The Kopje Garrison Part 34

"What?"

"A good licking."

"Yes, to be followed by court-martial."

"Not if a Boer did it," said d.i.c.kenson, chuckling.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Thoughts, dear boy. Only thinking of what a lark it would be if he began bullying one of our prisoners-say Blackbeard-and the savage old Boer slipped into him with his fists. I shouldn't hurry to help him more than I could help."

"Don't humbug," said Lennox.

"I tell you I shouldn't. Look here, Drew, old chap, you haven't found me out yet. I'm not half such a nice young angel as you think."

"Hold your row; here's James." For the sergeant came hurrying in.-"Well?"

"Search party of twenty directly, gentlemen. Colonel sends word that you two are to come with us."

"Right," cried Lennox excitedly. "What did the colonel say?"

"'Poor fellow!' sir; and then he turned on the captain, sir."

"Yes," cried d.i.c.kenson eagerly, "What did he say to him?"

"Why the something or another hadn't he gone to look for Corporal May at once?"

"Bravo!" said d.i.c.kenson; and Lennox, who was buckling on his sword hurriedly, felt better.

"But how about you, James? Are you going to be degraded for neglect?" said d.i.c.kenson as they hurried out to join the men already a.s.sembled.

"No, sir," replied the sergeant, with a broad smile spreading over his manly countenance. "The colonel heard all I had to say in defence, and he just says, 'Bad job, sergeant-accident.'-You know his short way, sir?-Then, 'Be off and get your men together; find the poor fellow as soon as you can.'"

Captain Roby was just hurrying to a group of men waiting to make the start, when Sergeant James came up, carrying all the lanterns he could muster in a bunch. "Come, gentlemen," he said sharply; "make haste, please. Have you plenty of matches, sergeant?"

"Yes, sir."

"Fall in, my lads. Here, stop. No rifles; only your bayonets."

The firearms were returned to their quarters, and a couple of minutes later the search party were on their way to the kopje.

"Beg pardon, sir," said the sergeant, suddenly breaking from his place to address the captain; "wouldn't it be better to take a long rope with us?"

"What for?" said Roby angrily. "For the men to hold on by in case any one should be lost? Absurd!"

The sergeant was returning to his place, and Lennox and d.i.c.kenson exchanging glances, when the captain altered his mind.

"Yes," he said; "on second thoughts, we may as well take a coil. Hurry back and fetch one, sergeant."

The latter handed his bunch of lanterns to one of the men, and went off back to quarters at the double, while the party marched on.

"Fasting doesn't do old Cantankerous any good," said d.i.c.kenson in a half-whisper.

"Quiet! Quiet! He'll be hearing you and getting worse," said Lennox.

"Impossible!" grunted d.i.c.kenson. "He wants a week's good feeding or a fit of illness to do him good. He's going sour all over."

The sergeant did not overtake the party till they were close upon the entrance to the cave, where a sentry was pacing up and down; and now a sudden thought struck Roby.

"Here, sergeant," he cried angrily as the latter hurried up, rather breathless with his exertions. "How are we to get into the place? You haven't brought a crowbar to move the stone."

"No, sir. Left it hidden close by last night."

"Oh!" grunted Roby, halting the men; while the sergeant handed the coil of rope to one of them, who slipped it on over head and one shoulder, to wear it like a scarf; and James went on a few yards to a crack in the side of the rocky wall, thrust in his arm, drew out the bar, and trotted back to the opening, inserted the chisel, and raised the stone about an inch, when it turned upon its pivot directly.

"Wonderfully well made," said d.i.c.kenson. "One might have pa.s.sed it a hundred times."

"Silence in the ranks!" cried Roby sternly; and the sergeant stepped into the dark hole at once, placed his hands one on either side of his lips, and gave a tremendous hail.

All listened to the shout, which went echoing through the pa.s.sages and chambers of the cavern; but there was no reply, nor yet to half-a-dozen more hails.

"Tut, tut, tut!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Roby. "I expected to find him waiting close to the entrance. Lanterns."

The men were already inside lighting them, eight being rapidly got ready; and once more the party began to traverse the weird place, but under far more favourable circ.u.mstances, the line of golden dots formed by the lanterns giving every one a far better opportunity of judging what the place was like.

At every turn in the crooked way a halt was called, and a fresh series of hails went echoing on before them; but not so much as a whisper of an answer greeted their ears.

"The poor fellow must have become tired out with waiting," said Captain Roby, "and dropped off to sleep."

"He sleeps pretty soundly, then," whispered d.i.c.kenson, who was in front with Lennox, following the sergeant, who carried the first lantern.

"Ought to have been woke up by that last shout, though," said Lennox. "What do you say, sergeant?"

"I'm afraid we shall come upon him soon regularly off his head, gentlemen," said the sergeant, "He isn't the pluckiest chap in his company."

"Don't talk like that, sergeant," said Lennox sharply. "It's enough to drive any poor fellow crazy to find himself shut up in a place like this and feel that he may never be found."

"Well, yes," added d.i.c.kenson, "it is; without counting all the horrors he'd conjure up about bogies and things coming after him in the dark."

"I dare say, sir," said the sergeant; "though I don't suppose there's anything worse here than bats."

"Halt! Now, all together," cried the captain from behind, and another series of shouts were given.

There was no response, and the party went spreading out and examining every nook as they pa.s.sed through the echoing chambers, but found nothing.

"Is it likely that he did come out with us?" said Lennox as they neared the second well-like opening over the rushing water.

"Can't say, sir," said the sergeant. "The last I saw of him was when we were down in the lowest place, advancing to meet the second prisoner. I just had a squint of his face then by the lantern, and it looked like tallow."