Charge! Part 36

Chapter Twenty Five.

A Forlorn-Hope for Food.

Sergeant Briggs stared, and looked so puzzled that we laughed the more.

"Beg pardon, gentlemen," he said, speaking as if huffed, "have I said something stoopid?"

"Tell him, Val," cried Denham; and I explained why we laughed.

"Oh, I see," he said good-humouredly. "I thought I was being laughed at. Well, I don't know, Mr Denham, sir; I don't think the idee's quite so wild as you fancy."

"Oh, it's impossible, Sergeant."

"No, sir, begging your pardon, it isn't. It's the cheek of the thing might carry it off. I like it."

"Yes; your mouth waters for the stores, Sergeant."

"Maybe, sir; but if I was you I should go straight to the Colonel and tell him."

"So as to be laughed at for a fool," said Denham. "The chief's in no laughing humour, sir," said the Sergeant stolidly. "He ought to be in hospital with that cut on the leg he got; but he won't give up, though I've seen him turn whitey-brown and come out all over the face with big drops. That means pain. No; he won't laugh."

"Then he'll growl at us, and tell us to be off for a pair of idiots."

"Well, I'll risk it," I said firmly.

"Will you? Young fellow," cried Denham, "don't you presume on my friendliness and forget that you're a private in my troop."

"It's my duty to let the Colonel know," I said warmly.

"Yes, through your superior officer. Well, look here; perhaps you're right. Let's go to him at once."

We descended after another look at the Boer lines, and found the Colonel resting against a block of granite, with his injured leg lying in a bed of sand. He listened attentively, after Denham's introduction, to all I had to say. Then he sat in perfect silence, frowning, and tugging at his long moustache. I was as uncomfortable as ever I had been, and wished I had not come; but soon a change came over me, for the Colonel spoke.

"Capital," he said sharply. "But-"

My hopes went down to zero again, but rose as he went on, taking the right line of thought: "It can only be done by sheer bravado. It is the utter recklessness of the ruse that would carry it through. Do you think, Moray, you could do this without breaking down at the supreme moment?"

"I think so, sir."

"That's good," said the Colonel; "there's a frank modesty about that 'think.' But do you dare to run the risk for the sake of your officers and brother-privates, who are in a very tight place?"

"I don't think now, sir," I said: "I dare go."

"Then you shall, Moray."

"To-night, sir?"

"No: have a night's sleep and a quiet day to-morrow to think out your plans. You will be fresher then. There, I'm in pain, and I want a few hours' rest to set me up. One minute," he added as I turned to go. "How many know about this?"

"Only Sergeant Briggs, sir, and the black, of course."

"Keep the black quiet," said the Colonel, "and tell Sergeant Briggs from me that the expedition is to be kept secret."

"Yes, sir."

"You are not to go on sentry work to-night."

I saluted, and went away with Denham, who began to growl:

"The chief's as cracked over it as you are. But, look here, Val, you must alter your plans."

"I can't," I replied. "I shall go."

"Of course you will; but you must reshape them so as to take me with you."

"That's impossible," I replied. "But would you go?"

"Would I go? Of course. I should like the fun of it. Here, you must go and tell the chief you feel as if you can't curry out the business properly unless you have my help."

I looked at him, laughing.

"I say, who's cracked now?" I said.

"Well, I believe I am-half," he replied. "I say, Val, I would like to go with you."

"What! upon such a mad expedition?" I said.

"Yes. It doesn't look so mad when you come to think a little more about it. Look here; I know. I'll go as a Dutch driver."

"You'll stop along with your troop, and I'll ask the chief to let you come to my help in the morning when we're coming along with the wagon-if-if we carry it off."

Denham was silent for a few moments before he said any more. Then, with a sigh:

"Yes, you might do that; but I should have liked to be in the thick of the business."

Many of the men went hungry to bed that night, and Denham and I lay talking for long enough before sleep came; but when it did, nothing could have been more restful and refres.h.i.+ng.

We rose at the "Wake up" to find that there had been no alarm in the night, and our first act was to climb to the top of the wall and use a gla.s.s, to see that the Boers wore in the same positions, and the outposts were just riding in, so that I had some insight as to the way in which the enemy guarded their front during the night.

"Here, I say, look!" cried Denham suddenly. "You ought to have gone last night."

"Why?" I asked as I took the gla.s.s; and then, "Oh!" I exclaimed in a tone of disappointment.

"Yes, you may well groan," cried my companion. "Why didn't the chief let you go?"

There was good reason. We could see plainly enough that the Boers were unloading the wagons, and the Kaffirs hard at work carrying bags which no doubt contained mealies or flour. To me the sight was maddening, for it now seemed one of the easiest things in the world for us to have captured and carried off one of the laden wagons.