Charge! Part 48

Chapter Thirty Three.

Denham Proves to be Right.

In a few minutes the Major had joined the Colonel, and soon every officer and man in the old fortification was waiting breathlessly for information as to what intelligence regarding the movements of the enemy the two stern-looking men up on the wall were gathering into their brains through their gla.s.ses-intelligence far beyond the ken of the sentries, whose duty it was to keep strict watch upon the great circle which was formed by the Boer lines.

There was no hurry or bustle; but our trumpeter had buckled his sword-belt and taken down his instrument from where it hung, and then stationed himself upon one of the blocks of stone in the great courtyard, watching his chiefs, and holding his instrument ready, while his eyes seemed about to start out of his head in his excitement. Everywhere it was the same. Men glided about here and there, after a glance at the ranges of rifles against the wall, with their well-filled bandoliers, and only paused at last where each could dart to his horse, ready to saddle and bridle the tethered beast. The officers were also silently preparing-buckling on their swords, taking revolvers from their belt-holsters, and filling the chambers from their cartridge-pouches, quite mechanically, without taking their eyes off the watchers on the wall. But in spite of all these preparations no sounds were heard save those made by the horses-an impatient stamp or pawing at the stones, followed by a snort or a whinnying neigh.

I did as the rest had done. Meeting Denham after his return from the sheltered spot occupied by the officers, we stood together, looking up at the wall.

"What a long time they are taking!" whispered Denham impatiently. "The Doppies can't be coming on, or they'd have been seen before now."

Almost as he spoke the two officers strode to one end of the rampart and began to inspect the veldt again. The next minute they were making for the opposite side of the great building, to examine the country in that direction; and here they stood for a long time.

"Oh dear!" groaned Denham at last. "What's-its-name deferred makes the heart sink into your boots. It's a false alarm."

"Not it," I said, "for there has been no alarm."

"Well, you know what I mean. It's all over. I did hope the chief would be so busy that he'd forget all about what I said. There never was such a miserably unlucky beggar born as I am. Now we shall-"

Just then the Major left the Colonel's side, came to the edge of the wall, and looked down into the court, gave a nod of satisfaction, and made a sign to the trumpeter, whose bugle went with a flip to his lips, and there was a sound as if the pent-up breath of some four hundred men had been suddenly allowed to escape. Then the walls were echoing to the call "Boot and Saddle," and every man sprang to his hung-up saddle and then to his horse, the willing beasts seeming all of a tremor with an excitement as great as that of their riders. Long practice had made us quick; and in an incredibly short time I was standing like the rest with my rifle slung across my back, holding Sandho's bridle ready to lead him out through the gateway, military fas.h.i.+on, though he would have walked at my side like a dog.

"We're only going for a bit of a reconnaissance," said Sergeant Briggs gruffly as, after a sharp, non-com glance at his men, he settled down close to my side.

"How do you know?" I asked, speaking as if to a friend, and not to a superior officer on parade.

"No orders for water-bottles and rations, my lad. I was in hopes that we were going to make a dash through them and get out of this prison of a place."

"What! and leave all that splendid beef, Briggs?" said Denham, who came up in time to hear the Sergeant's words.

"Yes; and the gold-mine too, sir. We could come back and take possession of that."

"But the bullocks?"

"They'd find their way out and get their living on the veldt. Needn't trouble about them, sir. Look out."

We were looking out, for our two chief officers had now descended from the walls and crossed to where their servants were holding their chargers.

Directly after a note was sounded, followed by a sharp order or two, and horse and man, troop after troop, filed out into position and stood ready to mount.

The order was not long in coming, and we sprang into our saddles, all in profound ignorance of what was before us, save that we were soon to return. About fifty men had been left as garrison.

Then an order was given, and we divided into two bodies. One detachment, under the Major, moved off, to pa.s.s round by the kopje; the other, in which I served, taking the opposite direction, but turning after pa.s.sing round the stronghold, and meeting the other detachment about half a mile to the east. There we sat, obtaining in the clear evening light a full view of the enemy's proceedings.

We had no sooner halted than the officers' gla.s.ses were focussed, and all waited anxiously for an explanation of the movements which the non-commissioned officers and privates could see somewhat indistinctly with the naked eye.

Denham was close to me; and, like the good fellow he was, he took care to let me know what he made out, speaking so that his words were plainly heard by Sergeant Briggs and the others near.

"It seems to be a general advance of the enemy," he said, with his eyes close to his gla.s.s. "They're coming steadily on at a walk. Yes; wagons and all."

"That doesn't mean an attack, sir," said the Sergeant.

"I don't know what it means," said Denham. "Yes, I think I do. They've got some notion into their heads that we mean to break through the ring, and they are going to close up, to make it more solid."

"They think we're getting tired of it, sir, and that when we see them loaded with plenty of good things we shall surrender."

"Perhaps it's out of kindness, Briggs," said Denham, laughing. "They want to tempt us into making another raid because the distance will be shorter for us to go."

"Then I'm afraid they'll be disappointed, sir, for the Colonel isn't likely to risk losing any of his men while we've got all those bullocks to eat."

"I don't know what to make of it," said Denham; then, thoughtfully: "It looks to me like some bit of cunning-a sort of ruse to get within rifle-shot. Look how steadily they're coming on."

That was plain enough to us all, line after line of hors.e.m.e.n advancing as regularly as if they had been well-drilled cavalry; and for my part, inexperienced as I was in such matters, I could not help thinking that the wagons were being pushed forward on purpose to afford cover for their best marksmen, and that in a short time the bullets would begin to be pinging and buzzing about our ears.

I can't say what the Colonel thought; but almost directly the trumpet rang out, and we were cantered back, to file steadily into the great courtyard again, with the men grumbling and muttering among themselves at having been made what they called fools of.

"I tell you what it is, Val," said Denham as soon as he had another chance to speak; "I believe I've got it."

"What-the Boers' plan?"

"Yes; don't you see? They'll come right in so as to be within easy shot of our grazing grounds."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, "I never thought of that. Of course; and if the horses and cattle are driven out, they'll be able to shoot them down till we haven't a beast left."

"Nor a bit of beef. It's to force us to surrender-a regular siege."

It was rapidly getting dark then; and we soon learned that our ideas of the Boers' ruse were the same as those entertained by our chiefs.

Upon the strength of the closer approach the sentries were doubled, and by means of the wagons the entrance to our stronghold was barricaded in a more effectual way; but we were not to be allowed to rest with a feeling of security that night. In about a couple of hours after our return a shot was fired by one of the sentries, then another, and another; and the men stood to their arms, on foot, ready for an attack by the enemy. In a few minutes, however, the news ran round that the sentries had fired at a dark figure creeping along under the wall inside the courtyard after repeated challenges; and, later, the news spread that the sentry on guard over the prisoner was lying insensible and bleeding from a great cut on the back of his head, and that Captain Moriarty was nowhere to be found.

Chapter Thirty Four.

An Ambuscade In Stone.

"The chief's in an awful rage, Val," said Denham, when he came to me after a thorough search had seemed to prove that the prisoner had eluded the vigilance of the sentries. "He swears that some one must have been acting in collusion with the pompous blackguard, and that he means to have the whole of our Irish boys before him and cross-examine the lot."

"I hope he will not," I said.

"So do I; for I don't believe one of them would have lent him a hand, and it would offend them all."

"Yes," I said; "they're all as hot-headed and peppery as can be."

"Spoiling for a fight," put in Denham.

"Yes; and so full of that queer feeling which makes them think a set is made against them because they are Irish."