Charge! Part 46

"Pooh! They're n.o.body. I mean the officers. The chief's leg's pretty nearly right again, and he was saying at mess only yesterday that it was a most unnatural state of affairs for British officers to be forced by a set of low-bred Dutch Boers, no better than farm-labourers, to eat their beef without either mustard, horse-radish, or salt."

"Horrible state of dest.i.tution," I said quietly.

"None of your sneers, Farmer Val," he cried. "He's right, and I'm getting sick of it myself. He says it is such an ign.o.ble position for a mounted corps to suffer themselves to be shut up here, and not to make another dash for freedom."

"Well, I shall be glad if we make another attempt to get through their lines," I said thoughtfully.

"That's what the Major said, when, hang me! if the chief didn't turn suddenly round like a weatherc.o.c.k, and say that what we were doing was quite right, because we held this great force of Boers occupied so that the General might carry out his plans without being hara.s.sed by so large a body of men."

"That's right enough," I said.

"Don't you get blowing hot and cold," cried Denham, with impatience. "Then some one else sided with the Colonel. It was the doctor, I think. He said the General must know when, where, and how we were situated, and that sooner or later he would attack the Boers, rout them, and set us at liberty."

"That sounds wise," I hazarded.

"No, it doesn't," said my companion; "because we shouldn't want setting at liberty then. Do you suppose that if we heard the General's guns, and found that he was attacking the enemy, we should sit still here and look on?"

"Well, it wouldn't be right," I replied.

"Right? Of course not. As soon as the attack was made we should file out and begin to hover on the enemy's flank or rear, or somewhere else, waiting our time, and then go at them like a wedge and scatter them. Oh, how I do long to begin!"

"It seems to me," I said thoughtfully, "that the General ought to have sent some one to find us and bring us a despatch ordering the Colonel what to do."

"I dare say he has-half-a-dozen by now-and the Boers have captured them; but it doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" I said wonderingly.

"No; because, depend upon it, he'd have ordered us to sit fast till he came."

"Well, but oughtn't the Colonel to have sent out a despatch or two telling the General how we are fixed?"

"Yes-no-I don't know," said Denham sourly. "I'm only a subaltern-a bit of machinery that is wound up sometimes by my superior officers, and then I turn round till I'm stopped. Subalterns are not expected to have any brains, or to think for themselves."

"Now you are exaggerating," I said.

"Not a bit of it, my little man. But I know what I should have done if I had been chief."

"What's that?"

"Sent out a smart fellow who could track and ride."

"With a despatch for the General?"

"No; a message that couldn't fall into the enemy's hands. I'd have gone like a shot."

"You couldn't send yourself," I said dryly.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"You were telling me what you would have done if you had been chief."

"Bah! Yah! Don't you pretend to be so sharp. That's what the old man ought to do, though-send out a messenger, and if he didn't find the General he'd find out how things are going. I believe the Boers are licking our regular troops."

"Oh, nonsense!" I said, looking startled. "Impossible."

"Nothing's impossible in war, my boy. I'm getting uncomfortable. You'd go with a message if you were ordered?"

"Of course," I said.

"Of course you would. That's what the chief ought to do, and I've a good mind to tell him so. But I say," he added, in alarm, "don't you go and tell any one what I've been talking about."

I looked him in the face and laughed.

"Of course you will not," said Denham confidently. "Hullo! Going?"

"Yes; I want to go and see how the great Irish captain is," I replied.

"What do you want to go and see him for?" said my companion angrily.

"I hardly know," I replied. "I like to see that he's getting better."

"Well, you are a rum chap," cried Denham. "I should have thought you would like to go and sit upon the bragging brute. Why, last time, when I went with you, he talked to both of us as if we were two privates in his Boer corps."

"Yes, he's a self-satisfied, inflated sort of fellow; but he's wounded and a prisoner."

"What of that? It's only what he ought to be. I want to know what's to be done with him."

"The Colonel won't send him to the Boer lines when he's well enough to move, I hope."

"Not he. I expect he'll be kept till he can be handed over to the General. Here, I'll come with you."

I was quite willing, and we descended to the hospital, as the shut-off part of one of the pa.s.sages was called; and there sat the only patient and prisoner, with an armed sentry close at hand to prevent any attempt at escape.

The Captain turned his head sharply on hearing our footsteps, and gave us both a haughty stare, which amused Denham, making him look to me and smile.

"Oh, you've come at last," said the patient. "I've been wanting you."

"What is it?" I said. "Water?"

"Bah!" he replied, his upper lip curling. "I want you to bring your chief officer here."

"I dare say you do, my fine fellow," cried Denham. "Pretty good for a prisoner! You don't suppose he'll come-do you? Here, what do you want? Tell me, and I'll carry your message to the chief."

Moriarty gave the young officer a contemptuous glance, and then turned to me.

"Go and tell the Colonel, or whatever he is, that I am greatly surprised at his inattention to my former message."

"Did you send a message?" I asked, surprised by his words.