The Kopje Garrison Part 69

"I didn't see what was wrong with him in the rush. I can remember now, quite clearly, seeing him go down, with his face streaming with blood."

"You recollect that?" said d.i.c.kenson excitedly, in spite of himself.

"Oh yes. The light was coming fast, and we were near where a lot of the Boers were making for their mounts to get them away. One big fellow was leading his pony, and as poor Roby was straggling blindly about, this Boer ran at him, holding his rein in one hand, his rifle in the other, and I saw him shorten it with his right to turn it into a club to bring it down on Roby's head."

"All!" cried d.i.c.kenson, with increasing excitement, and he waited by Lennox, who ceased speaking, and lay gazing calmly at the door. Then all the doctor's warnings were forgotten, and the visitor said hoa.r.s.ely, "Well, go on. Why don't you speak?"

"Oh, I don't want to begin blowing about what I did," said Lennox quietly.

"But I want to hear," said d.i.c.kenson. "Go on-the Boer raised his rifle to bash it down on Roby's head. What then?"

"Well, he didn't. I was obliged to cut him down. Then the pony jerked itself free and galloped off."

"And you ran to catch it?" cried d.i.c.kenson excitedly.

"Nonsense!" said Lennox, laughing. "Why should I do that? What did I want with the pony, unless it might have been to get poor Roby across its back? But I never thought of it. I only thought of getting him on mine."

"And did you?" cried d.i.c.kenson.

"Of course I did. I wanted to carry him to the rear, poor fellow."

"Ha!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed d.i.c.kenson.

"Well, don't shout. What an excitable beggar you are?"

"Go on, then. You keep giving it to me in little bits. What then?"

"Oh, I got him on my back, and it was horrible His wound bled so."

"But you carried him?"

"Yes, ever so far; till that happened."

"Yes! What?"

Lennox touched his neck, and his hearer literally ground his teeth in rage.

"Will-you-speak out?" he cried.

"Will you take things a little more coolly?" said Lennox quietly. "Didn't Emden say I was to be kept quiet?"

"Of course; of course," said d.i.c.kenson hurriedly. "But you don't know, old chap, what I'm suffering. I'm in a raging thirst for the truth-I want to take one big draught, and you keep on giving me tiny drops in a doll's teaspoon."

"It's because I hate talking about it. I don't want to brag about carrying a wounded man on my back with a pack of Boers on horseback chivvying me. Besides, I'm a bit misty over what did happen. An upset like that takes it out of a fellow. Since I've been lying here this morning thinking it over the wonder to me is that I'm still alive."

d.i.c.kenson pressed his teeth together, making a brave effort to keep back the words which strove to escape, and he was rewarded for his reticence by his comrade continuing quietly:

"It all happened in a twinkling. Roby was balanced on my back, and I was trying to get away from the retreating Boers, sword in one hand, revolver in the other; and I kept two off who pa.s.sed me by pointing my pistol at them, when another came down with a rush, made a s.n.a.t.c.h at the lanyard, and, almost before I could realise what was happening, poor Roby was down and I was jerked off my feet and dragged along the rough ground, b.u.mping, choking, and strangling. For the brute had made a s.n.a.t.c.h at my revolver, caught the lanyard, and held on, with the slip-noose tight between the collar of my jacket and my chin, and his pony cantering hard. I can just remember the idea flashing to my brain that this must be something like the la.s.soing of an animal by a cowboy or one of those South American half-breeds, and then I was seeing dazzling lights and clouds that seemed to be tinged with blood; and after that all was dark for I can't tell how long, before I began to come to, and found myself right away on the veldt, with the sun beating down upon my head, and a raging thirst nearly driving me mad. I suppose I was mad, or nearly so," continued Lennox after a brief pause, "for my head was all in a whirl, and I kept on seeing Boers dragging me over the veldt by the neck, and hearing horses galloping round me, all of which was fancy, of course; for at times I was sensible, and knew that I was lying somewhere out in the great veldt where all was silent, the horses I heard being in my head. Then I seemed to go to sleep and dream that I was being dragged by the neck again, on and on for ever."

"Horrible," panted d.i.c.kenson.

"Yes, old fellow, it was rather nasty; but I suppose a great part of it was fancy, and even now I can't get it into shape, for everything was so dull and dreamy and confused. All I can tell you more is, that I woke up once, feeling a little more sensible, and began to feel about me. Then I knew that my sword was by my side and my hand numb and throbbing, for the sword-knot was tight about my wrist. I managed to get that loosened, and after a good deal of difficulty sheathed my sword, after which I began to feel for my revolver, and got hold of the cord, which pa.s.sed through my hand till I felt that it was broken-snapped off or cut. That was all I could do then, and I suppose I fainted. But I must have come to again and struggled up, moved by a blind sort of instinct to get back to Groenfontein. I say I suppose that, for all the rest is a muddle of dreams and confusion. The doctor says you and a party came and found me wandering about in the dark, and of course I must have been making some blind kind of effort to get back to camp. I say, old fellow, I ought to have been dead, I suppose?"

"Of course you ought, sir," said the doctor, stepping in to lay a hand upon the poor fellow's brow. "Humph! Not so feverish as you ought to be, chattering like that."

"Then you've heard, doctor?" cried d.i.c.kenson excitedly.

"I heard talking, sir, where there ought to be none," replied the doctor sharply.

"But did you hear that your precious theory was all wrong?"

"No, sir; I did not," said the doctor sharply. "I based my theory upon what seemed to be facts, and facts they were. I told you that my patient here was suffering from the tightening of a ligature about his neck."

"And quite correct, too, doctor," said Lennox, holding out his hand. "I suppose if that lanyard had not broken I shouldn't be alive here to talk about it."

"Your theory, my dear boy, is as correct as mine," said the doctor, taking his patient's hand, but not to shake it, for he proceeded to feel Lennox's pulse in the most business-like manner, nodding his head with satisfaction.

"Much better than I expected," he said. "But you must be quiet now. I was horrified when I came by and heard such a jabbering going on. Let's see: where are your duds?"

He went to the corner of the hut, where the orderly had placed the patient's uniform, everything as neatly folded as if it had been new instead of tattered and torn; while above, on a peg, hung belts, sword, pouches, and the strong cord-like lanyard stiffened and strained about the noose and slipping knots, while the other end was broken and frayed where the spring snap had been.

"Humph!" said the doctor. "I wonder this cord didn't snap at once with the drag made upon it. All the same I don't suppose you were dragged very far."

He looked at his patient inquiringly, but Lennox shook his head slowly.

"It may have been for half-an-hour, doctor, or only for a minute. I can't tell."

"Probabilities are in favour of the minute, sir," said the doctor. "Well, it's a strange case. I never had but one injury in my experience approaching it, and that was when an artillery driver was dragged over the plain by his horses. A sh.e.l.l burst close to the team, and this man somehow got the reins twisted about his neck, and he was dragged for about a mile before he was released."

"Much hurt?" said d.i.c.kenson.

"Yes," said the doctor, with a short nod of the head. "He was very much hurt indeed."

"And I was not, doctor?" said Lennox, smiling.

"Oh no, not in the least," said the doctor sarcastically. "You only wanted your face washed and you'd have been all right in a few hours, no doubt. I've done nothing for you. The old story. Why, let me tell you, sir, when you were brought in I began to wonder whether I was going to pull you round."

"As you have, doctor, and I am most grateful."

Lennox held out both hands as he spoke, his right being still swollen and painful; and this time the doctor took them non-professionally, to hold them for a few moments.

"Of course you are, my dear boy, and I'm heartily glad to see you getting on so well; but, upon my word, I do sometimes feel ready to abuse some of our rough ones. I save their lives, and they take it all as a matter of course-give one not the slightest credit. But there, from sheer ignorance of course. You're getting right fast, and I'll tell you why: it's because you're in a fine, vigorous state of health. You fellows have no chance of over-indulging yourselves in eating and drinking."

"Not a bit, doctor," said d.i.c.kenson, making a wry face.

"Oh yes, I know," said the doctor. "You have to go through a good many privations, but you're none the worse. Primeval man used to have hard work to live; civilised man is pampered and spoiled with luxuries."

"Especially civilised man engaged in the South African campaign against the Boers," said d.i.c.kenson, while his comrade's eyes lit up with mirth.