With Rifle and Bayonet Part 20

"'Get away from here at once,' Father shouted back, as soon as he had heard what they had to say. 'I am a British subject, and shall be to the end. None of your republics or presidents for me! Clear off, all of you; and if one of you dares to attempt to come in I will shoot!'

"The Boers laughed at his threat, and attempted to beat in the door, but Father was as good as his word, and shot one of them at once. The others poured a volley into the house, and one of the bullets pa.s.sed through the wall and wounded Father in the shoulder. Then the Boers made a rush, and began to force the door open, and as we knew that they would have little mercy for Father, Tim and I hid him away in a cellar down below, which he had constructed to keep stores and ammunition in.

Then we lowered the trap-door and placed the table over it.

"They broke in a few minutes later, but, failing to find him, thought he had escaped through the window. Then they forced me to play my violin, and just as I thought they would shoot Tim or myself, the leader fell dead and the others ran for their lives."

"Well, you are safe for the present at least," answered Jack. "Sit down there, Eileen, and rest yourself. We will get your father up again.

Those fellows will not be coming back yet awhile, so that we need not fear a surprise. Now, Wilfred and Tim, lend a hand and pull up this trap."

A minute later the table had been removed to one side, and Jack was clambering down into the cellar, Tim lowering the lamp after him. On the boarded floor he found Frank Russel lying upon his back, and making feeble efforts to rise, for the reports of Jack's rifle had roused him from unconsciousness.

"Where am I? What has happened?" he asked. "Hallo! is that you, Jack!

Where's Tom Salter?"

Then he suddenly remembered the Boers and sat up with a jerk.

"Ah! what has become of those brutes?" he demanded, clutching at the rifle which had been placed beside him, while his face flushed red with rage.

"Now don't worry about them," said Jack kindly. "They've bolted, and Wilfred and I arrived here just in the nick of time. Let us get you up on top and look at the wound. When that is seen to, we will discuss the situation."

Frank Russel was still too much dazed to offer any resistance, and was soon carried up the ladder and laid on a bed. Then Jack opened up the seams of his jacket, and cut away the s.h.i.+rt over his left shoulder. A close inspection showed two little blue wounds, the size of a pea, one in front, and one behind where the Mauser bullet had made its exit.

There had been scarcely any loss of blood, and luckily no bones broken.

Eileen meanwhile had produced a basin of cold water and a soft towel, and with this they dressed the wound and bandaged the shoulder. A stiff gla.s.s of spirits pulled Frank Russel round, and now that he was over the first shock, he very quickly became himself again, for he was as hard as iron, and accustomed to the rough life of a colonist. Ten minutes later he was standing up lighting a big pipe, and even using his left hand, so little pain did his wound give him.

"Now tell me all about it, Jack Somerton," he said, puffing big clouds of smoke into the air with the greatest satisfaction.

As soon as the brutal action of the Boer spy and his friends had been narrated, and followed by a description of their flight, Frank Russel sprang to his feet and shook Jack and Wilfred heartily by the hand.

"My lads," he said in a husky, trembling voice, "you've won the deep grat.i.tude of old Frank Russel. I'd sooner see every Boer in Africa dead than hear that one of them had ill-treated my darling child. Ah! she's all I have left since the wife went to her home above, and a good, dutiful, and loving girl she is! Come here, Eileen dear, and kiss your father. You've had a close shave, and but for these brave Englishmen that brute would have murdered you. And Tim, too, has proved a faithful boy. Well, he shall not regret it, for from this day he shall never have a fear for his old age. I will give him sufficient to ensure his independence.

"But now we have other things to think about. Kimberley is closely besieged, and though we are only five miles away we are surrounded by hosts of Boers. They will be back here soon, and then it will be all up with us."

"Why not ride off at once?" asked Wilfred. "There are four of the Boer ponies outside, and Jack and I have our own."

"It would be useless," replied Frank Russel, with a vigorous shake of his head. "Those fellows have already warned the whole district, and by this time we are closely surrounded. Look away over there. That small light is their signal, and it is flas.h.i.+ng a message in the darkness which every Boer can read. No, I fear it is all up with us. I'm sorry, lads; you two would have got in safely if you hadn't come along in this direction and helped us in our trouble. If there was a chance of your succeeding now, I'd say go at once and leave us. But there isn't, not the slightest, and it's only fair to say so."

"We must make the best of matters as they are," remarked Jack coolly.

"A week ago I was in a fix which was every bit as awkward. I'm not going to be shot or taken prisoner yet awhile if I can help it, and if you all feel the same I propose we make a fight for it."

"Ah, I'd fight if I had a chance!" growled Frank Russel. "But it's no use here. They would be a hundred to one against us."

"Wait a minute, Mr Russel," exclaimed Wilfred, who had an unbounded faith in his friend's sagacity. "Let us hear what Jack has to say. I'm like him, and don't mean to fall into the Boers' hands without a struggle."

"Ah, well! what is it, Jack?" answered Frank. "But you'd best be quick about it, for those fellows will be getting close to us by this."

"I've said I am going to make a fight for it," exclaimed Jack, "and I mean to do so, for from what I have seen and heard, our enemies have the greatest dislike to attacking in the open. It is too risky for them, and is apt to lead to fatal consequences, as I have already been compelled to show them. Now this house stands clear out on the veldt.

There is not even a boulder within half a mile of us, and therefore no cover. It is true that at close quarters a Mauser bullet will pierce these walls, but at long range it will not come through. Let us make a stand here. But, first, have you plenty of cartridges, Frank?"

"Heaps, lad, heaps! 'Pon my word, I like this idea of yours! But where is it going to end? We've a pump and water in the house, and plenty of food and ammunition; but we cannot hope to keep them out for long, and they are certain to rush us in the darkness."

"Yes, they will do that," Jack agreed, "but they have got to get inside the house before they can hurt us, and we shall have something to say to that. Now before talking about the means of defence, let us send Tim off to Kimberley. He is the only one who could possibly get through.

That will be our only hope. We are in the direction of the railway, and not too far from the town for a sortie to reach us. Now, Tim, will you go?"

Tim at once signified his willingness.

"Then off you go!" exclaimed Jack. "Quick! There is not a moment to be lost! When you get into the town ask for Tom Salter, and get him to take you to the 'Baas'. Tell him what trouble we are in, and ask for help to be sent us."

The plucky Zulu boy at once stepped to a corner of the room, s.n.a.t.c.hed up an a.s.sagai with an enormous blade, and, shaking a farewell with it, darted out through the doorway.

"Jack, you're one of the right sort!" exclaimed Frank Russel when Tim had disappeared. "I've looked at this idea of yours from every side.

If they take us now or later on it won't make much odds to me, for they will treat me as a rebel; while you two and Eileen will just be prisoners. We've a chance of beating them off till help reaches us, and so sure as I'm a true Englishman we'll have a try at it.

"You've settled the matter up to this, so go on with it. I'm an older man, and perhaps more used to these fellows, but I'm sure you could beat me in slimness. Now out with it, lad, or those Boers will be on us before we are ready."

"Very well, then," Jack replied, "let us set to work. We must break up some of this furniture. We want a couple of hammers, a saw, and some big nails. Have you got them?"

"Yes, close handy, Jack. Eileen, fetch the bag, like a good girl, and bring the axe along."

"Now break up the table and nail the boards across the window, Wilfred,"

continued Jack. "Frank and I will see to the door. It must be firmly closed. Wait a minute, though, our ponies may be of some use to us. I will slip out and bring them in."

Jack opened the door and ran round to the back of the house. A minute later he returned and led in the three ponies, taking them to a small kitchen. Then he brought in two of the Boer ponies, and drove the others out of the garden on to the veldt. That done, he shut the door, bolted it, and nailed two heavy uprights against it. A quarter of an hour later all the windows were firmly barricaded, a niche about three inches wide having been left between the planks through which the rifles could be pushed. Then with an auger he drilled a number of holes through the walls all round the house, driving three of them so as to form a triangle, the sides of which he completed with a chisel, thus forming apertures about five inches high and as much in breadth, which would give them a good view across the veldt.

"Now we're ready," he said, when all was at last completed, "and I expect we shall have the Boers here soon. Eileen, you had better go down into the cellar, I think, so as to be out of danger."

"Thank you, Jack!" she answered calmly. "This house will require every rifle we have to defend it. I have used one many a time, and I shall stay up here and help you."

"Brave girl, and it's like you, dear!" exclaimed Frank Russel. "Stay if you wish, for we'll not deny that three is a small number to garrison this place. I suppose we had better take our posts now. One at each wall will be the thing. Remember, it's steady, quiet shooting we want, and only use the magazine when they make a rush. That will be our trouble. It wants more than three hours before we shall get daylight, and until then we shall have to trust to our ears to tell when the Boers get close to us."

"Have you got a bell here?" Wilfred suddenly asked.

"Yes, there is one in the kitchen," Eileen answered, "and the handle is just outside the door. We are the only colonists hereabouts who possess such a thing."

"Then we'll beat them yet!" cried Wilfred. "They are certain to ride into the garden through the opening in the rails. Open the door, Jack; and give me a long piece of string, someone. I'll slip outside and run it from the bell-handle to the rails and across the opening. Then the first man who rides in will jerk it, and the bell will give us a warning."

"Good, lad, good!" exclaimed Frank Russel with a grunt of satisfaction.

"That will just save us. Set about it as quick as you can."

Five minutes later Wilfred had carried out his plan, and not content with running a cord from the bell-handle across the opening into the garden, he pa.s.sed others completely round the railings, so that anyone attempting to climb them, or pa.s.s through them, would almost certainly come in contact with one or other of the strings and warn those inside the house. Then he joined his friends again, and the door was safely nailed up as before.

About half an hour later, when the night had lifted a little, there was a faint tinkling of the bell, and Jack, who had chosen a position commanding the front of the house, caught sight of a dusky figure at the opening to the garden. His rifle spoke out instantly, and with a shriek of pain the man disappeared.

After that there was silence for many minutes, and then the bell jerked feebly once or twice, and afterwards pealed loudly.

"There are a crowd of them in front of me," whispered Jack. "Give me a hand here, Wilfred, and leave Frank and Eileen to watch the rest."

Wilfred at once darted across the floor, and, peering through a loophole, saw a number of dusky figures hurrying into the garden through the opening, while others suddenly appeared against the sky-line, and then became almost invisible as they climbed over the railings and jumped amongst the flowers.

"Let them have it with the magazine," Jack whispered again, and waiting a moment for Wilfred to prepare, he aimed at a bunch of the enemy pouring into the garden, and discharged shot after shot amongst them.