The Kopje Garrison Part 16

"Demoralised?" said the Boer.

"Well, scared-beaten-all in disorder."

"Oh," said the Boer, nodding his head like an elephant. "But what difference does that make?"

"They would not be so likely to notice your wagons going through their lines."

"Oh?" said the Boer.

"We think it would be a good chance for you."

"Does your general say so?"

"No; our colonel does not know that we have come."

"So! Yes, I see," said the Boer softly.

"We think you ought to take advantage of their disorder and get through to-night."

"Hah! Yes."

"You have only to go and see what the colonel says."

"Why don't you go?" said the Boer suspiciously.

"Because we think it would be better for you to go."

"And fall into the Boers' hands and be shot?"

"Bother!" cried d.i.c.kenson. "Why, you are as suspicious as-as-well, as some one I know. Now, my good fellow, don't you know that we've eaten the sheep?"

"Yes, I know that," said the Boer.

"Finished the last side of the last ox?"

"Yes, I know that too," replied the Boer, nodding his head slowly and sagely.

"And come down to the last ten sacks of the Indian corn?"

"Mealies? Yes, I know that too."

"Well, in the name of all that's sensible, why should we want to get you taken by your own people?"

"To be sure; I see now," said the cornet. "Better for us to get the wagons full again, and drive in some more sheep and oxen."

"Of course."

"Well, I don't know," said the man thoughtfully. "They will be all on the lookout, thinking that you will attack them in the night, and twice as watchful. I don't know, though. There is no moon to-night, and it will be black darkness."

"It is already," said d.i.c.kenson.

"Ha! Yes," said the Boer quietly, and he puffed at his pipe, which, after dropping in his fright, he had picked up, refilled, and relit at the lantern door. "Yes, that is a very good way. I shall go and tell the colonel that we will go to-night. You will come with me?"

"No," said Lennox; "the colonel does not like his young officers to interfere. It would be better for you to go."

"Your chief is right," said the Boer firmly. "He thinks and acts for himself. I do the same. I do not let my men tell me what I should do." He spoke meaningly, as if he were giving a side-blow at some one or other of his companions. "I think much and long, and when I have thought what is best I tell them what to do, and they do it. Yes, I will go to the colonel now and speak to him. Wait here."

"No," said d.i.c.kenson quietly. "Go, and we will come back and hear what the colonel thinks."

The Boer nodded, thrust his pipe in the folds of the tilt, after tapping out the ashes, and went off, the two officers following him at a distance before stopping short, till they heard him challenged by a sentry, after which they struck off to their left to pa.s.s by the corn store, and being challenged again and again as they made a short tour round by the officers' quarters, going on the farther side of the corrugated iron huts and the princ.i.p.al ones, four close together, which were shared by the colonel, the doctor, and some of the senior officers. As they pa.s.sed the back of the colonel's quarters there was the faint murmur of voices, one of which sounded peculiarly gruff, d.i.c.kenson said.

"Nonsense! You couldn't distinguish any difference at this distance," said Lennox. "Come along; we don't want to play eavesdroppers."

"Certainly not on a wet night when the rain is rattling down on those roofs and pouring off the eaves in cascades," replied d.i.c.kenson; "but I never felt so strong a desire to listen before. Wonder what the old man is saying to our smoky friend."

"Talking to the point, you may be sure, my lad," replied Lennox. "I say, though, he is safe to tell Lindley that I suggested it."

"Well, what of that?"

"Suppose the expedition turns out a failure, and they don't get back with the forage?"

"Ha! Bad for you, old man," said d.i.c.kenson, chuckling. "Why, we shall all be ready to eat you. Pity, too, for you're horribly skinny."

"Out upon you for a gluttonous-minded cannibal," said Lennox merrily. "Well, there, I did it for the best. But I say, Bob, we've come all this way round the back of the houses here, and haven't been challenged once."

"What of that? There are sentries all round the market-square."

"Yes; but out here. Surely a man or two ought to be placed somewhere about?"

"Oh, hang it all, old fellow! the boys are hara.s.sed to death with keeping post. You can't have all our detachment playing at sentry-go. Come along. There's no fear of the enemy making a night attack: that's the only good thing in fighting Boers."

"I don't see the goodness," said Lennox rather gloomily.

"Ah, would you!" cried d.i.c.kenson. "None of that! It's bad enough to work hard, sleep hard, and eat hard."

"I always thought you liked to eat hard," said Lennox.

"Dear me: a joke!" said d.i.c.kenson. "Very bad one, but it's better than going into the dumps. As I was about to say, we've got trouble enough without your playing at being in low spirits."

"Go on. What were you going to say?"

"I was going to remark that the best of fighting the Boers is, that they won't stir towards coming at us without they've got the daylight to help them to shoot. We ought to do more in the way of night surprises. I like the mystery and excitement of that sort of thing."

"I don't," said Lennox shortly. "It always seems to me cowardly and un-English to steal upon sleeping people, rifle and bayonet in hand."

"Well, 'pon my word, we've got into a nice line of conversation," said d.i.c.kenson. "Here we are, back in the market-square, brilliantly lighted by two of the dimmest lanterns that were ever made, and sentries galore to take care of us. Wonder whether Blackbeard has finished his confab with the chief?"

"Let's go and see," said Lennox, and he walked straight across, answering the sentry's challenge, and finding the Boer back in his former place, seated upon the wagon-box, and conversing in a low tone with the men within.