A Dash from Diamond City Part 22

Their scanty meal was soon eaten and washed down with a draught of pure water, after which they both climbed to the top of the highest part of the kopje to take a good survey of the surrounding plain.

"There's nothing in sight," said Ingleborough quietly; "so we'll hurry on at once while our shoes are good."

The ponies looked as fresh as ever when they were saddled and ready to start, and after an examination of the compa.s.s Ingleborough pointed out that they ought to keep along north-east to strike the Vaal somewhere that evening, and then go along its southern bank till a ford was reached, after which their journey would be north by west.

"But we must be on the look-out for some lonely farm to-day," said West.

"We ought to well fill our haversacks before we start again."

"Never fear; we shall find plenty of food for sale so long as we have money to show the Boer ladies. Ready?"

"Yes," replied West, and together they sprang into their saddles and rode down the slope, their horses carefully picking their way among the stones, till the open veldt was reached. They then struck off at a quiet canter towards a rocky ridge so as to put that between them and the kopje where they had slept, in case by any possibility their shots had been heard and a party of the enemy should ride up to it to make a search and in the course of it see them in the distance riding away.

"And that would mean pursuit, a race, and the fastest horses to win,"

said West.

"As they generally do when there is fair play," replied Ingleborough quietly. "Keep a sharp look-out forward, and I'll keep on casting an eye back at the kopje."

The ridge was only about a couple of miles distant from their previous night's resting-place, proving to be fairly high, but with a gradual slope: while just as they reached the spot where the ascent began Ingleborough turned in his saddle from a long look-out backwards.

"This is like wringing one's own neck," he cried. "Now then, let's canter up this bit, and as soon as we have topped it we need not be so cautious. Ready?"

"Yes," cried West.

"Then off! Steady! No galloping; a gentle canter."

It was fortunate for the pair that they did not breathe their horses, but rode up the gentle slope at a regular lady's canter, to find the ridge pleasantly fringed with a patch of open woodland, through which their steeds easily picked their way, and on to the farther slope, which was more dotted with forest growth; but there was nothing to hinder their rate of speed--in fact, the horses began to increase the pace as a broad gra.s.sy stretch opened before them.

The moment they pa.s.sed out of the woodland on to the open s.p.a.ce West uttered a word of warning and pressed his pony's side, for the first glance showed him that they had come right upon a Boer laager which was in the course of being broken up. Oxen were being in-spanned, men were tightening the girths of their ponies, and preparations were in progress everywhere for an advance in some direction.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

MAN-HUNTING.

Whatsoever this may have been, the sudden appearance of the two fresh hors.e.m.e.n decided the course of some thirty or forty, who stood about for a few moments staring wonderingly at the pair flying down the descent, before mounting in some cases, in others seizing their rifles and flinging themselves upon the ground to load rapidly and take aim.

"Mind how you go, Noll!" shouted Ingleborough. "A fall means being taken prisoner now!"

He had hardly shouted the words before the bullets came buzzing about their ears like bees after disturbers on a hot swarming day in old England.

"Take care!" cried West excitedly. "It will be a long chase; so don't press your nag too hard. Lie down on your horse's neck; the bullets are coming more and more, and we shan't be safe for another mile."

"Bah! It's all nonsense about their marksmans.h.i.+p," cried Ingleborough, who seemed to be suffering from a peculiar kind of elation in which there was no feeling of fear. "Let them shoot! We're end on to them, and have a clear course! They're trained to shoot springbok, I suppose, when they get a chance; but they haven't had much experience of galloping men. Fire away, you cowardly brutes!" he roared, as if he fancied that the enemy could hear him. "I don't believe you could hit a runaway railway truck or a cantering furniture-van, let alone a horse with a man on its back."

"Ah!" cried West, at that moment, as he turned from looking back and s.n.a.t.c.hed off his broad-brimmed hat.

"Noll, boy, don't say you're hit!" cried Ingleborough pa.s.sionately.

"No," said West, drawing his breath with a peculiar sound. "I've escaped; but I thought I'd got it! I felt as if my hat was being s.n.a.t.c.hed off, and something touched my ear."

"Turn your head this way!" said Ingleborough huskily.

"Wait a moment!" replied West, who had pa.s.sed his hat into his rein hand, to afterwards clap his right to his head and draw it away.

"First blood to them!" he said, with a mocking laugh.

"Here, we must ease up and let me bandage it," said Ingleborough.

"No, thanks: that's a likely tale with the bullets flying like this!

Keep on, man; we've got a fair start! Let's get past those trees forward yonder; they'll shelter us a bit!"

"But your wound, my lad?"

"They've only nicked the edge of my ear. It will stop bleeding of itself. There's nothing to mind!"

Ingleborough watched him eagerly as he spoke, and seeing for himself that there was only a feeble trickle of blood from the cut ear, he pressed on in the required direction.

"Give me warning," he cried, "if you feel faint, and we'll pull up, dismount, and cover ourselves with our horses while we try what practice we can make if they come on."

"_If_ they come on!" said West bitterly. "Look for yourself; they're already coming!"

Ingleborough turned his head sharply, to see that a line of galloping men had just been launched from the Boer laager to the right and left, and were streaming in single file down the slope, leaving ample room between them for their dismounted companions to keep up a steady fire upon the fugitives.

"That's their game, is it?" said Ingleborough, between his teeth. "Very well, then, we must make a race of it and see what our picked ponies can do."

"That's right!" cried West. "Let's open out a little!"

"Right, and give them less to aim at! The bullets are flying wildly now. Ten yards apart will do."

They separated to about this distance, and at a word from West each nipped his pony's flanks with his knees and rose a little in the stirrups, with the result that the wiry little animals stretched out greyhound fas.h.i.+on and flew over the veldt as if thoroughly enjoying the gallop.

"Steady! steady!" shouted West, at the end of ten minutes. "We're leaving the brutes well behind, and the bullets are getting scarce.

Don't let's worry the brave little nags! With a start like this we can leave the Boers well behind."

Ingleborough nodded after a glance backward and followed his companion's example, drawing rein so that their steeds settled down into a hand-gallop, still leaving their pursuers farther behind. The ground was now perfectly level, stretching for three or four miles without an obstacle, and then the horizon line was broken by one of the many kopjes of the country, one which lay right in their line of flight.

"What about that?" said West. "Shall we make for it and get into shelter ready for using our rifles?"

"I don't like it!" replied Ingleborough. "There might be another party there, and then it would be like galloping into another hornets' nest."

"I don't like it either," said West; "but we must think of our horses, and by the time we get there half of this pursuing lot will have tailed off, while I don't believe the rest will come on if we shoot pretty true from behind some rock."

"That's right!" said Ingleborough. "We mustn't let them keep us on the run, for the horses' sake."

"Look out!" said West, in warning tones.

"What is it?"