A Dash from Diamond City Part 25

But he tried only with one hand--his left--his right being engaged by his rifle, and to his utter astonishment the prisoner retorted by kicking his legs from under him and flinging him upon his back.

A yell of anger arose from some, and of delight from others, all looking on while the discomfited Boer sprang up with a cry of rage, c.o.c.ked his rifle, and, taking quick aim, would have fired point-blank at the prisoner had not his act been antic.i.p.ated by the Boer who had before spoken. Quick as thought he sprang upon his companion, striking the presented rifle upwards with a blow from his own, and then grasping the infuriated man by the collar.

"None of that!" he cried fiercely in Dutch. "Cornet or no cornet, I'm not going to stand by and see a cowardly murder done! We've got to fight, brother burghers, but we'll fight like soldiers and men. Our name's been stained enough by what has been done already."

"Here, you'd better go and fight for the rooineks," cried the discomfited Boer fiercely.

"I'm going to fight for my home and country, brothers," cried West's defender, "the same as you are: not help to murder a helpless boy who has behaved like a brave man."

The portion of the force who had seemed disposed to side against the speaker were disarmed by his words, and there was a general cheer at this, while the cause of the trouble growled out: "You're a traitor to your country, and the commandant shall hear of this."

"No, no, no, no!" came in chorus. "Serves you right."

West made no resistance now, as his defender signed to him to give up his rifle, which, plus the bandolier, was handed over with a sigh, Ingleborough's having already been taken away.

The next thing done was to search the prisoners' pockets--watch, purse, and pocket-book being taken away, but the inner belts containing the greater part of their money were entirely overlooked, while West stood breathing hard, his face wrinkled up and an agonising pain contracting his heart, for the Boer who had defended him unb.u.t.toned the flap of his haversack, thrust in his hand, and brought out a couple of cake loaves, and then, one after the other, two carefully wrapped-up sandwiches, standing for a few moments with them in his hand, hesitating, while Ingleborough, who had recovered his senses, darted a meaning look at his suffering companion.

"It's all over with our expedition!" he said to himself. "Why didn't poor Noll eat his sandwiches?"

The moments were as agonising to him as to West, who could only stand in silence; but, having become somewhat versed in the tricks of those who fought the law through his friends.h.i.+p with Norton, an idea crossed his mind, and turning in a faint appealing way to the Boer who seemed to be holding in suspense the scales of success and failure, he said: "Don't take our bit of provisions away! We're prisoners; isn't that enough?"

The Boer fixed him with his eyes, noted his pallid face and the blood trickling down from the cut caused by his fall, and then, as if satisfied and moved by a feeling akin to compa.s.sion, he nodded his head, thrust the cake and the sandwich-like papers back into West's haversack, and let it swing again under the young man's arm.

"Lucky for them we're not hungry!" he said, in his own tongue, "or we shouldn't have left them much."

"Why don't you make them eat it?" cried the man who had fired. "For aught we know, it may be poisoned."

"Bah!" cried their friend, who had done the pair so good a turn; "let them be!"

A couple of the Boers then approached with reins, but, in spite of the opposition that had taken place, the man who had taken West's part again interfered, just as they proceeded to raise Ingleborough to bind his hands behind his back.

"There is no need!" said the man sharply. "Can't you see that he is too weak to stand? Help him upon his horse, and one go on either side to keep him in the saddle."

Then turning to West, he continued: "Mount; but you will be shot down directly if you attempt to escape."

"I am not going to leave my friend," said West coldly. "I could have galloped away had I wanted to. Let me walk by his side to help him."

The man looked at the speaker searchingly and then nodded, West taking the place of one of the Boers, who placed himself just behind him with rifle ready. Then the little party moved off towards the kopje where the prisoners had been surprised.

"How are you?" asked West, as soon as they were in motion.

"I feel as if I were somewhere else!" was the half-laughing, half-bitter reply. "All use seems to have been completely knocked out of me, and the hills and kopjes go sailing round and round."

"That will soon pa.s.s off," said West, and then after a short pause: "Well, we're prisoners after all. It does seem hard now we have got so far! I wonder where they'll send us?"

"It does not much matter!" said Ingleborough. "Anywhere will do, if I can lie down and rest till this dreadful swimming and confusion pa.s.ses off. As soon as it does we'll escape--to eat the sandwiches," he added meaningly.

"If we can," said West; "but don't talk about them again! Oh, Ingle, I wish I had your sharp wits."

"Pooh! Where there's a will there's a way," said Ingleborough faintly.

"You might have escaped, but as you insisted upon being taken to share my lot I was obliged to do something, and now I must do nothing but think of how to get away."

The effort of talking was evidently too much for the poor fellow, and West confined himself to keeping him upright in the saddle, from which he would certainly have fallen but for his comrade's willing arm.

West was so fully occupied by his task, the two Boers offering not the slightest aid, that he paid no heed to the fact that their captors led them right round to the far side of the kopje, and then through a narrow gap of the rocks into a natural amphitheatre, wherein there was ample room for the formation of a great laager, the wagons being arranged in an irregular ellipse, thoroughly hidden from the veldt outside, while the rocks of the kopje roughly formed a rampart of vast strength, and apparently quite impregnable.

West took in all he could as he and his companion in misfortune were led through and within the barricade of wagons to where the horses and cattle were securely tethered, while a burst of cheering saluted the returning party as soon as it was seen that they had prisoners and a couple of likely-looking mounts. It was a surprise, for no one journeying across the veldt could for a moment have supposed that so secure a natural stronghold existed behind the rocky barriers.

The next minute the prisoners saw their st.u.r.dy ponies tied up to the tail of one of the great wagons, so near that West began to wonder whether when darkness came it would be possible to creep to their side, cut them free, mount, and make a old dash for liberty.

But a glance at Ingleborough showed him that this would be impossible, for the poor fellow had sunk over sidewise as soon as he had been lifted out of the saddle, and lay perfectly inert and with his eyes half-closed. West knelt down by him and, taking his slung water-bottle, he raised his injured companion's head a little and began to trickle, a few drops at a time, a little water between the sufferer's lips.

He was occupied in this way when he noted that a large group of the Boers had approached, one of whom, a short st.u.r.dy-looking individual, with swarthy skin and thick black beard plentifully sprinkled with grey, suddenly said, in good English: "What is the matter with him--shot?"

"No," replied West. "His horse was struck, and reared up, and my friend was thrown heavily upon his head."

"Oh, is that all?" said the Boer nonchalantly. "Let him sleep it off!

But listen, you: we shoot prisoners who try to escape."

"I shall not try to escape and leave him," said West coldly.

The Boer commandant, for such he proved to be, gave him a keen look and then turned away to speak to one of the men, the result of the orders he gave being that Ingleborough was carried to one of the wagons forming the laager, and West ordered to follow and wait upon his friend, who, after his injury had been carefully bathed and bandaged, sank into a swoon-like sleep, leaving West to sit thinking of their position and pondering upon the fact that the two Basuto ponies were tethered in sight of where he sat, and that he still had the treasured-up despatches safe.

His great trouble now seemed to be whether he should conceal the papers about his person or leave them in the haversack carelessly hung from the side of the wagon-tilt, lest he should be searched again and with a more serious result than the loss of watch and purse.

Night came at last, with the difficulty still unsolved, and a yet more serious one to keep him awake.

It was this: Ought he to wait till well on in the night, and then creep out by the sentry on duty outside, get to one of the ponies, and try and steal away?

And the time glided on, with the question still unanswered. There was the horse, and there was the despatch; but there were also the Boers by the hundred, hemming him completely in, and, even if he were disposed to leave Ingleborough to his fate, any attempt seemed to be mad to a degree.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

AFTER A REST.

West started up into wakefulness the next morning from a dream in which he was galloping for his life with the Boers in full pursuit, and then he sighed and wondered when and how he had dropped asleep, for he could only recall being miserable, awake, and puzzled as to what to do, and then all seemed to have become blank till he was awakened by his captors' busy stir and the crackling of the fires being lighted.

West's first steps were to see to his companion, who did not seem to have moved, and the first feeling was one of satisfaction; but directly afterwards he felt uneasy, for Ingleborough seemed to be unnaturally still, and a s.h.i.+ver ran through him as he leaned over where his friend lay on the floor of the wagon, to place a hand upon the injured man's forehead below the bandage which made him look so ghastly.

Then came reaction as it was proved that the sufferer had only been in a deep sound sleep.

For Ingleborough's eyes opened, to gaze at him wonderingly.

"What's the matter? Oh, it's you, Noll!"

"Yes; you startled me!"