A Dash from Diamond City Part 57

"Yes, but hang it all! It's showing the beggars how we ride away."

"Never mind; we must ride for the convoy."

"But we can't," cried Ingleborough savagely; "there's another party cutting us off."

"Forward then over the ridge in front! Our fellows must have gone over there."

"No, I don't think they did."

"Then we will," cried West excitedly; "that must be south and west.

Forward for Kimberley; it can't be far now; and let's deliver the despatch."

"Hold hard! Look before you leap!" shouted Ingleborough; and, rising in his stirrups, he gave a hasty glance round, to see Boers here, Boers there, in parties of from six to a dozen, spreading out as they came along at a gallop, forming more and more of a circle, till there was an opening only in one direction--to the south-west--and after grasping this fully he turned to West as he settled himself in his saddle.

"Why, Noll, lad," he cried, "it's like the drawing of a seine-net in Cornwall, with us for the shoal of mackerel. They've got it nearly round us, and if we don't start, in another ten minutes we shall be enclosed. It looks fishy, and no mistake!"

"Then come on!" cried West.

"Off with you, but at a gentle gallop. We must nurse our nags, for the obstinate brutes will make it a long chase."

As he spoke he pressed his pony's sides, and away they went together at a long easy gallop, their mounts keeping so close together that the riders' legs nearly touched, and the brave little animals taking stride for stride and needing no guidance, the best management being to give them their heads and perfect freedom to avoid all the obstacles which came in their way in the shape of rock, bush, and the perilous holes burrowed in the soil by the South African representatives of our rabbits.

Once settled down in their saddles, with the opening in the Boer net straight before them, the fugitives had no difficulty in carrying on a conversation, and this ensued in the calmest matter-of-fact way concerning the predicament in which they had landed themselves.

"It's very awkward, Noll!" said Ingleborough.

"But, to use your favourite argument, it seems all for the best,"

replied West. "We can easily reach the open ground yonder before the enemy, and then ride right away."

"If," said Ingleborough.

"If they don't stop when they find us likely to go through the horns of the dilemma they have prepared for us."

"And lie down and begin shooting?"

"Exactly! Their bullets will go faster than our ponies!"

"Yes, but we shall put them at full speed, and they will find it hard to hit us at a gallop."

"I hope so!" said Ingleborough. "My word! How they are coming on!"

"Yes; but they will not get within five hundred yards of us!" cried West excitedly.

And so it proved, for as the horns of the partly-finished circle drew nearer, that nearness proved to be nearly a thousand yards from point to point, while half-way between, and with their ponies racing over the ground stretched out like greyhounds, the two despatch-riders dashed through, forcing the enemy to alter their course as they were left behind.

"That's done it!" cried West joyously. "Now then for Kimberley; it can't be very far away!"

"Sit close!" cried Ingleborough. "They'll fire now if they can do so without hitting their friends."

West glanced back to his right, and saw the truth of his companion's words, for the next minute the firing was commenced on both sides, the bullets coming over their heads with their peculiar buzzing sound, and the dusty soil being struck up here and there as the fugitives tore along.

"This will put their shooting to the test!" cried West, leaning forward to pat his pony's neck.

"Yes; it will puzzle the best of them!" replied Ingleborough. "I'm not afraid of their marksmen, but I am of the flukes. However, we're in for it! Easy now! We're getting more and more ahead as they close in.

There, those behind are obliged to leave off firing for fear of hitting their friends."

Ingleborough was right, for after another useless shot or two the firing ceased, and it became a chase where success, barring accidents, would rest with the best and freshest horses.

Knowing this, the fugitives eased their ponies all they could after placing a greater distance between them and their pursuers, but keeping a good look-out ahead and to right and left, knowing full well as they did that the appearance of fresh Boers ahead would be fatal to their progress.

Half an hour glided by, during which first one and then the other glanced back, but always with the same result of seeing that some two or three dozen of the enemy were settled down to a steady pursuit.

"How long do you think they will keep this up?" said West at last.

"Well, if they are French mercenaries they'll give up directly; if they are Germans they'll stick to our heels for hours; but if they're all Free Staters or Transvaal Boers they'll go on till they drop or we do.

The stubborn, obstinate mules never know when they are beaten!"

"Then they're not French adventurers!" said West.

"Nor yet Germans!" said Ingleborough. "No; we've got the genuine Boer after us; and it's going to be a long chase."

"How far do you think it is to Kimberley?"

"Just as far as it is from Kimberley to here!" replied Ingleborough gruffly.

"Thank you for nothing!" snapped out West. "What's the good of giving foolish answers?"

"What's the good of asking foolish questions? Look here, lad, we may as well look the position in the face."

"Of course."

"Very well, then; we've got a score and a half or so of Boers after us, meaning to take us prisoners or shoot us down."

"Oh yes, that's plain enough!"

"Very well! Then as to distance to Kimberley, the General has dodged in and out so to avoid the enemy that, though I know a little about the country, I'm regularly puzzled as to where we are. I think it lies out here, but whether Kimberley is five miles away or a hundred I don't know. What I do know is that the surest way of getting there is to make right away west for the railway. Once we can hit that--"

"Yes, I see, and if we keep it on our right, riding south, we shall get there."

"That's correct, my lad, but recollect this: we left the town invested, and you may depend upon it that the enemy are round it in greater strength than ever, so that how we are to get through their lines when we reach them I don't know."

"Neither do I!" said West. "But we did not know how we were to get into Mafeking! Still we did it, and we're going to do this somehow."

"Ah, somehow!"

"Look here," said West, after another glance back at their pursuers: "do you think you could put matters in a blacker light if you were to try?"

"To be frank, old fellow," said Ingleborough, laughing, "I really don't think I could!"