Charge! Part 60

"Why, you impudent beggar!" he cried, "for two pins I'd punch your head."

"Bravo!" cried the doctor. "Here, I'll give 'em to you. Humph! No; only got one. Stop a minute; I'll give you a needle out of my case instead. Will that do?"

"Look here, doctor," cried Denham; "I can't stand chaff now."

"Chaff, my dear boy? I'm in earnest. That's right; go at him. Have a really good fight. It will do you good."

"Bah!" cried Denham, as he saw me laughing. "Here, come along up to the wall, Val. I don't want to fall out with the doctor any more."

"That you don't," said that gentleman, offering his hand. "There, good-morning, patients. I know. But cheer up. I like that bit of spirit Denham showed just now. It was a splendid sign. You'll eat the grill when it comes?"

He did not wait for an answer, but bustled away, Denham looking after him till he was out of hearing.

"I wish I hadn't been so snappish with him," he said rather remorsefully. "He has done a lot for us."

"Heaps," I said.

"And we must seem very ungrateful."

"He knows how fretful weak people can be," I said. "Come, let's get up into the sunshine."

For I was having hard work with poor Denham in those days. His sufferings had affected him in a curious way. He was completely soured, and a word or two, however well meant, often sent him into a towering rage. Even then I had to temporise, for he turned impatiently away.

"Hang the sunshine!" he said.

"But it will do you good," I said.

"I don't want to get any good. It only makes me worse. I shall stop down here in the shade."

"I'm sorry," I said, "for I wanted to be up in the fresh air this morning."

"Oh, well, if you want to go I'll come with you."

"Yes, do," I said; and we went out into the great court, where the horses were fidgeting, and biting and kicking at one another, and being shouted at by the men, who were brushing away at their coats to get them into as high a state of perfection as possible. There were the bullocks too, sadly reduced in numbers, and suggesting famine if some new efforts were not made.

"Don't stop looking about," said Denham peevishly. "How worn and shabby the men look! It gives me the horrors."

I followed him, but after his remark I gave a sharp look at the groups of men we pa.s.sed, especially one long double line going through the sword exercise and pursuing-practice under the instructions of Sergeant Briggs; and as, at every barked-out order, the men made their sabre-blades flash in the sunshine, I felt a thrill as of returning strength run through me; but I noticed how thin, though still active and strong, the fellows looked.

We climbed up the rugged stones, which had gradually been arranged till the way was pretty easy, and reached the top of the wall, now protected by a good breastwork high enough to enable our sentries to keep well under cover.

It was very bright and breezy up there; but Denham did not seem disposed to sit down quietly and rest in the sun, for he stepped up at once to where he could gaze over the breastwork, resting his elbows on the stones and his chin upon his hands.

"Hi, Denham! don't do that," I said. "It's not safe."

"Bah! I want to look out for those ammunition-wagons old Briggs was talking about."

"But-" I began, and then I was silent, for Joeboy had followed us up, and seeing Denham's perilous position, he stepped up behind him, put his hands to his waist, and lifted him down as if he had been a child.

"How dare- Oh, it's you, Blackie," he said, laughing.

It was a strange laugh, and I could see that the poor fellow had a peculiar look in his eyes. For as Joeboy s.n.a.t.c.hed more than lifted him down, ping, whiz, the humming of two bullets went so close to his head on either side that he winced twice-to right and to left; and crack, crack came the reports of the rifles fired from the Boer lines opposite.

"Doppie want to shoot Boss Denham," said Joeboy coolly. "Shoot straight."

"Yes, they shoot straight," said Denham; "but I didn't think- I don't know, though; perhaps I did think. I say, Val," he added in a strange, inconsequent way, as if rather ashamed of his recklessness, "that was rather near-wasn't it?"

"Why do you act like that?" I said reproachfully.

"I suppose it was out of bravado," he replied, seeming to return to his old manner again. "I wanted to show the brutes the contempt I feel for them."

"You only made them laugh to see how quickly your head disappeared when they fired."

"How do you know?" he said sharply.

"Because that's exactly what they would do," I replied.

Denham frowned, and turned to Joeboy.

"Here," he said, "put up that big stone on the edge there."

The black obeyed, and then Denham pointed to another.

"Put that one beside it, and leave just room between them for me to peer out. I want to see whether it's possible to do as you did, Val, and bring out a wagon of cartridge-boxes."

Joeboy raised first one and then another great stone upon the edge as he was told, and Denham stepped up directly to look between them, but bobbed his head and stepped down again directly, for spat, spat, spat, three rifle-bullets struck the stones and fell rattling down.

Denham looked sharply towards me, frowning angrily; but I met his eyes without shrinking.

"I wish I wasn't so nervous," he said, by way of apology. "It's from being weak, I suppose."

"It's enough to make a strong man shrink," I said. "Don't look again. The next bullet may come between the stones and hit you."

"But I must look," he said angrily. "It's quite time you and I did something to help."

"If you are hit it will do every one else harm instead of good."

He turned upon me fiercely, but calmed down directly.

"Yes," he said; "I suppose you're right. Oh, here's the Sergeant coming up. He has done drilling, I suppose."

The Sergeant announced that this was so directly after joining us.

"The boys are getting splendid with the sword now," he said, seating himself upon a block of stone and wiping his moist brow; "but it's dreary work not being able to get them to work."

"Tell the Colonel to get them all out, then, and make a charge. We ought to be able to scatter this mob."

"So we could, sir," said the Sergeant gruffly, "but they won't give us a chance. If they'd make a mob of themselves we'd soon scatter them, numerous as they are; but it's of no use to talk; we can't charge wagons and rifle-pits. It wouldn't be fair to the lads. Why, they'd empty half our saddles before we got up to them, and then it would be horrible work to get through. No, it can't be done, Mr Denham, and you know it as well as I do."