With Rifle and Bayonet Part 37

Jack lifted him gently, and propped him up with his knee. Then he unslung his water-bottle and gave the poor fellow a drink.

"Thanks, old man!" the wounded officer said in a weaker voice. "Those beggars have done for me! I'm shot through the chest."

"Not done for, Rawlings!" Jack answered hopefully. "You've many a year to live. You'll pull through, old chap, never fear."

"No, I'm going home, Jack," was the whispered reply. "I can feel the life running out of me. Hold me tight and stay by me, will you? It's lonely work to die without a friend."

Jack's eyes filled with tears, for from the very first he had feared that his poor friend was mortally hit and upon the point of death. He propped him up still higher, and having moistened his lips again, put his arms round him and held him firmly.

There was a long and painful pause, and then the young Highlander spoke again, this time in a stronger voice:

"Jack," he said earnestly, "I'd have given more than I possess to live to the end of this struggle; but we shall win. Mark the words of a dying man--England shall come out victorious. The cause of freedom and justice shall triumph above all others, and Victoria, G.o.d bless her!

shall rule this continent."

He was silent again for a few moments, and then continued in a voice which was scarcely as loud as a whisper:

"Bend down, old chap," he said. "I'm off to the other land. Remember me, Jack, when I've gone, and when you get back to dear old England again, look the people up and tell them that Angus met the end like a soldier and a man. They'll be sorry. Yes, Mother and Father and the boys and girls will miss me. But they'll he proud, too, that I died like this--Put your hand in mine, Jack. Ah, now I know you're there!

Good-bye! G.o.d bless everyone! My love to you, Dad and Mother! Good--"

There was a deep sigh, and the head of the gallant young officer fell back upon Jack's shoulder, and the tears which were streaming down the latter's cheeks fell upon the pale face of as brave a man as Britain had ever known.

Jack laid him gently on the gra.s.s, and, rising sorrowfully to his feet, looked for the last time upon this stalwart young Highlander. He beckoned to some Highlanders who had looked on tearfully all the while, and who now approached and carried their officer away. Then he joined Mr Hunter, and all night long helped to gather the wounded.

When morning dawned again--the morning of the Sabbath--the awful havoc wrought by our sh.e.l.l was for the first time seen. Down the slopes of the hill, and away across the flats, Boer and Briton lay cold and motionless, separately and in groups; sometimes huddled together as if still engaged in a deadly tussle, and sometimes side by side in seeming friends.h.i.+p. Farther away, near the long ridge which the enemy had held, scores of mangled bodies were found, and at once handed over to the Boers, while the poor wounded wretches were tended to by our surgeons.

Then, when human skill and care had done all that was possible for the living, the troops formed up and in long lines carried their dead to the cemetery. The rifles rang out the regulation volleys, the bugles wailed the "Last Post", and all was over, save that each and every soldier bore away with him from that scene a lasting memory of those brave comrades who but a few hours before had been full of life and energy.

After that they thronged into the church, and joined earnestly in the prayer of thanksgiving offered up for their glorious victory.

At the close of the service the men joined with such a will in singing the National Anthem--a loyal ceremony never neglected in a garrison church--that the strains were heard far away by the lonely pickets and patrols, and set each one of them singing blithely as he trudged up and down on his beat.

Jack Somerton sat amongst the officers in the church, and when the service was over he walked across to the hospital marquees and enquired for Guy Richardson. Even now, though the wounded had all been collected, the surgeons had their hands more than full, for typhoid fever and dysentery, those scourges which ever dog the footsteps of an army, had claimed many victims, and these required the most careful attention.

"Well, Jack, old boy," said Guy cheerfully, "tell me all about Sat.u.r.day's affair. Of course I saw that part of the fighting which occurred at Caesar's Camp; but elsewhere our fellows were hard pressed, they tell me."

Jack told his friend all that he knew of the engagement, and mentioned the names of the gallant officers who had fallen.

"What are you going to do now, Jack?" his friend asked, after they had chatted for some minutes. "The surgeon who is looking after me says we are likely to be cooped up here for some time longer, and I am sure that will not suit you."

"No, I don't think I care much about sticking in Ladysmith while the siege continues," mused Jack. "You see, the Boers, by all accounts, have entrenched all the hills between this and the Tugela, and with the heavy guns of position which they have been able to bring down by rail from the Transvaal, have practically made their lines impregnable. An officer told me that it would require an army of more than 100,000 to break through them and relieve us, and that even then the job would not be accomplished without frightful loss of life.

"I believe we shall have to wait. Buller and his forces will keep the enemy busy while another army is ma.s.sing in Cape Colony ready to invade the Orange Free State. That would probably lead to the relief of Kimberley and Mafeking, and possibly Ladysmith. But to get the army in motion and prepare the commissariat is a gigantic undertaking, and will require weeks yet. There will not be another a.s.sault here, at least not for many a long day to come, as we have just given the burghers such a smas.h.i.+ng, but elsewhere there will be lots of fun. They tell me that despatch-riders are being asked for, and I shall send in my name and risk it. It would be fine to feel that one had been able to creep through to Chieveley in spite of all those Boers."

"By Jove, Jack," Guy exclaimed, raising himself upon his elbows and flus.h.i.+ng with excitement, "you are the most adventurous beggar I have ever come across! First of all, you have excitement sufficient to suit most fellows for a year up there at Talana Hill; then you fight your way through to Kimberley and Mafeking; and finally, through sheer daring and pluck, save me from that beast of a lion. Then, of course, it was mainly through you that we rescued Father and Mr Hunter, not to mention that poor little woman whose husband had been commandeered. No wonder the camp is ringing with your name. By now I expect the news of Piet Maartens and the spies, and the manner in which you checkmated them, has been heliographed across to Buller's signallers, and I dare say London is reading the news, and every man in England rejoicing over it as he drinks his breakfast coffee. Well, old man, go on a little further.

Many of our countrymen will make a name before this war is over, but if Jack Somerton doesn't top the list--well--I'm a Transvaal burgher, which is the very last thing I shall care to be."

"Oh, shut up, Guy!" Jack cried warmly, colouring with embarra.s.sment.

"It's all been luck--sheer luck from beginning to end."

"Luck! Bosh, my dear old chap; bos.h.!.+" exclaimed Guy with a merry laugh.

"You're the only fellow who will ever say such a thing."

"Well, I think so," Jack answered. "But you've talked enough already, Guy. The surgeon expressly told me that you were to keep silent, and here you are chattering away as though there was nothing the matter with you. I shall send in my name as a despatch-rider, and let you know what happens. Now I'll say good-bye for the present. To-morrow I have to give evidence against Piet Maartens, and after that I expect I shall clear out of Ladysmith. So long, old chap, and mind you keep quiet, as you have been told, or something will go wrong with your wound."

Pressing Guy's hand, Jack took his leave, after exchanging a few words with the other wounded soldiers lying in the tent.

On the following morning he attended the court-martial upon the Boer prisoners and gave formal evidence. It went much against his wishes, but the stern necessities of war demanded that spies should be summarily dealt with.

There was no doubt about their guilt. All had been caught red-handed, and in a deathly silence sentence was pa.s.sed upon them that at dawn on the following morning they should be shot for their offence, in sight of all the troops.

Piet Maartens was a pitiable sight. Unarmed and a prisoner, he was a very different individual from the b.u.mptious Boer who had been taught a lesson by Jack only a few months before. At the reading of the death penalty he turned white with terror, his limbs shook, and perspiration rolled from his forehead. With a shriek of fear he fell upon his knees and begged the president of the court to reconsider his decision. Then, finding him obdurate, he turned to Jack and besought him to say something for him.

Of very different moulding were his companions. Stern, sunburnt young men, they held their heads erect and heard their doom like men, and even harshly remonstrated with Piet Maartens for his cowardice.

Just as the sun rose on the following morning, and one of the loveliest of lovely African days dawned, a dozen rifles cracked, and Piet Maartens and his companions had paid the last penalty of all spies.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

OUT OF THE TRAP.

On the following day a mounted orderly dashed up to the tent in which Jack was living with Mr Hunter and Mr Richardson, and handed him a note. It was brief and terse, and asked him to call at once at a certain house in the town, close to General White's quarters, where a proposition would be made to him. Jack at once jammed his hat on his head, and, slinging his rifle and bandolier over his shoulder, set out to keep the appointment.

"Ah, good-day, Somerton!" said a young officer of the staff who was standing outside the door of the house. "I waited for you here, and now that you have come we will both go in. My business is the same as yours, and I believe I may say I am about the luckiest beggar in the camp to be chosen for this job."

"Why, what is the job?" Jack asked in some surprise. "Oh, you'll hear all about that in a moment, old chap!" laughed the officer, whose name was Poynter. "Come along in; they're waiting for us."

A second later Jack was ushered into a large room, with wide-open windows, through which he could see the helmet and bayonet of a sentry who was marching up and down just out of ear-shot. In the middle was a table, on which were many large plans of Ladysmith and the neighbourhood, while behind it, seated in cane chairs, and in their s.h.i.+rtsleeves, for the heat was oppressive, were three more officers of the staff.

"Good-day, Somerton!" said the central one, evidently the senior. "Sit down there for a moment while I just finish this matter, and then we will have a chat."

Jack shook hands with all of them, for he had met them many times before, and then he and Poynter took their seats on a long form close to the window, and waited while the officer finished a doc.u.ment upon which he was engaged.

"Now," he said at last, throwing down his pen, "I am ready. We want you to do something for us, Somerton, and we have sent for you particularly, because the matter is one of some delicacy and of great consequence.

Shortly put, it is this. It is of vital importance that certain facts and plans shall be conveyed to General Buller at Chieveley. Of course we could employ one of our native runners, but they are not to be relied upon in every case, and as this matter is of the utmost importance we have decided to send Poynter and another. Will you be that other, my lad? We have all heard about your despatch-carrying over at Kimberley and at Mafeking; and here, too, we have learnt something about you. I am sure you could get through the enemy's lines if anyone could, and could guide Poynter. What do you say about it?"

"Just what I'd like, sir!" exclaimed Jack, springing to his feet in his excitement. "I was on the point of volunteering my services as a despatch-carrier when your orderly galloped up. I'll undertake the matter with pleasure, and will do my best to steer Poynter clear with me."

"That's good, Somerton," answered the officer with satisfaction, "but it is just the answer I expected of you. Now, each of you will be provided with the facts which General White wishes to convey to General Buller, and we want you to commit them to memory. Then there will be no despatches or papers to fall into Joubert's hands should you be captured, and if only one of you happens to get through, he will still be able to tell Buller what we mean to do. Come over here and sit down by my side, and I will tell you all about it."

Half an hour later Jack and his young friend Poynter were fully primed with official secrets of the greatest importance, and had committed them so well to memory that there was no chance of their forgetting.

"Now, I think you have heard all the facts," exclaimed the officer, "and I leave it to yourselves to arrange how you are to get through the enemy's lines. I need not tell you how difficult the task is. The knowledge will make you all the more determined. You must go just as you are, so that the harshest of the Boers could not call you spies should they capture you; and, Poynter, you will be well advised to place yourself in Jack Somerton's hands. People say that he is as 'slim' as Kruger himself, and I know," added the staff-officer with a kindly smile, "that he has any amount of pluck to back it up. Remember, both of you, that this is a service of great danger, for which, if successful, your queen and country will not fail to reward you."

The officer shook hands cordially with Jack and his friend, who stood for one brief moment stiffly at attention, and saluted. Then they hurried away to Poynter's tent, and, stretched full-length in comfortable lounge chairs, discussed the situation.

"I shall do just as the colonel suggested," said the latter. "You've run the gauntlet of these Boers before, and I shall place myself unreservedly in your hands. When shall we start, and what route shall we take? It's all one to me, so long as we get through."