Charge! Part 42

I nodded, and pointed forward. After an uneasy glance at my gun, he went on with his team in the direction we wished.

"Black boy run away fas'," said Joeboy, suddenly laughing merrily, "but 'fraid lead bullet run fa.s.ser."

"I suppose so," I said slowly as I turned to look back. The light being now much increased, I readily detected a strong troop of the Boers in motion, and doubtless coming in our direction. I drew my breath hard as I looked at the long lines of slowly plodding oxen and then in the direction of our rescuers, who must have seen we were pursued, for they were galloping. Then, to my horror, Joeboy turned to me and nodded, after gazing back.

"Um?" he said in a long, slow, murmuring way, "'nother lot o' Doppie coming. Big lot."

I darted a look at our comrades, who came sweeping along over the veldt; but they were still far distant, and we seemed to be creeping along more slowly than ever.

"Not enough; not enough," I thought; but I wasted no time in regret. There were fully fifty friends, all good hors.e.m.e.n and able shots, coming to our help; so I need not despair. Thinking of what would be the best tactics under the circ.u.mstances, there seemed to be two ways open to us: for the troop to fall in on either side of the last wagon, and keep up a running fight; or, if the Boer party proved too strong, the six wagons could be drawn up laager-wise and turned into a temporary fort, with the bullocks outside, our men firing, till help came, from behind an improvised shelter formed by the sacks of grain and meal.

Then I reasoned despairingly that the Boers would send forward troop after troop to recover, the wagons. "If they can," I now muttered through my teeth. For I was more hopeful now, as it soon became evident that the enemy had twice as far to come as our men had. At last, when the mental strain had become almost unbearable, Denham and his troop dashed forward, cheering madly.

"Bravo! bravo, Val!" he shouted to me, pulling his horse up so suddenly that it nearly went back on its haunches. "Here, you, Joeboy, keep the teams going. Fall in, my lads! Dismount!"

The troop sprang from their saddles, swung round their rifles, and waited. In obedience to Denham's next order I followed the last wagon, rifle in hand. Seeing the uneasy glances the drivers and forelopers directed at it from time to time, I felt convinced that if it had not been for this they would have played some trick with the bullocks, or have done something to stop the further progress of our prize-convoy, now that they fully understood what was wrong.

For me the suspense was over, though the plodding of the oxen still seemed maddening; but I had active work to do yet, with Joeboy for my aid, keeping the blacks well to their work. This we did vigorously, being called upon very soon even to threaten and command.

Just when least expected, and following upon a determined charge made by our pursuers, there was a rattling volley delivered standing by our men, who, steadying their rifles upon their horses' backs, emptied many a saddle. But the Boers came on till within about a hundred yards, when a second volley was poured into them, sending horses and men struggling to the ground. The troop now divided in two, swinging round to right and left and dashing back towards the second party, who were now well in sight.

It was at the first volley that the alarmed black drivers nearly got out of hand, while the teams began to huddle together and threatened a stampede. The black boys, however, soon saw they had more to fear from us than from the Boers; and by the time our friends had remounted and trotted up to us the wagon-train was steadied again.

"Can't you get any more speed out of them, Val?" shouted Denham.

"No," I said; "this is the best they can do with the loads. You fellows must save the prize now."

"And we will," cried Denham, waving his hat, with the result that his men cheered.

Meanwhile the detachment of the enemy we sent to the right-about in a headlong gallop had settled down to a trot to meet the reinforcements coming up; but we had also a force coming to join us; so, when the enemy had joined hands and came on again, we of the wagon-train had two troops for our protection, who, coming on at a walk behind, readily faced round, dismounted, and poured forth a withering fire, which again sent the enemy scuttling away on their shambling ponies.

So the march went on for the next hour, during which troop after troop of the Boers reinforced our pursuers, but always to find that our force had been strengthened. Then the Colonel joined us with all he could command, and a fierce little battle raged. Again the Boers were repulsed. There being no cover for their men, which is so necessary for the practice of their marksmanship to the best advantage, the clever cavalry manoeuvres of the Light Horse proved too much for them.

Unsuccessful attempts to recapture the wagons were kept up till they were drawn as close to the opening in the old fortress walls as they could be got, the enemy being kept at bay while the bullocks were driven in. Then followed troop after troop of our men, who dismounted and hurried to the top of the walls, where they covered the retirement of their comrades so effectually that the enemy were soon in full retreat, gathering up their wounded as they pa.s.sed without molestation from us.

That afternoon the Boers' wagons, surmounted by a white flag, were seen coming across the plain, their attendants being engaged for a long time in the gruesome task of collecting the dead.

It must not be supposed, however, that our men had not suffered; we had a dozen slightly wounded. Inside the walls that evening there was a triumphant scene of rejoicing, in which to a man the wounded took part. The wagons had been emptied, and grain and meal stored under cover; horses and bullocks had a good feed, and one of the wagons was demolished for firewood, our whole force revelling in what they called a glorious roast of beef.

I never felt so much abashed in my life, I could not feel proud; though, of course, I had done my best. I tried to explain that it was poor old black Joeboy we had to thank for the success of the raid; but the men would not listen. If ever poor fellow was glad when the sentries had been relieved and the fires were out, so that rest and silence might succeed the wild feast, I was that person. I felt utterly exhausted, and I have only a vague recollection of lying down upon some bags of mealies, and of Denham, who was by me, saying:

"Hurrah, old fellow! The chief must make you a sergeant for this."

I don't think I made any reply, for I was nearly asleep; and that night seemed to glide away in a minute and a half.

Chapter Twenty Nine.

Another Discovery.

Denham and I went out early next day with a small party and an empty wagon to go over the ground between our laager and the Boer lines, following the route taken with the captured wagons, to make sure that no wounded and helpless men were left on the veldt, and to collect such rifles and ammunition as had been left.

A sharp lookout was kept against surprise; but there was no need. Denham's gla.s.s showed that the Boers, probably satisfied with their reverses of the previous day, were keeping to their lines.

We went as far as the spot where the first attack on us was made, finding only a few rifles as we went, noticing on our way sixteen dead horses-ghastly-looking objects, for near every one numerous loathsome birds rose heavily, flying to a short distance; and footprints all around in the soft earth showed that hyenas had been at the miserable banquet. The ground here and there also showed the unmistakable tracks of lions; but I am not sure they had been partakers.

"Well, I'm precious glad there's no burying of the dead, or bringing in wounded Boers as prisoners," said Denham as we rode back slowly side by side. "I don't mind the fighting when my monkey's up-it all seems a matter of course then; but the afterwards-the poor dead chaps with all the enemy gone out of them, and the suffering wounded asking you for water, and whether you think they'll die-it makes me melancholy."

"It's horrible," I said; "but it was none of our seeking."

"No; it's the Boers' own fault-the beasts! Fighting for their liberty and patriotism, they call it. They won't submit to being slaves to the Queen. Such bosh! Slaves indeed! Did you ever feel that you led the life of a slave under the reign of our jolly good Queen?"

"Pooh!" I exclaimed.

"Pooh! puff! stuff!-that's what it is, old fellow. They're about the most obstinate, stupid, ignorant brutes under the sun. They don't know when they're well off as subjects of Great Britain, so they'll have to be taught."

"Of course," I said. "But they are brave."

"Well, yes, in a way," said Denham grudgingly. "They'll fight if they're ten or a dozen to one, and can get behind stones or wagons to pot us; but they haven't got sense enough to know when they're well off, nor yet to take care of six wagon-loads of good grain and meal, and nearly a hundred and fifty oxen."

"Well, no; they were stupid there," I said.

"Stupid, Lieutenant Moray!"

"What!" I exclaimed. "Do you know what you're saying?"

"Oh yes; all right. You're not a commissioned officer yet, but you will be. Promoted for special bravery and service in the field."

"Nonsense!" I said, flushing up.

"Oh, but you will be, sure. Not that I think you deserve it. There wasn't much risk."

"Oh no," I said; "only the risk of being taken, and shot for a traitor, a thief, and a spy."

"That's only what the Doppies would call it, and they're idiots."

"If a fellow is going to be shot," I said, "it doesn't make much difference to him whether he's shot by a wise man or a fool."

"Oh, I don't know," said Denham quickly. "I'd rather be shot by a wise man than by a Boer pig. But there was no risk. You and that big n.i.g.g.e.r went in the dark, and you had luck on your side, and- Oh, I say, Val, you did it splendidly! I had a good tuck-out of mealie-porridge this morning, and three big slices of prime beef frizzled. I feel quite a new man with all that under my jacket, and ready to take two Boers single-handed."

"Yes, a good meal does make a difference," I said, smiling with pleasant recollections of my own breakfast.

"Difference! Oh, it was splendid! I felt as if I could have voted for you to be made colonel on the spot, and black Joeboy adjutant, when I caught sight of you coming with six wagons and teams instead of one. My dear boy, you've won the affection of every one in the corps, from the Colonel right down to the cooks. It's only cupboard-love, of course; but they're very fond of you now. We were going to chair you round the big court last night, but the Colonel stopped it. 'Let the poor fellow have a good rest,' he said. But we did all drink your health with three times three-in water. Here-hullo! What game do you call that?"

He pointed to where, half a mile away, a dozen of our men were riding out, closely followed by the bullocks we had captured overnight.

"Taking the teams out to graze, I suppose. The poor beasts must be well fed to keep them in condition."