The Kopje Garrison Part 52

"No," cried the major; "not till we're at the last pinch. We must try and save them."

The messenger was sent off at the double; and as the retreating party marched on, the major continued to use his gla.s.s, shaking his head in his annoyance from time to time as he saw the Boer reinforcements closing up.

"Oh!" he groaned, "if we only had a lancer regiment somewhere on our flank, just to manoeuvre and keep out of sight till their chance came for a charge. Make them run-eh, Edwards?"

"Yes," said the captain dryly; "but unfortunately we have no lancer regiment on our flank."

"No," replied the major; "and we must make the best of it."

"Beg pardon, sir," said Sergeant James to d.i.c.kenson; "but don't it seem a pity?"

"What? To have got so far and not be able to get back unhurt?"

"I was thinking of the cattle, sir," replied the sergeant gloomily. "Hungry and low as the poor lads are with the want of meat, it seems a sin to forsake all that raw roast-beef. It's enough to make the men mutiny."

"Not quite, sergeant," replied his officer as he tramped steadily on. "But look forward; it doesn't seem to make any difference. The baggage-guard has halted, but the oxen are marching on, following the wagons steadily enough."

"Yes, sir; as the old lines used to say that I learnt at school, 'It is their nature too.'"

"I suppose the enemy will divide, take a long reach round, and get ahead of the convoy."

"Yes, sir, that'll be their game. They'll make for that patch of wood and rocks in front, occupy it, and force us to make a what-you-may-call-it."

"Detour?" said d.i.c.kenson.

"That's it, sir."

"Yes," said d.i.c.kenson thoughtfully; "they'll be able-mounted-to make it before we can."

But the major seemed to think differently, for he sent fresh men on to hurry the convoy, his intention being to occupy the rough patch of a few acres in extent, hoping to keep the enemy at bay from there till the promised help came from Groenfontein.

"Yes, I know," he said impatiently when d.i.c.kenson joined him for a few minutes to receive fresh orders. "It's distant, and we shall be without water; but it must be done. They must not even stampede the cattle."

"The major says the cattle must be saved, sergeant," said d.i.c.kenson as he doubled and rejoined his little company.

"Does he, sir?" said the sergeant cheerfully. "Very well, sir, then we must do it. Beg pardon, sir; might be as well for you to go on and say a few words to the lads to cheer them up."

"They're doing wonderfully well, sergeant."

"That's true, sir; but we want 'em to do better. They don't see the worst of it. It's all very well to appeal to a soldier's heart and his honour, and that sort of thing; but this is a special time."

"What do you mean? This is no time for making speeches to the brave fellows."

"Of course not, sir. But just you say in your merry, laughing way something about the beggars wanting to get our beef, and you'll see what the lads can do. Taking a bone from a hungry dog'll be nothing to it. The lads'll shoot as they never shot before, for there isn't one of them that isn't thinking of roast and boiled."

d.i.c.kenson laughed, and went on at once along the little column, saying his few words somewhat on the plan the sergeant had suggested, and it sent a thrill through the little force. They had just come up with the convoy guard, who heard what he said, and somehow or other-how, it is as well not to inquire-several of the great lumbering beasts began to bellow angrily and broke into a trot, which probably being comprehended by the drove in front, they too broke into a trot, which in turn was taken up by the spans in the wagons, and the whole line was in motion.

The drivers and forelopers who led the way made for the cover, and at the word of order that pa.s.sed along the line the men doubled, cheering loudly the while, and sending the bullocks blundering along in a cloud of dust.

"Steady, there! Steady!" shouted the major. "Never mind the cattle. The lads will be winded, and unable to shoot."

"Yes," panted Captain Edwards; for while this had been going on, the enemy, now tripled in number, were repeating their former evolution, and two clouds of them taking a wide sweep round were nearly abreast of the little force, evidently on their way to seize the patch of bush as a shelter for their horses while they dismounted, occupied the cover, and dealt destruction to those who came on.

The major saw the uselessness of his manoeuvre now, and was almost ready to give it up; but still he had hopes.

"The cattle will screen our advance," he said, "and the enemy are bound to ride right round on account of cover for their horses. I believe even now that we can get to this side as soon as the Boers get to the other, and we must clear the bush at the point of the bayonet."

The men soon knew what was required of them, and they kept on steadily at the double. But minute by minute it grew more evident that the fast, strong ponies of the enemy, long as the sweep being taken on either side proved to be, must get to the cover first; and, to the despair of the officers, while they were still far distant in the deceiving, clear air, they saw the two big clouds of the enemy, as if moved by one order like a well-trained brigade of cavalry, swing round right and left and dash for the thick patch of dwarf trees dotted with rocks.

"We're done, sergeant," said d.i.c.kenson breathlessly.

"Yes, sir," said the man coolly; "they've six legs to our two. I'm sorry about that beef, for I'd set my mind on a good meal at last."

At that moment the bugle rang out, for it was madness to press on, and the men, disappointed of their bayonet-charge to clear the little open wood, began to draw breath ready for their next order to turn off right or left and continue the retreat out of rifle-fire as soon as they could.

"Oh, it's maddening!" cried d.i.c.kenson pa.s.sionately as he unfastened the cover of his revolver holster.

"Oh no, sir," said Sergeant James. "Case for a cool head. You'll see now how neatly the major will get us out of fire and take us round. I wish, though, that our covering party had been within reach."

An order rang out directly for the party to advance left incline, which meant the giving up of their loot, and the men went on with set teeth as they saw the two great clouds of Boers growing darker as they pressed in for the patch of trees; and then there was a cheer bursting from every throat-a cheer that was more like a hoa.r.s.e yell, for from both ends of the little wood, still some five hundred yards away, there was a puff of smoke, followed by the rattle of a Maxim-gun on the right, a small field-piece, shrapnel charged, on the left, and directly after a couple of volleys given by well-concealed men.

The effect was instantaneous: riders and fallen horses and men were struggling in wild confusion, falling and being trampled down, and those unhurt yelling in wild panic to get clear. And all the while, as fast as they could fire, the hidden covering party in the wood were supplementing the Maxim and gun fire by emptying their magazines into the two horror-stricken mobs. For they were nothing better, as in a selfish kind of madness to escape they dragged their horses' heads round and lashed and beat at them with the b.u.t.ts of their rifles, to begin frantically galloping back by the way they came.

But the worst of their misfortune had not come. Each wing had to gallop for some distance within shot of the major's little force, which poured in volley after volley before "Cease firing!" was sounded, the Boers having continued their flight right away, evidently making for their ruined laager, leaving horse and man dotting the veldt.

The men were too busy congratulating each other upon their victory, and helping to round up the cattle scared by the firing, to pay much heed at first to the wounded enemy; but as soon as a dozen of the best riders were mounted on some of the Bechuana ponies which, minus their riders, had begun to contentedly browse on such green herbage as could be found, the major set a party to work bringing the wounded Boers into the shade.

"Their own people will see to them as soon as we are gone," said the major. "What do you make out, Edwards?" he continued to that officer, who was scanning the retreating enemy through his gla.s.s.

"They seem to me to be gathering together for another advance," said Captain Edwards.

"No," said the major, "they will not do that. This has been too severe a lesson for them. They'll wait till we are gone, and then come to see to their killed and wounded. That was a sudden turn in the state of affairs."

"Ha!" replied Captain Edwards. "I was beginning to wonder how many of us would get back to Groenfontein."

"Yes," said the major; "so was I."

In a very short time the ambulance party and the convoy, with its great train of cattle, were once more on their way to the camp, well-guarded by half the party Colonel Lindley had so opportunely sent to the help of the expedition, the rest, with the major's little force, following more deliberately, keeping on the alert for another attack from the Boers, who waited till their foes were quitting the field before coming slowly on. But not for a new encounter; their aim now was only to carry off their wounded comrades and bury their dead.

"Yes," said the major, "they have had one of the sharpest lessons we have given them during the war. We suffered enough in carrying the kopje by surprise; this time we have not lost a man."

These last words haunted d.i.c.kenson all the way back to the camp, which was reached in safety, the men being tremendously cheered by the comrades they had left behind. But in spite of his elation with the grand addition to their supplies and the two great triumphs achieved by his men, the colonel looked terribly down-hearted at the long array of wounded men; while with regard to Lennox he shook his head.

"A sad loss," he said. "I looked upon Drew Lennox as one of the smartest young fellows in the corps. It's very hard that misfortune should have befallen him now."

"But you think he'll get back to us, sir?" said d.i.c.kenson excitedly.

The colonel gave him a quick look.