The Colonel was coming up, and it was quite time, for day was breaking
fast, and the black darkness which had been our friend during the night
was gradually dying away.
There was but one thing to be done: to select the best direction for
making our dash; and, glass in hand, the Colonel stood near us,
carefully scanning the country round. We who were waiting did the same,
and saw the distant hills which seemed to turn the broad plain which had
been the scene of our night's encounter into a vast amphitheatre. It
was too dark yet to make out much of the enemy's position; but right
away to our left, and not many miles distant, was the heavy-looking mass
of the great kopje and the ancient buildings we had left.
For some time we sat waiting, with the grey dawn broadening, and at last
I could clearly make out bodies of the mounted Boers in nearly every
direction; while, as I still scanned the distance, I gradually grew less
surprised that we were evidently so thoroughly hemmed in, for the plain
seemed to be alive with the enemy, though the nearest party must have
been about half a mile off. Still there was no movement on the part of
the enemy towards us, as doubtless, in the dim morning light, our
dust-coloured jackets and broad-brimmed felts caused us to be mistaken
for some of their own people.
However, it was only a few minutes before a change took place. The
Colonel had made up his mind, and the horses' heads were turned for the
open country, where there was a gap in the hills; and away we went at a
steady walk, orders being given for the corps to break up its regular
military order and ride scattered in a crowd, after the fashion of our
enemies. This served us for a few minutes, during which we covered a
mile in the direction we were to go; but the light had grown stronger,
and it became evident that a body on our right was moving slowly to cut
us off. Before another minute had passed another body was advancing
from the left; and, ignorant as I was of military evolutions, it was
plain enough to me that, long before we reached them, the two bodies
would meet and join in line to impede our advance.
I was right, though I did not feel certain; for the orders were given,
"Trot!" and then "Gallop!" and away we went for the closing-up gap in
front.
"We shall never do it," said Denham to me as we galloped on.
"We must," I cried, and then no more words were spoken. To a man we
knew, as we went along at a steady hand-gallop, that every body of Boers
within sight was aware of what was going on, and moving forward to take
us in a gigantic net whose open meshes were closing in.
There was no cheer, but a savage sound as if every man had suddenly
uttered the word "Ha!" in token of his satisfaction; for, as the two
bodies of the enemy in front were racing over the veldt to meet and
crush us as we tried to get through, our trumpeter sounded a blast which
sent us along at full speed; and then another call was blown, and we
swept round till, going at right angles to our former course, we were
riding exactly in the opposite direction to the detachment of Boers on
the right. Our object was, of course, to get round by their rear; and,
being an irregular and only partially drilled body, the result of the
Colonel's manoeuvre was that the enemy, in their efforts to reverse
their advance, fell into confusion. Some were trying to pull up, others
tried to sweep round to right or left and meet us; while, to add to
their confusion and turn them into a mob of galloping horsemen, the left
body charged full among their own men. The result was that we came upon
the struggling rear of the enemy's right wing, scattering and riding
over them; and had the country beyond been clear, we could have made our
escape.
Unluckily it was the fortune, of war that, just as we had cleared the
scattering mob, with every man riding for his life, there appeared in
front another and stronger line, with bodies of the enemy coming in from
right and left.
Our chief turned in his saddle to glance backward; but it was only to
see the two bodies we had passed struggling to got into something like
order, so as to pursue us. For another minute no alteration was made in
our course; but the attempt was hopeless, for we should have been
outnumbered twenty times over, while the enemy in front now opened fire,
their bullets whizzing overhead.
The trumpet rang out, and we wheeled round as upon a pivot, our
well-drilled horses never losing their formation; and away we went as
soon as we were facing our loosely-formed, mob-like pursuers, straight
for their centre.
The trumpet again rang out; and, sword in hand, every man sat well down
in his saddle, prepared for the shock of the encounter which in another
minute would have taken place.
This, however, was not the style of fighting the Boers liked; and,
already upset by the collision of the two bodies resulting in a confused
mob, they declined our challenge, and pulled up, tried to ride off to
right and left, and again got themselves into a disorderly crowd; but as
they opened out we dashed through them, tumbling over men and horses,
and with, a cheer galloped to reach an open part of the plain.
It was a wild and exciting rush before we got through; and I have but
little recollection of what took place beyond the fact that I struck out
right and left in melee after melee, wherein blows were aimed at us with
the butts and barrels of rifles, and shots fired at close quarters, but
in almost every case I believe without effect. Then the call rang out,
"Halt!" and, with our enemies at a distance, we formed up again, to give
our panting horses breathing-time.
It was then, I remember, that Denham--who had not been missed--almost
breathless, and with uncovered head, edged in to my side, and as soon as
he was able to speak panted out:
"Glorious, Val! Glorious! Oh! we did let them have it; but there's
nothing for it except to die game or surrender, and I'll be hanged if
I'll do either, and so I tell them."
"Which way are we going now?" I said, taking off my soft hat and
offering it to him, as I wiped the perspiration from my face with my
hand.
"Do you want to insult a fellow?" he cried, laughing. "Who's going to
wear your old hats?" Then, seriously: "No, no; keep it, old chap.
Which way next? Who knows? I'm sure the Colonel doesn't. It's all
chance. I don't like running; but run we must if they'll only open a
hole for us."
"It's horrible," I said.
"Not a bit of it. They're getting it worse than we are."
"Yes; but look at their numbers."
"I've been looking, old fellow, and there's more than I can count. I
didn't think there were so many Doppies in the country. There are too
many for us to kill, and so many that they won't run away. Why, we're
nowhere. Yah! Cowards! That's the Boer all over. Look at them, lying
down at a distance to pick us off. I don't call that fighting. Oh,
Colonel, Colonel, this won't do!"
He said the words to me, and the men within hearing laughed. There was,
however, good cause for Denham's words, the bullets beginning to fall
about us, aimed from different directions; and it was quite plain that,
if we stood grouped together in troops, it would not be long before a
perfect hail of bullets would be pattering among us, many of them going
straight to their goals, and decimating our little force, or worse.
The officers needed no telling; and in a few minutes we were off again,
first in one direction, then in another, our leader giving up as
hopeless the idea of making straight for any particular opening in the
dense ranks, but picking out the smaller parties of the enemy--that is
to say, mobs not more than double our own strength; and when we could
get within striking distance they were punished and scattered like chaff
before the wind, in spite of the scattered volleys they sent at us
before they fled.
This could not last, of course, for it was always at the cost of some of
our poor fellows and of many horses, who had to be left to fall into the
enemy's hands.
At last we managed to charge home right into a body of our foes at least
three times our strength--numerous enough, in fact, to surround us as we
fought our way through them, thus rendering us more and more helpless;
but our men fought desperately, till about half of the corps forced
their way through, and, making an attempt to keep well in formation,
dashed on.
I was with about a dozen quite fifty yards in the rear, half-mad with
pain and excitement, for one of the Boers had clubbed his rifle in the
midst of the melee and struck at my head. I was too quick for him,
wrenching myself sidewise; but the rifle glanced all down one side,
giving me for the moment a terrible numbing sense of pain. Yet my head
was quite clear, and I rode on, feeling a wild kind of exhilaration from
the knowledge that with one quick thrust I had passed my sword through
his shoulder. Now I was urging on poor bruised and frightened Sandho to
keep up with the dozen or so of our men who were trying to overtake the
main body. We were in no formation, only a galloping party; and,
consequent upon my injury, I was last. As we tore on we passed one of
the corps trying to drag himself from under his fallen horse, which was
lying across his legs. I couldn't let him lie like that; so I pulled
up, leaped down, and, shouting to Sandho to stand, dashed at the fallen
and wounded horse's head, caught him by the bit, and dragged at him to
make him rise. The poor beast made a desperate effort, and got upon
three legs; but sank back again with a piteous groan, for it had stepped
into some burrow and snapped its off hind-leg right in two. However,
the horse's effort had saved its rider, who struggled to his feet, his
face blackened with powder and bleeding, and passed his hand across his
eyes. To my astonishment I saw who it was, the long drooping moustache
telling me in spite of his disfigured face.
"Well done!" he said hoarsely; "but I'm hurt, and you can't help me.
Mount and be off. I'm done."
I glanced behind me, and saw that the Boers were getting together again
as if to come in pursuit, while a long line was coming up from the left
at a steady trot, and bullets were whizzing by. It was only a momentary
glance to see what our chances were; and in answer to the Colonel's
words I shouted to Sandho to come round to my side.
"Poor wretch!" groaned the Colonel; "you've done your part. I can't see
you suffer like this;" and, to my horror, he took out his revolver,
placed it to his charger's forehead, and fired. The shot had a double
effect that was nearly fatal to our chance, for at the clear-cutting
report the Colonel's charger laid his head slowly down, and a quiver ran
through his frame; but Sandho reared up, made a bound, and was in the
act of dashing off. Almost instinctively I gave out a shrill whistle,
which brought him up, and he trotted back to my side.
"Now," I cried, half-wild with excitement and the feeling of exaltation
which had come over me, "mount and gallop after our men."
"What! No, boy, I can't do that," he said, smiling, as he clapped me on
the shoulder. "I've played my part, and if it means exit I'll go off
the stage like a man, for I suppose the brutes will shoot me for what
I've done."
"Nonsense!" I cried, wildly now. "Jump on, and gallop."
"No," he said, recocking his revolver. "Mount, my lad, and ride for
your life."
"I won't," I said. "You get up and go."
"What!" he shouted, with his face lowering. "Mount, sir. I order you."
"Don't be a fool," I yelled at him. "They'll be after us directly.
There, some of them are firing already. Get up, or you'll lose my poor
old horse."
He turned upon me in a rage, with his revolver raised.
"Bah!" he cried. Then a change came over him, and he turned to look
back at the enemy. "Can you run?" he said. "I can't; my right leg's
cut."
That was plain enough, for his breeches were gashed above the knee, and
there was a great patch of blood spreading.
"Yes, I can run," I said stubbornly; "but I won't."
"You shall," he said, as he thrust his foot into the stirrup and swung
himself up on Sandho's back. "Now then, on my right here. Catch hold
of the holster-strap, and we'll escape together, or fall: the brave lad
and the fool."