In a few minutes the Major had joined the Colonel, and soon every
officer and man in the old fortification was waiting breathlessly for
information as to what intelligence regarding the movements of the enemy
the two stern-looking men up on the wall were gathering into their
brains through their glasses--intelligence far beyond the ken of the
sentries, whose duty it was to keep strict watch upon the great circle
which was formed by the Boer lines.
There was no hurry or bustle; but our trumpeter had buckled his
sword-belt and taken down his instrument from where it hung, and then
stationed himself upon one of the blocks of stone in the great
courtyard, watching his chiefs, and holding his instrument ready, while
his eyes seemed about to start out of his head in his excitement.
Everywhere it was the same. Men glided about here and there, after a
glance at the ranges of rifles against the wall, with their well-filled
bandoliers, and only paused at last where each could dart to his horse,
ready to saddle and bridle the tethered beast. The officers were also
silently preparing--buckling on their swords, taking revolvers from
their belt-holsters, and filling the chambers from their
cartridge-pouches, quite mechanically, without taking their eyes off the
watchers on the wall. But in spite of all these preparations no sounds
were heard save those made by the horses--an impatient stamp or pawing
at the stones, followed by a snort or a whinnying neigh.
I did as the rest had done. Meeting Denham after his return from the
sheltered spot occupied by the officers, we stood together, looking up
at the wall.
"What a long time they are taking!" whispered Denham impatiently. "The
Doppies can't be coming on, or they'd have been seen before now."
Almost as he spoke the two officers strode to one end of the rampart and
began to inspect the veldt again. The next minute they were making for
the opposite side of the great building, to examine the country in that
direction; and here they stood for a long time.
"Oh dear!" groaned Denham at last. "What's-its-name deferred makes the
heart sink into your boots. It's a false alarm."
"Not it," I said, "for there has been no alarm."
"Well, you know what I mean. It's all over. I did hope the chief would
be so busy that he'd forget all about what I said. There never was such
a miserably unlucky beggar born as I am. Now we shall--"
Just then the Major left the Colonel's side, came to the edge of the
wall, and looked down into the court, gave a nod of satisfaction, and
made a sign to the trumpeter, whose bugle went with a flip to his lips,
and there was a sound as if the pent-up breath of some four hundred men
had been suddenly allowed to escape. Then the walls were echoing to the
call "Boot and Saddle," and every man sprang to his hung-up saddle and
then to his horse, the willing beasts seeming all of a tremor with an
excitement as great as that of their riders. Long practice had made us
quick; and in an incredibly short time I was standing like the rest with
my rifle slung across my back, holding Sandho's bridle ready to lead him
out through the gateway, military fashion, though he would have walked
at my side like a dog.
"We're only going for a bit of a reconnaissance," said Sergeant Briggs
gruffly as, after a sharp, non-com glance at his men, he settled down
close to my side.
"How do you know?" I asked, speaking as if to a friend, and not to a
superior officer on parade.
"No orders for water-bottles and rations, my lad. I was in hopes that
we were going to make a dash through them and get out of this prison of
a place."
"What! and leave all that splendid beef, Briggs?" said Denham, who came
up in time to hear the Sergeant's words.
"Yes; and the gold-mine too, sir. We could come back and take
possession of that."
"But the bullocks?"
"They'd find their way out and get their living on the veldt. Needn't
trouble about them, sir. Look out."
We were looking out, for our two chief officers had now descended from
the walls and crossed to where their servants were holding their
chargers.
Directly after a note was sounded, followed by a sharp order or two, and
horse and man, troop after troop, filed out into position and stood
ready to mount.
The order was not long in coming, and we sprang into our saddles, all in
profound ignorance of what was before us, save that we were soon to
return. About fifty men had been left as garrison.
Then an order was given, and we divided into two bodies. One
detachment, under the Major, moved off, to pass round by the kopje; the
other, in which I served, taking the opposite direction, but turning
after passing round the stronghold, and meeting the other detachment
about half a mile to the east. There we sat, obtaining in the clear
evening light a full view of the enemy's proceedings.
We had no sooner halted than the officers' glasses were focussed, and
all waited anxiously for an explanation of the movements which the
non-commissioned officers and privates could see somewhat indistinctly
with the naked eye.
Denham was close to me; and, like the good fellow he was, he took care
to let me know what he made out, speaking so that his words were plainly
heard by Sergeant Briggs and the others near.
"It seems to be a general advance of the enemy," he said, with his eyes
close to his glass. "They're coming steadily on at a walk. Yes; wagons
and all."
"That doesn't mean an attack, sir," said the Sergeant.
"I don't know what it means," said Denham. "Yes, I think I do. They've
got some notion into their heads that we mean to break through the ring,
and they are going to close up, to make it more solid."
"They think we're getting tired of it, sir, and that when we see them
loaded with plenty of good things we shall surrender."
"Perhaps it's out of kindness, Briggs," said Denham, laughing. "They
want to tempt us into making another raid because the distance will be
shorter for us to go."
"Then I'm afraid they'll be disappointed, sir, for the Colonel isn't
likely to risk losing any of his men while we've got all those bullocks
to eat."
"I don't know what to make of it," said Denham; then, thoughtfully: "It
looks to me like some bit of cunning--a sort of ruse to get within
rifle-shot. Look how steadily they're coming on."
That was plain enough to us all, line after line of horsemen advancing
as regularly as if they had been well-drilled cavalry; and for my part,
inexperienced as I was in such matters, I could not help thinking that
the wagons were being pushed forward on purpose to afford cover for
their best marksmen, and that in a short time the bullets would begin to
be pinging and buzzing about our ears.
I can't say what the Colonel thought; but almost directly the trumpet
rang out, and we were cantered back, to file steadily into the great
courtyard again, with the men grumbling and muttering among themselves
at having been made what they called fools of.
"I tell you what it is, Val," said Denham as soon as he had another
chance to speak; "I believe I've got it."
"What--the Boers' plan?"
"Yes; don't you see? They'll come right in so as to be within easy shot
of our grazing grounds."
"Oh!" I exclaimed, "I never thought of that. Of course; and if the
horses and cattle are driven out, they'll be able to shoot them down
till we haven't a beast left."
"Nor a bit of beef. It's to force us to surrender--a regular siege."
It was rapidly getting dark then; and we soon learned that our ideas of
the Boers' ruse were the same as those entertained by our chiefs.
Upon the strength of the closer approach the sentries were doubled, and
by means of the wagons the entrance to our stronghold was barricaded in
a more effectual way; but we were not to be allowed to rest with a
feeling of security that night. In about a couple of hours after our
return a shot was fired by one of the sentries, then another, and
another; and the men stood to their arms, on foot, ready for an attack
by the enemy. In a few minutes, however, the news ran round that the
sentries had fired at a dark figure creeping along under the wall inside
the courtyard after repeated challenges; and, later, the news spread
that the sentry on guard over the prisoner was lying insensible and
bleeding from a great cut on the back of his head, and that Captain
Moriarty was nowhere to be found.