Charge! Part 37

"There, it's of no use to cry after spilt milk," said Denham, with a groan.

"Nor is it of any use to despair," I replied as I watched the unloading. "Perhaps they may leave one of the wagons full."

"Oh, they will, of course!" said Denham mockingly. "They'll pick out the best one, containing a nice a.s.sortment, and label it, 'Reserved for the use of the Natal Light Horse. To wait until called for by Don Quixoto Valentino Morayo and his henchman Sancho Panzo Joeboyo.' I never thought of that."

"Let's go and report what we have seen," I said bitterly; and we went and found the Colonel.

"Humph!" he said shortly; "unfortunate." That was all.

Then the day glided by, with our men always on the alert, their only work being to man the walls and keep a sharp lookout while the horses were driven out to graze; but though the Boers showed in force in different directions, they made no attack. In spite of a false alarm or two, the poor brutes managed to pick up a pretty good feed; though, considering the work they had to do, it was poor and unsustaining as compared to corn.

As for the men, they made the best of things; but several knots gathered together trying to allay the desire for different food by the agency of their pipes. However, instead of endeavouring to get accustomed to the food pretty plentifully prepared for their meals-other two horses having to be shot on account of their wounds-some of the men preferred to fast; and it was these men who discussed the probability of the Colonel making a dash again that night, to cut a way through and escape.

Sergeant Briggs favoured this idea.

"I hope the chief will make another try to-night," he said to Denham and me. "The Boers mean to starve us out; and in another day or two all the fight will be gone out of the poor lads."

However, the sun often peeps out on the cloudiest days; and towards evening, just when we were feeling most despondent, Joeboy came up to Denham and me just as we were going up to our old place of observation, gla.s.s in hand. As we mounted, it was to see the horses led in, with the guard behind them; the lines of the enemy being descried very distinctly in the horizontal rays of the low-down sun. Denham was using the gla.s.s and making comments the while.

"There's a famous great gap out yonder," he said, "just to the right of where we saw those unlucky wagons, Val. I will just go and tell some one. The enemy will not be likely to fill it up; and I believe we might go softly that way and make a dash through.-Oh, you disgusting, sybaritish, gluttonous brutes! I always did think the Boers were pigs at eating. Look at their fires all along their lines. Here are we starving, and they're doing nothing but cook and eat-eat-eat."

I took the gla.s.s and looked at the opening he had noticed, but said nothing, remembering how terrible was our experience on the previous occasion. I saw too-as enviously as my companion, but in silence-how the fires were sending up their clouds of smoke in the clear, calm air all along the line, telling of preparations for the coming meal.

"The empty wagons are gone," I said at last.

"If you say wagon again I shan't be able to contain myself," cried Denham pa.s.sionately. "I don't want to kick you, Val; but I shall be obliged. Look here, if I feel as bad to-morrow evening as I do now, I'll mount and desert to the Boer ranks."

"Not you," I said.

"But I will, just for the sake of eating as much as ever I can. Then I'll desert again and join our own ranks."

"Why, Denham-" I exclaimed excitedly, and then I was silent.

"Why, Denham-" he replied.

"Wait a minute," I cried; "let me make sure."

"Sure of what?" he said, growing excited in turn on hearing the elation in my voice.

"Wagons!" I cried.

"Ah, would you?" he shouted. "Didn't I say that if you spoke of wagons again-"

"One-two-three-four-five-six!" I cried, with the gla.s.ses to my eyes. "Hurrah! There's a fresh lot coming into camp, right into that opening you saw. Be quiet and let me watch"-for Denham had given me such a slap between the shoulders that I nearly dropped the gla.s.s.

"Say it again, old man-say it again."

"There's no need," I replied. "Yes, I can make them out quite plainly-six wagons, with their long teams of oxen and black drivers and forelopers. You can see the black bodies and white cloths."

"I don't want to see them," cried Denham wildly. "I'll take your word. Six teams of oxen!-that's all beef. Six wagons!-that means bread. There, you be off and tell the Colonel you're going to start; and I'll see about the troop that's to follow and bring you in. I say, pick out a wagon of meal; not one of mealies. I don't know, though. Couldn't you bring both?"

"There's plenty of time," I said.

"Time? The Colonel ought to know by now. Here, give me that gla.s.s."

"Be quiet," I said, angry with excitement. "I want to watch and make sure where the wagons are drawn up."

Denham ceased speaking, and during the next half-hour I watched till I had seen tin; six wagons drawn up pretty close together, and their black drivers moving about attending to the oxen; now all grew faint and indistinct, then completely faded out of sight; not, however, until I had made up my mind that I could go straight away from the old fort and find the place, though there were minutes when the task in the dark seemed impossible.

Turning to Joeboy, who had twice looked through the gla.s.s, I asked:

"Do you think we could find those wagons in the dark?"

"Um? Joeboy could," he replied promptly. "Go right straight."

I breathed more freely then, and suggested to Denham that I should go and report to the Colonel what I had seen.

"Yes; at once," he said. "Come along; and I want to have command of one of the troops sent out to bring you in."

We had commenced the descent when Denham stopped me.

"Look here," he said; "I have a good thought. We ought to arrange some signal to let me know your whereabouts when you are returning with the wagon."

"I haven't got it yet," I said.

"No, but you're going to get it," he said confidently; "and I want to be able to come to you with fifty men, and to make sure of bringing you in. Now then, what will your signal be? Because, if I hear it out on the veldt we can ride straight off to you. Can you yell like a hyena?"

"No," I said promptly. "Joeboy can."

"Wouldn't do," said my companion, upon second thoughts. "Those beasts are singing all over the place sometimes, and they might lead us wrong."

"So would the cry of any animal."

"Yes," said Denham thoughtfully. "I don't know, though. Here, can you suggest something?"

"I can't do it; but Joeboy can roar like a lion splendidly."

"Wouldn't that scare and stampede the bullocks?"

"Oh no," I said; "the cry would cheat the Boers, perhaps; the bullocks would know better-wouldn't they, Joeboy?"

"Um? Big trek-ox laugh, and say 'Gammon,'" replied the black, showing his glistening teeth.

"Very well, then; when you are getting within earshot let Joeboy give three roars half-a-minute apart."

"Right," I said.-"You understand, Joeboy?"

"Um? Yes, Boss Val."