"To send on this black we have with us right in front. He could get
close up to the outposts without being seen."
I expected a severe rebuke before I had finished; but, to my surprise,
the Colonel--for it was he who had ridden up to the front--heard me to
the end.
"A black?" he said. "Is he to be trusted?"
"I'll answer for him, sir," I said eagerly.
"Here, Mr Denham," said the Colonel, "stay in your place. Yes--send
the black scout on at once to creep forward far in advance of the
column, and tell him to come back and give us full warning of how near
we are to the enemy."
The Colonel drew rein as soon as he had spoken, and we passed on, while
as soon as we were getting out of hearing Denham gripped my arm.
"You brick!" he whispered. "Now then, send on your Joeboy.--Do you
understand what for?" he now asked the black.
"Um!" replied Joeboy. "Find the Doppies, and come back."
"That's right," said Denham eagerly. "Creep up as close as you can, and
then come and warn us. Oh, what a blessing to have a black skin, and no
clothes to hide it!"
"Joeboy go now?"
"Yes. Off," whispered Denham, and the black uttered a peculiar click
with his tongue, leaped out sidewise, and then bounded forward without a
sound. One moment we saw his black figure dimly; the next he seemed to
have melted away or been absorbed into the blackness right ahead, and
for some time we were following the track of what had been like a
shadow.
I listened as our horses tramped quietly on through what was, now that
the kopje had been left behind, like a sandy desert, whose soft surface
completely muffled the hoofs. Once in a while there was a faint
rustling as the horses brushed through a patch of thick bush or the
yellow-flowered thorn; but not a stone was kicked away or sent forth a
sharp metallic sound. So quiet was it that Denham turned to me and
whispered:
"Who'd ever think there were four hundred of our fellows on the march
behind us?"
"And somewhere about twelve or fifteen hundred of the enemy in a circle
round about."
"Yes; but they're standing still," he said. "Think your Joeboy will
make them out?"
"I'm sure of it," I said.
"That's right. Then in a few minutes we shall be at them with a rush.
I don't like this fighting in the dark."
"It will be a shout, a rush, and we shall cut our way right through," I
said.
"Perhaps; but don't you cut, young fellow. If you come at any one there
in front, you give point; don't waste time in cutting. I say, Val; if I
don't get through, and you can get to where I'm found--"
"What are you talking about?" I whispered sharply.
"About my will," he said quietly. "I leave you my watch and my sword."
"And I'll leave you my rifle and Sandho. He's a splendid fellow to go."
"Stuff and nonsense!" said Denham, interrupting me. "You won't be
hurt."
"That's more than you know," I said peevishly, for his words upset me;
and when he went on I made no reply. Even if I had replied I should not
have been able to finish my speech, for Joeboy now came up at a long
loping run. He caught at Denham's bridle, checking the horse, while
Sandho and the three troopers on my right stopped short, and the whole
line of horsemen suddenly halted.
"What is it?" said Denham.
"Doppies all along," said Joeboy. "All this way; all that way," he
continued, gesticulating.
"How far?" I whispered.
Joeboy shook his head, and seemed to feel puzzled how to answer the
question. At last he raised his face and whispered, as he pointed
forward:
"Far as two sojers over dah," he said, "and far again."
"Twice as far as the advance-guard," I interpreted his words to mean.
At that moment the Colonel rode up, and Denham repeated the black's
words.
"That's right," he said in a low tone, with his face turned so that as
many of the troop as possible should hear. "Lieutenant Denham, I shall
not alter our formation. Your orders are, `Forward' at a walk, and as
silently as if the horses were grazing, till the advance-posts give the
alarm. Then gallop straight away. Not a shot to be fired. Forward!"
There was a low murmur as of many drawing a deep, long breath. Then the
column was in motion, and I felt a thrill of excitement running through
me like a wave, while unconsciously I nipped Sandho's sides so that he
began to amble. This brought back the knowledge that I must be cool, so
I gently checked the brave little horse, and softly patted his arching
neck, when he promptly slowed to a walking pace like the others. Then I
found that Joeboy had crept round to my right side, between me and the
next trooper, and, assagai in hand, was holding on to my saddle with his
left hand.
All was perfectly still; and though we had gone on fully a hundred
yards, there was nothing to be heard or seen of the enemy in front.
Suddenly Denham leaned towards me, and gripped my shoulder for a moment
before loosening his grasp and holding his right hand before me.
"Shake," he said in a low whisper.
Our hands pressed one another for a brief moment or two, and then we
both sat upright, listening.
All was yet silent. Then, far away, but so loudly that the air seemed
to throb, came the deep, thunderous, barking roar of a lion, followed
from out of the darkness ahead by the rush and plunge of a startled
horse.
"Quiet, you cowardly brute, or I'll pull your head off!" came loudly in
Dutch, as a horse somewhere to our left uttered a loud, challenging
neigh. This was answered directly by Denham's charger; and in an
instant a horse in front followed the first horse's example.
I heard a faint rustle as every man threw his right arm over the reins
to seize the hilt of his sabre, and the feeling of wild excitement began
to rush through me again as I gripped my own and waited for the order to
draw.
Now the darkness was cut by a bright flash of light right in front;
there was the sharp crack of a rifle, and right and left _flash, crack,
flash, crack_, ran along a line.
As the first report was heard Denham rose in his stirrups. "Draw
swords!" he yelled; and then, "Gallop!"
There was the rasping of blades against the scabbards, three or four
closely following digs into the soft sandy ground, with our horses'
muscles quivering beneath us, and then we were off at full speed,
tearing after the outposts, which had wheeled round and galloped back,
while with our sabres at the ready we went straight ahead.
"Keep together, lads," cried Denham in a low, hoarse voice; but the
order was needless, for, after the manner of their nature, our chargers
hung together; and as we raced along it seemed to me that we should pass
right through the enemy's lines without a check.
Vain thought! Away in front, as we galloped on, a low, deep hum seemed
to be approaching; and I knew the alarm had spread, and that the Boers
were rapidly preparing for us. More than that, we had convincing proof
that they were prepared.
Suddenly, flashing, glittering lights, as of hundreds of fireflies
playing about a hedge extending right and left as far as I could see,
began to sparkle and scintillate; but only for a moment, for now came
the crackling roar of irregular firing, the flashes being partially
obscured. Then, in a few brief moments more, we were closing up to the
long line of riflemen.
"Now for it!" cried Denham close to my loft ear, his voice sounding like
a husky whisper as we raced on knee to knee, and then our horses rose,
as it were, at a fire-tipped hedge to clear the smoke.
There was a crash, yells of rage and defiance, and we were through,
tearing away with the roar of our long line of galloping horses close
after us. There was no time to think of danger--of shots from the
enemy, or being crushed down by the hoofs of the troopers tearing after
us; all was one wild state of fierce excitement, which made me feel as
if I must shout in triumph at the result of our successful charge.
Contrary to expectation, there was now a new sound--the buzzing hiss of
bullets overhead. Then, away to my left, yet another peculiar
announcement of what might happen; for, clearly above the heavy thud of
horses' hoofs and the loud jingle of bits and chains, I could hear a
curious _zip, zip, zip, zip_--a sound I had learned to know perfectly
well: it was the striking of the Boers' bullets upon inequalities of the
ground, and their ricochetting to hit again and again, as though a
demoniacal game of "Dick, duck, and drake" were being played upon the
surface of the ground instead of upon the water from off the shore.
Suddenly some one tore along to the side of our column, and a voice
shouted, followed by the clear notes of a trumpet.
The horses wanted no touch from rein or spur. Those right and left of
me bore round, and naturally mine went with them. Left incline, and we
tore on still in as wild and reckless a race through the darkness as was
ever ridden by a body of men.
The bullets overhead buzzed, and the ricochets sounded _zip, zip_; but,
as far as we could tell, no one was hit, nor had a man gone down from
the false stop of a horse.
Unexpectedly, though, I heard a cry from somewhere behind, then a heavy
fall, and another, as a couple of horses went down, and caused some
confusion; but to stop to help the unfortunates was impossible at such a
time. It was the fortune of war, as we all knew; and we tore on, till a
note from the trumpet rose from our left; then another, and the fierce
gallop was changed to a trot, and evolution after evolution was executed
to bring the retiring regiment into formation of troops. Soon after
this was completed a fresh call brought us to a walk, and directly after
to a halt to breathe the panting horses.
"Dismount, my lads," cried the Colonel. This order was to enable the
brave beasts to have the full advantage of our halt.
"Hurt?" was asked excitedly on all sides; but every answer was in the
negative, and we stood there by our troopers and chargers in the
darkness, listening to the wild excitement from the distance.
The firing was still going on, but in a confused, desultory way; and for
the moment it seemed as if we had made good our escape, and had nothing
to do but mount and ride quietly away. That was how it struck me, and I
said so to Denham.
"Oh no," he said anxiously. "Didn't you see?"
"See what?" I asked.
"Why, we were riding straight on into another body of the enemy after we
had cut through the first."
"No," I said. "Who could see through this darkness?"
"Well, I didn't at first; but when the Colonel dashed up with the
trumpeter and turned us off to the left, I looked out for the reason,
and there it was: a long line of the brutes, blazing away in our
direction. You must have heard the bullets."
"Yes, I heard them," I said, "but I thought they came from behind."
"Some of them did, my lad, and I'm afraid we've left a good many poor
fellows behind. But them, it can't be helped. The thing now to be
settled is which way we are to go next. Listen; the officers are nearly
all with the chief now, and the whole plain seems to be dotted with the
enemy."
Denham had hardly done speaking when a movement a short distance from us
resulted in the officers joining their troops and squadrons. Then the
order to mount was passed softly from troop to troop, and we waited for
the little force to be put in motion again.
"It's of no use for the chief to try the same ruse again," whispered
Denham. "It was right enough as a surprise; but the enemy is on the
alert now. It seems to me we are as completely surrounded as before."
"Never mind," I said, as cheerily as I could; "we shall do it yet."
"Oh yes, we shall do it yet," replied my companion; "but it must be done
quietly and quickly, while it's dark. I say, though, what about your
black boy? He couldn't have kept up with our mad gallop."
"Joeboy?" I said in an excited whisper. "Joeboy? I forgot all about
him;" and a pang of misery shot through me.
"He was holding on by your saddle--wasn't he?"
"Yes," I said huskily; "but from the moment I drew my sword and we
charged, I never thought about the poor fellow till you spoke."
"Advance at a walk!" was the next order; and as we started, the Colonel
came up to where Denham and I rode at one end of the leading troop.
"Here," cried the Colonel; "where's that Matabele fellow? He may lead
us out of this crowd."
"Gone, sir," said Denham quietly. "We lost him in the gallop."
"Tut, tut, tut!" muttered the Colonel; "he would have been more useful
than ever now. Forward at a walk! They can't see us, nor tell us from
one of their friendly troops riding about the veldt. Silence in the
ranks!"
"He needn't have spoken," said Denham in a low voice, as the Colonel
drew rein and let us pass. "We shall get through yet, as you say."
However, the odds seemed to be terribly against us, for whichever way we
turned large bodies of the enemy were evidently in front; and after
changing our direction again and again during the next two hours, the
Colonel at last halted the corps.
"It's of no use," I heard him say to one of the senior officers. "We're
only tiring out the horses and men. We must stand fast till daybreak,
then select our route, make for it, and try what a good charge will do.
We shall clear ourselves then."
Directly afterwards the order was passed for the men to dismount and
refresh themselves with such water and provisions as they had, and
silence once more reigned among us; for, not far off, large bodies of
the mounted Boers were in motion, and twice we were passed at apparently
some two hundred yards' distance, our presence not being detected.
"We ought to be able to get through," whispered Denham to me soon after
the second body had gone by. "They must be thinking by this time that
we have got right away. Where do you think we are facing now? North, I
should say."
"East," I replied, pointing away straight in front. "That's the morning
breaking."
"For the beginning of another day," said Denham softly. "Well, I shan't
be unhappy when this one's work is done."
"Nor I," was my reply. "I half-wish we had stayed among the ruins."
"To be starved," said Denham bitterly. "No; this is far better. It
gives us something to do."
"Yes," I replied; "and there's some more, for the Colonel's coming up."