It was a strange experience for one who had come fresh from a home life;
and in the intervals of tiring I could not help wondering whether it was
not all a dream. The reality, however, forced itself on me too strongly
as the light went on, the spaces about the stones being literally
littered with battered bullets which had assumed all kinds of strange
shapes after coming in contact with the stones--flat, mushroom-shaped,
twisted, the conical points struck off diagonally, and the like; but we
were so sheltered that if the Boers fired low we were unhurt, and if
they fired high their shots went over among comrades. Signals were now
made from above and below, with the result that the attacking party
coming down the pass divided, to line the sides of the place as far as
they could, so that their shots crossed our defences, and the attacking
party from below followed their old tactics; thus our defences were
swept by a cross-fire, and fewer Boers fell by the bullets of their
friends. But these movements on the part of the Boers had brought them
better within range of our pieces, for they were more exposed upon
climbing up the slopes; and I had plain evidence of the loss they
sustained.
At last night began to fall, and the firing of the attacking force,
dropped off. It was plain that the Boers were retiring, possibly
disheartened by their heavy losses. Then, soon after dark, lights began
to appear, just out of range, both up and down the pass; but it was
probable that the fight would be resumed as soon as it was daylight
again.
Two-thirds of the men were now set at liberty to take what rest and
refreshment they could, the remaining third being upon sentry-duty,
ready to give the alarm should a night attack be attempted; but of this
there was little probability.
Taking advantage of not being on sentry-duty, I made my way to the niche
in the mountain-side which had been taken for hospital purposes, and
here found Denham rolled up in a horseman's cloak and sleeping
peacefully. I felt his forehead gently, and then his wrists and hands,
to find all cool and comfortable; but I knew I must not wake him. Just
then a figure close by stirred, and I started, for a voice said, "He's
asleep."
"Yes, I know," I replied; "but has he been awake?"
"Yes; an hour ago."
"How did he seem?" I asked.
"Said it hurt him a deal, just as if his ribs were broken. Ah! he
doesn't know what pain is."
"Do you?" I said.
"Rather!" said the man. "One of their bullets went right through my
thigh just about six inches below my hip. That is pain. It's just as
if a red-hot iron was being pushed through."
"Can I get anything for you?" I said.
"No," was the gruff reply; "unless you can get me a heap of patience to
bear all this pain."
I tried to say a few comforting words to him, but they only seemed to
irritate.
"Don't," he said peevishly. "I know you want to be kind, my lad; but
I'm not myself now, and it only makes me feel mad. There, thank ye for
it all; but please go before I say something ungrateful."
I crept away and tried to find the doctor who was with the corps; but he
was busy with his wounded men, of whom he had about twenty. Giving up
the satisfaction of getting his report about the young Lieutenant, I
went to where Sandho was picketed with the rest, and stood by his head
for about half-an-hour, petting and caressing him, before going back
towards the rough breastwork--partly natural, partly artificial--which
served as a shelter from the bullets.
I soon came upon one of the sentries, who challenged me; but he made
room for me beside him after a few words had passed.
"Oh yes," he said, "you can stay here if you like; but why don't you go
and lie down till you have to relieve guard?"
"Because I feel too excited to sleep," I replied.
"Humph! Yes, it has been warm work," said the sentry; "but I suppose we
shall get used to it. I'm excited; but I feel as if I'd give anything
to lie down for an hour."
"Well, lie down," I said. "I'll keep watch for you."
"You will?" he said joyfully. "No, no; I'm not going to break down like
that. Don't say any more about it. It's like tempting a man. Here, I
say," he whispered eagerly, "how quiet they are! You don't think
they're going to make a night attack--do you?"
"No," I said; "it's not likely. What good could they do when they
couldn't see to shoot?"
"None, of course. It's not as if they were soldiers with bayonets. The
only thing they could do would be to stampede the horses."
"What!" I whispered excitedly. "Oh, I say, don't talk like that."
"Only a bit of an idea that came into my head. Don't see anything--do
you?"
"Nothing," I replied. "It's dark; but there's a curious transparent
look about the night, and I think we should see any one directly if he
were advancing."
"How? I don't see that's at all likely."
"If any one passed along it would be like a shadow crossing the grey
stones. They look quite grey in the starlight."
"Well, yes, they do," he said; "and--I say, what's that?"
He pointed towards the Boers' camp-fires, and, startled by his tone, I
looked eagerly in the direction pointed out; but there were the piles of
grey stones looking dull and shadowy, but no sign to me of anything
else.
"Fancy," I said.
"No. Just as you spoke I saw something dark go across one of the
stones. Shall I fire?"
"Certainly not. It would be alarming every one for nothing. We talked
about seeing things pass the grey stones, and that made you think you
saw some one."
"Perhaps so," he said thoughtfully. "Anyhow, there's nothing here now.
I say, that seems to have woke me up."
"It would," I said; and then I crouched a little lower, shading my eyes
from the starlight and keenly sweeping the chaotic wilderness of rocks
again and again, but seeing nothing.
I heard, though, the steps of the sentry away to my left, and soon after
a faint cough to my right sounded quite loudly.
"It wouldn't have done for you to have gone to sleep with me taking your
place, for I suppose some officer will be visiting the posts before very
long, and then you'd have been found out if I hadn't woke you in time."
I said this in a low tone not much above a whisper, in case any one was
going the rounds; but he did not take any notice.
"It wouldn't have done, you know," I said.
There was a low, heavy sighing breath, which made me start in wonder,
and then turn towards my companion, to find that his rifle was resting
against the stone, and that he had sunk sidewise against another and was
fast asleep.
"Completely fagged out," I said to myself, with a feeling of pity for
him. "He did fight bravely against it; but the drowsiness was too much
for him."
One moment I felt ready to take hold of his arm and shake him, but I did
not. I was there with his rifle ready to my hand, and if I kept his
watch, perhaps only for a few minutes, he would wake up again, refreshed
and better able to keep it till he was relieved.
"It often is so," I said to myself. "One drops asleep after dinner, and
then wakes up ready to go for any length of time. It's being a good
comrade to the poor fellow," I thought; and, picking up his rifle, I
took over his duty just as if it were my own, keeping my eyes wandering
over the dark grey stones in front, and sweeping the whole space. Then
my breath suddenly felt as if checked in my surprise, for about thirty
yards away, as near as I could guess, there was a dark shadow passing
one of the great blocks.
"Fancy," I said to myself as soon as I could recover from my surprise;
and, treating myself as I had treated my fellow-trooper, I mentally
declared I had thought about it till I seemed to see it.
"It's all imagination," I said again; and then I lowered the rifle I
held, a thrill running through me as I distinctly saw the dark shadow
again, but nearer than before. This time I was certain it was not
imagination. A figure--enemy or no--was cautiously stealing towards our
lines! My first impulse was to fire at the figure and give the alarm;
but on second thoughts I hesitated to go to such an extreme. Fixing my
eyes upon the dark, shadowy form, I cocked my rifle, and called hoarsely
upon whoever it was to stop.
"Ah! No shoot, no shoot," cried a familiar voice.
"Joeboy!" I exclaimed.
"Um!" was the reply; and, to my astonishment, the black came hurrying
towards me, bending under a load which stuck out curiously from his
sides and back.
"Why, what have you been doing out there?"
"Been get all these," he said as he forced his way between a couple of
stones, which caught his bulky load and checked him for a few moments.
"You idiot!" I said in a low tone, for I was afraid now that I had
alarmed the sentries on either side; but though Joeboy's load on one
side bumped against my companion sentry, he was so utterly wearied out
that he did not stir.
"Um? Idiot?" said Joeboy. "Boss Val going to be hungry. Joeboy
hungry. Been to get all these."
"What are they--forage-bags?"
"Um!" he said.
"But where did you get them--whose are they?"
"Doppies'. All in a heap. Brought them all along."
A little further questioning made it all clear--that under cover of the
darkness the plucky fellow had crept up the valley, taking advantage of
the shelter afforded by the stones, passed the lines of the Boers, and
hunted about till he came upon something worth having in the shape of a
pile of canvas forage-bags containing the men's provender, which they
had left together and in charge of a sentinel, so as to be unencumbered
in their attack upon us.
"But what about the sentry?" I said suspiciously.
"Um? Fast asleep," said Joeboy.
"What! all the time you were loading yourself with these bags?"
"Um!"
"You did not send him to sleep, did you?" I said suspiciously.
"Um? Killum?"
"Yes."
"No," said Joeboy coolly. "Didn't wake up. Lot more couldn't carry.
Plenty to eat now."
"Then you actually went foraging up there, and got back safely with this
load?"
"Um!" said Joeboy. "Boss Val must have plenty to eat. Doppies nearly
caught um."
"So I should expect," I said. "But you nearly got shot, stealing up to
the lines like this."
He laughed softly.
"Boss Val wouldn't shoot Joeboy. Doppies nearly ketch him. Big lot
coming down now."
"What!" I said excitedly. "Some of them coming down?"
"Um! Big lot coming down to fight."
I began to grasp now that after all there was some night expedition on
the way, and that the pile of haversacks Joeboy had found had been
deposited there to leave the men free and unfettered.
"Look here," I said sharply; "are you sure that the Doppies are coming
down?"
"Um! Great big lot."
"Here, you," I whispered, "wake up!" and I shook and shook the sentry
roughly, making him spring up and make a snatch at his rifle.
"Thank ye," he said. "I say, I was nearly dropping off to sleep."
"Very," I said dryly; "but keep awake now. My man here has just brought
in news that the enemy are coming on down the pass."
"What--for a night-attack?"
"Yes."
"The beasts!" he cried, and he raised his rifle to fire and give the
alarm.
"No, no," I said; "don't fire unless you see them. I'll go and give the
alarm. Stand fast till reinforcements come.--Here, Joeboy, bring your
load into camp."
I led the way straight to the Colonel, being challenged twice before I
reached the side where he, in company with his officers, lay sleeping in
their horsemen's heavy cloaks.
All sprang up at once, and each started to rouse his following, with the
result that in a few minutes the whole force was under arms and divided
in two bodies to join the line of sentries who paced up and down the
pass.
It was only now I became aware of the Colonel's plan of strategy, which
was to defend the position as long as seemed wise, and then for each
line to fold back, making the pivot of the movements the ends of the
lines by the niche in the hillside where the horses were sheltered.
Then, on the performance of this evolution, there would be a double line
facing outward for the defence of the horses, in a position enormously
strong from the impossibility of there being any attack from flanks or
rear.
So far we had no news of any attack threatening from the Boers who held
the lower part of the pass; but scouts had been sent out in that
direction to get in touch with the enemy, and their return was anxiously
awaited where the men were in position; but the minutes glided by in the
midst of a profound silence, and I began to feel a doubt about the
correctness of Joeboy's announcement.
I was in the centre of the line which would receive the shock of the
descending Boers, and Joeboy had stationed himself behind me as soon as
he had bestowed his plunder in safety; and at last, as there was no
sound to indicate that the enemy was on the move, I began to grow
terribly impatient, feeling as I did that before long the Colonel and
his officers would be reproaching me for giving a false alarm.
"Are you quite sure, Joeboy?" I whispered, turning to him where he
squatted with assagai in hand and his shield spread across his knees.
"Um?" he whispered. "Yes, quite sure. Come soon."
They did not come soon, and I grew more and more excited and angry; but
I refrained from questioning the black any more, feeling as I did the
uselessness of that course, and being unwilling to bring down upon
myself the reproof of the officers for talking at a time when the order
had been passed for strict silence, so that the Boers might meet with a
complete surprise.
It seemed to me that an hour had passed, during which I stood behind the
natural breastwork of a stone upon which my rifle rested, gazing
straight away up the pass, and straining my sense of hearing to catch
something to suggest that the enemy was in motion; but there was not a
sound in the grim and desolate gap between the hills, and my beating
heart sank lower and lower as I glanced back at Joeboy, who reached
towards me.
"Doppy long time," he said, hardly above his breath.
"They won't come," I whispered back angrily. "You fancied it all."
"Um?"
"You fancied it all. They would not come on in the night."
"Boss Val wait a bit. Come soon."
"Ugh!" I ejaculated; and a voice somewhere near whispered, "Silence in
the ranks!" The command was needed, for a low murmur was beginning to
make itself heard.
All was still again directly after, and the time glided slowly on again,
till that which I expected came suddenly; for I heard the trampling of
feet behind me in the darkness, and a voice whispered, "Where's that new
recruit Moray?"
"I am here, sir," I said.
"Quick! the Colonel wants you."
I left my post, and another man stepped into my place, while I followed
the sergeant who had summoned me.
"I say, young fellow," he said, "you're in for a bullying. The
Colonel's horribly wild about your false alarm. Are you sure the
Doppies were coming on?"