lights up that part clearly. There, sight it upon the line below that flat-topped hill in the distance."

"Yes," he said, taking the gla.s.s and focussing it to suit. "What of it? Boers, Boers, hundreds of Boers."

"But there's something in motion."

"Ah! Yes, I see now: one, two-why, there must be half-a-dozen ox-wagons with long teams."

"What does that mean?" I said.

"Ox-wagons."

"Yes; but what are they laden with?"

"I dunno," he said, peering through the gla.s.s.

"Corn for the horses; provisions for the Boers' camp."

"Of course! Oh dear, if we could only get one of them across here!"

"Well, could it be done?" I said.

Denham shook his head.

"It could only be done in the dark. You mean stampede the bullocks; but they'd be outspanned at night, and we could never get them inspanned and away without being beaten off.-Can't see it, Solomon the Wise."

"It does seem difficult," I a.s.sented.

"Yes; and, suppose we had got a team hitched on all right, see how they move: two miles an hour generally. But it does look tempting."

"But we might get a team of oxen away without a wagon by making a bold dash."

"Might," replied Denham; "but bullocks are miserably obstinate brutes to drive. It would mean a good supply of beef, though-wouldn't it?"

"Splendid."

"Yes; but we want meal too. I say, I dare say there's coffee and sugar in those wagons as well."

"Most likely," I said; "the Boers like eating and drinking."

"The pigs! Yes, and we're to starve. I say, couldn't we make a bold night-attack and drive them away, compelling them to leave their stores?"

"Well, after last night's experience I should say, 'No; we could not,'" I replied.

"You're quite right, Val," said Denham, with a sigh. "Hullo! here's your black Cupid come up to have a look at us."

For Joeboy, whom a good hearty meal had made very shiny and happy-looking, came climbing up to where we sat, and stood looking down at us as if waiting for orders.

"Here, Joeboy," I said; "look through this."

"Um? Yes, Boss," he said; and, from long usage when out hunting with my father or with me, he took the gla.s.s handily and sat down to scan the distant Boer line.

"Lot o' Doppie," he said in a low tone, as if talking to himself. "Lot o' horse feeding; lot o' wagon and bullock. Plenty mealie, coffee, sugar."

"Yes, Joeboy," I said; "and we want one of those wagons and teams."

"Um? Yes, Boss," he said thoughtfully, without taking his eyes from the gla.s.s. "Joeboy know how."

"You do?" said Denham quickly. "Tell us, then."

"Boss Colonel send Boss Val and hundred sojer fetch um."

"It wouldn't do, Joeboy," I said sadly. "There would be another big fight, and we should lose a lot of men and horses without getting the wagon."

"Um? Yes. Too many Doppie."

"That's right, Shiny," said Denham.

"Yes," I said; "we must wait till we see a team making for the kopje, and then the Colonel can send out a party and cut them off."

"Then the Boer General will send out a bigger party and cut us off," said Denham bitterly. "I don't want another set-to like yesterday's for a week or so. So we must take to horse and water for the present, I suppose."

"Joeboy know," said the black, with his eyes still fixed on the gla.s.s.