The Kopje Garrison Part 77

"Did my best, sir," said the captain quietly. "But I'm not quite as I should like to be," he continued confidentially. "Don't take any notice. I can't quite understand about my hurt on the head."

"Indeed?" said the colonel, frowning.

"I recollect, of course, getting the stinging pain in my leg, and going down, and then it seemed to me that one of the Boers kicked me at the top of the forehead with his heavy boot, and I was trampled on. After that I fainted, and didn't come to until the firing was going on and Lennox came running through it to pick me up. Colonel, that's about the bravest thing that has been done since we've been here."

"Quite," said the colonel, watching the speaker curiously.

"I want you to promise me that you'll mention it well in your despatch about the taking of the laager."

"If I ever get a despatch to headquarters it shall contain that, I promise you."

"Thank you," said Roby warmly, and with the tears now in his eyes. "I say, colonel, I'm sorry I went down; but the doctor says the lads got back after another skirmish, with plenty of cattle and stores."

"Yes," said the colonel; "it was a splendid addition to our supplies and-"

"Stop! stop! please, colonel," said the doctor. "Roby's weak yet."

"Oh no, doctor."

"My dear fellow, I say yes; and I say," said the doctor, bending down to whisper to his patient, "Lennox and d.i.c.kenson are both very feeble. Think of them."

Roby took the doctor's hand and pressed it, accompanying the pressure with a significant look.

"Thank you for coming, colonel," he said, "and you too, major. Emden's an awful tyrant when he gets us on our backs."

"Right," said the doctor. "Nero was nothing to me.-Now, gentlemen, just a word or two with the rest of my nursery folk, and then I must order you off."

The colonel nodded, pa.s.sed on to Captain Edwards, and said a word or two; the same followed at d.i.c.kenson's side, where the young officer, forgetful of his wounds, gave his chief a look full of exultation, receiving a good-humoured nod in return, and d.i.c.kenson turned his face sidewise with a sigh of content.

"Wait a bit," he said to himself. "I'll have it out with the old man as soon as I get better. He's bound to ask poor old Drew's pardon. But fancy Roby turning like this."

Meanwhile the colonel had pa.s.sed on to Lennox's side, to find him far the greatest sufferer of the party present, and unable to do more than smile his thanks and lie back, extremely weak, but with a look of calm restfulness in his eyes that told that there was nothing mental to trouble him and keep him back.

"What do you think of them, colonel?" said the doctor as soon as they were outside.

"All much better than I expected," said the colonel.

"But what about Roby? He is quite delirious from his wound, is he not?"

"Perfectly calm, sir, with his mens much more Sana than his corpus. I thought he was all wrong at first, but he's only weak-pulse regular, temperature as cool as a hot iron roof will let it be." (Note: Mens sana in corpore sano.)

"But, hang it all, doctor! his head's all in a muddle about storming the little kopje and getting the cattle and stores away."

"Yes; that's the comical part of it. He's a bit mixed, and in his present state I let him think what he likes, so long as it is not likely to do him any harm."

"But really, Doctor Emden, I fail to follow your reasoning," said the colonel rather stiffly.

"Never mind, colonel; leave it. I don't follow all your military manoeuvres, so I leave them to you. Let the cobbler stick to his last. There, man, don't look mystified. Let me explain. Roby had bad concussion of the brain from that first shot. There was no fracture, but the bone was, so to speak, a little dented down, and the consequence was that, though he rapidly recovered his health bodily, he did not get his mental balance quite right at the same time."

"Then you think that charge of his against Lennox was a trifling aberration that's now over. I hope you are right, doctor; but-"

"But me no buts," said the doctor. "I stake my reputation upon it. Surely, man, you can see the proof? The poor fellow showed you that he has not the slightest recollection now of what has been going on since the expedition to the laager."

"To be sure," said the major. "I see now. That explains it. He talked as if he thought this was the result of being shot down there."

"To be sure he does. He thinks, too, that Edwards is wounded from a skirmish with the Boers during the retreat."

"Then there was no nonsense, no unreality, in his display of interest in poor Lennox?"

"Not a bit. He's delighted with the poor fellow's gallantry, and talks to me about how much he owes him."

"But his charge of cowardice?"

"Wind, my dear sir; wind. Let it blow away. If any one were to tell him of it now he would stare with astonishment and ask you if you meant to insult him. Take my word for it, the hallucination has completely pa.s.sed away. The fresh wound, with its loss by haemorrhage, and the reaction, has acted antagonistically to his mental trouble. He has, so to speak, stepped mentally from the attack on the Boers to their attack on us, and as soon as he recovers his strength he'll be as good a man as ever."

"But when we tell him about his charge?" said the colonel.

"Why tell him, sir? Let it rest. If it ever comes out by accident, that's quite another thing. The trouble has settled itself, as some troubles will."

"I wish this one would," said the major, "for I'm getting very sick of being penned up here on very reduced rations. Have they quite forgotten us at headquarters?"

"No," said the colonel. "Their hands are full.-Meanwhile, doctor, our ranks are very thin, so as fast as you can send the poor lads back to the ranks, let us have them again. The Boers will not let us rest like this for long."

Chapter Thirty Nine.

At Last!

But the Boers had received so severe a lesson that they did leave the garrison severely alone for nearly a month, save that there were often sharp encounters between patrols and the foraging parties which made a dash whenever there was a chance of capturing something for the military larder.

It had come to the colonel holding a private council, at which the doctor was present to give his opinion how long it would be before the wounded men would be sufficiently strong to undertake a night march and then push on to try and join hands with the nearest post held by our forces.

"If we could feed the lads as they ought to be fed, in about a month," replied the doctor quietly. "Going on as we are now-never." The colonel started from his seat. "Do you mean this, Emden?" he said excitedly. "The men's appearance speaks for itself. It is all the healthy can do to keep body and soul together; the wounded are at a standstill."

"No, no," said the colonel warmly; "all of our officers, though certainly weak, have returned to their duty."

"Yes," said the doctor; "but then they all partook more of a certain essence than the men do. The poor fellows had done marvellously well, and the more educated, better-cla.s.s fellows compare wonderfully well with those of a lower station; but there is that difference."

"And pray what is the wonderful essence, doctor?" said Captain Edwards, smiling.

"Esprit de corps, my dear sir," said the doctor.

"Well," cried the colonel, "then you have settled it, doctor. We are not going to surrender."

"No!" came in chorus.

"We can't go and leave our weak ones behind."