The Kopje Garrison Part 76

His words brought forth a tremendous cheer from all who heard them, but the major turned upon the men angrily.

"Shoot, you rascals, shoot!" he cried; "right and left. Keep down the savages' fire if you can."

For, unmoved by the gallant actions going on in front, brave men setting death at defiance-as scores of others had done all through the war-in the n.o.ble endeavour to save a wounded man's life, dozens of the Boers began firing at the rescue party, heedless of the fact that their bullets crossed the narrow way traversed by the little force in their dash from the village to the kopje, and now horribly dotted by the wounded and dying of both sides who had fallen in the desperate encounter.

Yells and shouts arose from both sides as the bullets took effect among friends; but in their mad hate against those whom they called the British rooineks, the Boers fired on. Fortunately, for the most part the wielders of the Mauser were not calmly lying down behind stones, with rests for their rifles, but were crowded together, nervous, agitated, and breathless with running, so that their bullets were badly aimed during the first minute or two. Directly after, they were startled by the hail poured upon them from the whole line of men behind the great wall-a hail of lead beneath which many fell never to rise again, while the greater part devoted themselves to seeking cover, crawling anywhere to get under the shelter of some stone.

The roar, then, that greeted the little party struggling back was not from British throats but from British rifles, which for the time being thoroughly kept down the enemy's fire, till Lennox and d.i.c.kenson bore the insensible form of Roby right up to the wall, followed by Sergeant James and his two companions, each carrying a wounded comrade on his back.

And now, without ceasing their firing, the line cheered till all were hoa.r.s.e, while four men sprang over to Roby's help, the others being tumbled over, to be seized by willing hands.

It was quite time, for both Lennox and d.i.c.kenson were spent-the former sinking upon his knees to hold on by one of the stones; d.i.c.kenson bending forward to try and wave one hand, but dropping suddenly across Roby's knees.

"Wounded?" cried the major excitedly, as he bent over Lennox directly he was lifted in, the last of the four.

Lennox opened his fast-closing eyes and stretched out his right hand to feel for d.i.c.kenson's, in vain. Then, with a sigh, he looked up at the major and touched his left arm, his breast, and his neck. "Yes," he said faintly, "the coward has it now."

"Bearers here," cried the major, and he turned to direct his men, for he was needed.

The Boers were coming on again in short rushes, regardless of the terrific fire poured upon them in the faint light of day, and a perfect hail of bullets was flying to and fro. And not only facing the village, but all round the kopje, where the enemy had in several places secured a footing and were utilising the stone defences prepared by the colonel's men, but of course from the reverse side. It had this good effect, though; it condensed the British force, giving them less ground to defend; and for the next two hours wherever a Boer dared to show enough of himself to form a spot at which to aim, a bullet came.

The losses were terrible on both sides, for the attack was as brave as the defence; and even when the two small guns were brought into action, to send sh.e.l.ls hurtling wherever the continually increasing enemy were seen to approach in cl.u.s.ters, the attack went on.

"It's of no use, major," said the colonel at last, as they stood together; "they mean to have the place."

"What!" said the latter officer fiercely. "You don't mean surrender?"

"My dear fellow, no: not while there's a cartridge left."

"Ha!" sighed the major. "You gave me quite a turn."

"I meant, if this keeps on we shall lose as many men as if we brought it to a head. Besides, they'll hold on to the parts they've got, and keep creeping nearer."

"You mean the bayonet at once?"

"Exactly," said the colonel. "Off with you; take one side and I'll take the other. We must clear the kopje before the heat comes on."

"Yes," said the major, with a grim smile; "and the lads must want their breakfast now."

The men in each trench rolled up their sleeves as they heard the order given to fix bayonets again, and, leaping over the defences, rushed forward, to be staggered a little by the enemy's fire; then, with a cheer, on they went, the sun glistening upon the line of pointed steel.

It was more than the Boers could bear; defence after defence was vacated, and, soon after, the result of charge after charge was followed by a headlong flight which soon spread into a panic. It was "Sauve qui peut," uttered in Boer Dutch; while the failure of the daring attack was completed fast by the emptying of the rifle magazines among flying men, and the shots from the three guns, which had their opportunity at last.

A stand was made in the village, which was obstinately held for a time by two big commandos which had come upon the ground too late to be of much service; but in spite of a pom-pom, a Maxim, and a heavy howitzer, the big gun on the top of the kopje silenced their fire before sundown, by which time their heaviest piece was destroyed, the village burning, and the two commandos in full flight.

Then came the flag of truce for permission to carry off the wounded and bury the many dead.

It was about this time that Doctor Emden looked to the colonel and said:

"Awful! Poor fellows! I don't know where to turn to first."

Chapter Thirty Eight.

The Doctor's Diplomacy.

It was a couple of days later, when the kopje was dotted with the rough shelters that the uninjured men had worked hard to erect from the ruins of the village, the princ.i.p.al being for the benefit of the wounded. The position was the same, or nearly the same, as it had been before. The Boers had retreated to their laagers, which were more strongly held than ever, and the investment was kept up with more savage determination; while the defenders had only the kopje to hold now, the village being a desolation, and the colonel's forces sadly reduced.

The doctor was in better spirits, and showed it, for he had managed to get something like order in his arrangements for his wounded men. But the colonel and the major were in lower spirits, and did not show it, for matters looked very black indeed, relief seeming farther off than ever.

"My last orders were to hold this place," said the colonel to the major, "and I'm going to hold it."

"Of course! Keep on. Every day we shall be having another man or two back in the ranks. Ah! here is Emden.-Well, how are the lads?"

"Getting on splendidly. My dear sirs, I have heard people abuse the Mauser as a diabolical weapon. Nothing of the sort; it is one of the most humane. The wounds are small, cleanly cut, and, so long as a bone is not touched, begin to heal with wonderful rapidity. Come and have a look round."

"Yes; we have come on purpose," said the colonel. "By the way, though, before we go into the officers' shelter, I wish you had contrived differently about Roby and Lennox. It seemed very short-sighted, after what has occurred, to place them next to one another."

"My dear sir," cried the doctor, "I did all I could to try and save the poor fellows' lives as they were carried in to me, without thinking about their squabbles and quarrels and rank."

"Yes, yes; of course, doctor. I beg your pardon. You have done wonders."

"Thankye! Done my best, of course. But don't you worry about those two; they'll be all right. Come and see."

"But about the men? Nothing more serious, I hope."

"N-n-no. Had to take that fellow's leg off to save his life."

"What poor fellow? Oh yes-Corporal May?"

"Yes. He objected strongly, but it had to be done. He threatens to commence an action against me when he gets home-so I hear."

They had been moving towards the shelter of corrugated iron beneath which the officers lay, each of whom greeted them with a smile. They were all badly wounded, but looked restful and contented, as wounded men do who have achieved a victory.

Roby seemed to be the most cheerful, and he beckoned to the colonel to come closer, while the doctor c.o.c.ked his eye rather drolly and in a way that the chief did not understand.

"Well, Roby," said the colonel, "you look better."

"Well, for a man who has had the top of his head rasped by a bullet and got a hole right through his leg, I call myself a wonder."

"Does your wound pain you much?"

"Quite enough; but there, I don't mind. We've whipped."

"Yes," said the colonel, smiling; "we've whipped, thanks to every one's gallant behaviour. You did splendidly, Roby."