Fix Bay'nets Part 59

"Why, they never come across 'em, sir. I've got 'em, standing here just as we left 'em. Well, I'm blessed! I know the difference by the feel.

That's yours, sir, and this is mine. Talk about luck! Ha! I feel better now. Woolly busbies is all very well, but they don't look soldierly. I could have made some right enough, but we should ha'

wanted to take 'em off before we got back to the fort."

"A splendid bit of luck, Gedge," said Bracy as he drew the strap of his helmet beneath his chin. "Now for our next step. What do you think?"

"Wittles, sir. Can't think o' nothing else just now. I should say, with what we've got to do, the next thing's to begin stoking before our fires go out."

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

AWFUL MOMENTS.

It was with serious feelings of compunction that Bracy set this example to his eager companion, by seating himself on one of the stones and beginning to combat the weary sensation of faintness which troubled him by partaking of a portion of his fast-shrinking store of provisions.

For the fact was beginning to stare him in the face that, going on as they had begun, their little store could not by any possibility last, till they reached the Ghoorkha camp, and that in depending upon their rifles for a fresh supply they would be leaning upon a very rotten reed, since, surrounded as they seemed to be by enemies, it would be impossible to fire, while everything in the shape of game had so far been absent. But his spirits rose as he refreshed himself.

"I will not build imaginary mountains," he said mentally; "there are plenty about us at last."

"There, sir," said Gedge, breaking in upon his musings suddenly; "I'm ready for anything now. I should like to lie down and have a good sleep; but I s'pose we mustn't do that."

"Not till we have crossed that ridge up to the north, Gedge. It will be hard work, but it must be done."

"And get into the valley on the other side, sir, 'fore we go on east'ard?"

"Yes."

"S'pose there'll be a valley t'other side, sir?"

"No doubt about it."

"Then, when you're ready, sir, I am. If we've got it to do, let's begin and get this soft bit over, for we shan't get along very fast."

"No; the soft snow makes the travelling bad; but we go higher at every step, and by-and-by we may find it hard. Now then, I'll lead. The ridge must be right before us, as far as I can make out."

"Don't ask me, sir," said Gedge. "Wants a cat to see in the dark; but I think you must be right. Best way seems to me to keep on going uphill.

That must be right, and when it's flat or going downhill it must be wrong."

Bracy made no reply, but, after judging the direction as well as he could, strode off, and found that his ideas were right, for at the end of a few minutes the snow was crackling under their feet.

"Now for it, Gedge. You'll have to lift your feet high at every step, while they sink so deeply. Hullo!"

There was a sharp crackling as he extended his left foot, bore down upon it, and with a good deal of resistance it went through a crust of ice, but only a short way above the ankle. Quickly bringing up the other foot, he stepped forward, and it crushed through the hardening surface, but only for a few inches. The next step was on the rugged surface of slippery ice, and as they progressed slowly for about a hundred yards, it was to find the surface grow firmer and less disposed to give beneath their weight.

"There's one difficulty mastered," said Bracy cheerily. "The surface is freezing hard, and we can get on like this till the sun beats upon it again."

"I call it grand, sir; but I hope it won't get to be more uphill."

"Why?"

"Because if we makes one slip we shall go skating down to the bottom of the slope again in double-quick time. I feel a'ready as if I ought to go to the blacksmith's to get roughed."

"Stamp your feet down if you are disposed to slip, my lad. I do not want to do this, but if the slope grows steeper we must fix bayonets and use them to steady us."

"Take the edge off on 'em, sir."

"Yes; but we must get across the ridge. Forward."

They toiled on, the task growing heavier as they progressed, for the gradient became steeper, and they halted from time to time for a rest, the plan of using the bayonets being kept for a last resource. But there were compensations to make up for the severity of the toil, one of which was expressed by the travellers at one of the halts.

"Makes one feel jolly comf'table and warm, sir."

"Yes; and takes away all doubt of our going in the right direction, for we must be right."

"I didn't think we was at first, sir. 'Tain't so dark neither."

"No: we are getting higher, and the snow and ice are all round us. Now then, forward!"

Crunch, squeak, crunch went the snow as they tramped steadily, with the surface curving slowly upward, till all at once there was a slip, a thud, and a scramble, Gedge was down, and he began to glide, but checked himself with the b.u.t.t of his rifle.

"I'm all right, sir; but I was on the go," he said, panting.

"Hurt?" replied Bracy laconically.

"Not a bit, six. Knocked some o' the wind out o' me, but I'm all right again now."

"Forward!"

Bracy led on again, to find that the curve made by the snowfield rose more and more steeply, and the inclination to slip increased. But he stamped his feet down as he kept on, with his breathing growing quicker, and had the satisfaction of hearing his follower imitate his example, till he began to find that he must soon make another halt.

His spirits were rising, however, with an increasing hopeful feeling, for this was evidently the way to avoid pursuit or check. They were on the ice, and to this they must trust for the rest of their journey till they were well within reach of the Ghil Valley, to which they must descend.

Slip.

In an instant Bracy was down, starting on a rapid descent toward the place they had left; but at his first rush he heard beneath him a sharp blow delivered in the glazed surface, and he was suddenly brought up by the body of Gedge.

"Hold tight, sir! All right. I've got something to anchor us."

"Ha!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Bracy breathlessly. "It was so sudden."

"Yes, sir; don't give you much time to think. You'd better do as I do."

"What's that?"

"Keep your bay'net in your hand ready to dig down into the ice. Stopped me d'reckly, and that stopped you."

"Yes, I'll do so. A minute's rest, and then we'll go on again."

"Make it two, sir. You sound as if you haven't got your wind back."