CHAPTER TWELVE.
IN THE THICK OF IT.
The report of the rifle was magical in its effect upon the Basutoponies, each rearing up on its hind legs and striking out with itsforefeet; but the same punishment was meted out by the riders--namely, asharp tap between the ears with the barrels of the rifles--and theresult was that beyond fidgeting they stood fairly still, while _flash,flash, flash_, three more shots were fired. The bullets whizzed by withtheir peculiar noise, sounding quite close, but probably nowhere nearthe riders--those who fired judging in the darkness quite by sound.
"Let's keep on at a walk," whispered West; but, low as his utterancewas, the sound reached an enemy's ears.
"Mind what you're about!" said someone close at hand, evidentlymistaking the speaker for a friend; "one of those bullets went prettyclose to my ear. Whereabouts are they?"
"Away to the right," whispered Ingleborough, in Dutch.
"Come on then," said the former speaker. "_Ck_!"
The pony the man rode made a plunge as if spurs had been suddenly duginto its sides, and the dull beat of its hoofs on the dusty soil told ofthe course its rider was taking.
West was about to speak when the rapid beating of hoofs came from hisleft, and he had hard work to restrain his own mount from joining aparty of at least a dozen of the enemy as they swept by noisily in thedarkness.
"What do the fools think they are going to do by galloping about likethat?" said Ingleborough gruffly.
"If they had kept still they might have caught us. Hallo! Firingagain!"
Three or four shots rang out on the night air, and away in front of thepair the beating of hoofs was heard again.
"Why, the country seems alive with them," whispered West. "Hadn't webetter keep on?"
"Yes, we must chance it," was the reply. "No one can see us twentyyards away."
"And we ought to make the most of the darkness."
"Hist!" whispered Ingleborough, and his companion sat fast, listening tothe movements of a mounted man who was evidently proceeding cautiouslyacross their front from left to right. Then the dull sound of hoofsceased--went on again--ceased once more for a time, so long that Westfelt that their inimical neighbour must have stolen away, leaving thecoast quite clear.
He was about to say so to Ingleborough, but fortunately waited a littlelonger, and then started, for there was the impatient stamp of a horse,followed by a sound that suggested the angry jerking of a rein, for theanimal plunged and was checked again.
As far as the listeners could make out, a mounted man was not fortyyards away, and the perspiration stood out in great drops upon West'sbrow as he waited for the discovery which he felt must be made. For amovement on the part of either of the ponies, or a check of the rein tokeep them from stretching down their necks to graze, would have beenenough. But they remained abnormally still, and at last, to thesatisfaction and relief of both, the Boer vedette moved off at a trot,leaving the pair of listeners once more free to breathe.
"That was a narrow escape!" said West, as soon as their late companionwas fairly out of hearing.
"Yes. I suppose we ought to have dismounted and crawled up to him andput a bullet through his body," answered Ingleborough.
"Ugh! Don't talk about it!" replied West. "I suppose we shall haveplenty of such escapes as this before we have done."
"You're right! But we can move on now, and--Hist! There are some moreon the left."
"I don't hear anyone. Yes, I do. Sit fast; there's a strong partycoming along."
West was quite right, a body of what might have been a hundred going bythem at a walk some eighty or ninety yards away, and at intervals ashort sharp order was given in Boer-Dutch which suggested to Westcommands in connection with his own drill, "Right incline!" or "Leftincline!" till the commando seemed to have passed right away out ofhearing.
"Now then," said West softly, "let's get on while we have the chance."
The words were hardly above his breath, but in the utter stillness ofthe night on the veldt they penetrated sufficiently far, and in aninstant both the despatch-riders knew what the brief orders they hadheard meant, namely that as the commando rode along a trooper wasordered to rein up at about every hundred yards and was left as avedette.
For no sooner had West spoken than there was a sharp challenge to leftand right, running away along a line, and directly after the reports ofrifles rang out and bullets whizzed like insects through the dark nightair. Many flew around and over the heads of the fugitives; for themoment the discovery was made West and Ingleborough pressed theirponies' sides and went forward at full gallop to pass through the firein front of them.
It was close work, for guided by the sounds of the ponies' hoofs, theBoers kept on firing, one shot being from close at hand--so close thatthe flash seemed blinding, the report tremendous. This was followed bya sharp shock, the two companions, as they tore on, cannoning againstthe vedette, West's pony striking the horse in his front full upon theshoulder and driving the poor beast right in the way of Ingleborough's,with the consequence that there was a second collision which sent theBoer and his horse prostrate, Ingleborough's pony making a bound whichcleared the struggling pair, and then racing forward alongside of itsstable companion, when they galloped on shoulder to shoulder. They werefollowed by a scattered fire of bullets, and when these ceased Westturned in his saddle and listened, to hear the heavy beat of many hoofs,telling of pursuit; but the despatch-riders were well through the line,and galloped on at full speed for the next half-hour, when theyslackened down and gradually drew rein and listened.
"Can't hear a sound!" said West.
"Nor I," replied Ingleborough, after a pause. "So now let's breathe ournags and go steadily, for we may very likely come upon another of theselines of mounted men."
A short consultation was then held respecting the line of route to befollowed as likely to be the most clear of the enemy.
"I've been thinking," said Ingleborough, "that our best way will be tostrike off west, and after we are over the river to make a good longdetour."
West said nothing, but rode on by his companion's side, letting his ponyhave a loose rein so that the sure-footed little beast could pick itsway and avoid stones.
"I think that will be the best plan," said Ingleborough, after a longpause.
Still West was silent.
"What is it?" said his companion impatiently.
"I was thinking," was the reply.
"Well, you might say something," continued Ingleborough, in an ill-usedtone. "It would be more lively if you only gave a grunt."
"Humph!"
It was as near an imitation as the utterer could give, and Ingleboroughlaughed.
"Thanks," he said. "That's a little more cheering. I've been thinking,too, that if we make this detour to the west we shall get into somerougher country, where we can lie up among the rocks of some kopje whenit gets broad daylight."
"And not go on during the day?"
"Certainly not; for two reasons: our horses could not keep on withoutrest, and we should certainly be seen by the Boers who are crowding overthe Vaal." West was silent again.
"Hang it all!" cried Ingleborough. "Not so much as a grunt now! Lookhere, can you propose a better plan?"
"I don't know about better, but I was thinking quite differently fromyou."
"Let's have your way then."
"Perhaps you had better not. You have had some experience in your ridesout on excursions with Mr Norton, and I daresay your plan is a betterone than mine."
"I don't know," said Ingleborough shortly. "Let's hear yours."
"But--"
"Let's--hear--yours," cried the other imperatively, and his voicesounded so harsh that West felt annoyed, and he began:
"Well, I thought of doing what you propose at first."
"Naturally: it seems the likeliest way."
"But after turning it over in my mind it seemed to me that the Boerswould all be hurrying across the border and scou
ring our country,looking in all directions as they descended towards Kimberley."
"Yes, that's right enough. But go on; don't hesitate. It's yourexpedition, and I'm only second."
"So I thought that we should have a far better chance and be less likelyto meet with interruption if we kept on the east side of the Vaal tillit turned eastward, and then, if we could get across, go on norththrough the enemy's country."
"Invade the Transvaal with an army consisting of one officer and oneman?"
"There!" cried West pettishly. "I felt sure that you would ridicule myplans."
"Then you were all wrong, lad," cried Ingleborough warmly, "for, so farfrom ridiculing your plans, I think them capital. There's success inthem from the very cheek of the idea--I beg your pardon: I ought to sayaudacity. Why, of course, if we can only keep clear of the wanderingcommandos--and I think we can if we travel only by night--we shall findthat nearly everyone is over the border on the way to the siege ofKimberley, and when we stop at a farm, as we shall be obliged to forprovisions, we shall only find women and children."
"But they'll give warning of our having been there on our way toMafeking."
"No, they will not. How will they know that we are going to Mafeking ifwe don't tell them? I'm afraid we must make up a tale. Perhaps you'llbe best at that. I'm not clever at fibbing."
"I don't see that we need tell the people lies," said West shortly.
"Then we will not," said his companion. "Perhaps we shall not be asked;but if we are I shall say that we are going right away from the fightingbecause we neither of us want to kill any Boers."
"Humph!" grunted West.
"What, doesn't that suit you? It's true enough. I don't want to killany Boers, and I'm sure you don't. Why, when you come to think that weshall be telling this to women whose husbands, sons, or brothers havebeen commandoed, we are sure to be treated as friends."
"We had better act on your plan," said West, "and then we need make upno tales."
"Wait a minute," said Ingleborough. "Pull up."
West obeyed, and their ponies began to nibble the herbage.
"Now listen: can you hear anything?"
West was silent for nearly a minute, passed in straining his ears tocatch the slightest sound.
"Nothing," he said at last.
"Nothing," said his companion. "Let's jump down!"
West followed his companion's example, and swung himself out of thesaddle.
"Now get between the nags' heads and hold them still. You and they willform three sides of a square: I'm going to be the fourth."
"What for?"
"To light a match."
"Oh, don't stop to smoke now," said West reproachfully. "Let's get on."
"Who's going to smoke, old Jump-at-conclusions? I'm going to carry outour plan."
_Scratch_! and a match blazed up, revealing Ingleborough's face as hebent down over it to examine something bright held in one hand--something he tried to keep steady till the match burned close to hisfingers and was crushed out.
"Horses' heads are now pointing due north," he said. "Keep where youare till I'm mounted. That's right! Now then, up you get! That'sright! Now then! Right face--forward!"
"But you're going east."
"Yes," said Ingleborough, with a little laugh, "and I'm going with Westor by West all the same. We must keep on till we get to the railway,cross it, and then get over the border as soon as we can."
"What, follow out my plan?"
"Of course! It's ten times better than mine. Look here, my dear boy,you are a deal too modest. Recollect that you are in command, and thatmy duty is to obey."
"Nonsense!"
"Sense, sir; sound sense. I've got enough in my head to know when athing's good, and you may depend upon my opposing you if I feel that youare going to act foolishly. Once for all, your idea's capital, lad; solet's get on as fast as we can till daybreak, and then we can lie up insafely in the enemy's country."
In due course the railway was reached, a breeze springing up andsweeping the sky clear so that they had a better chance of avoidingobstacles in the way, and as soon as they were well over the line theponies were kept at a canter, which was only checked here and there overbroken ground. This, however, became more plentiful as the night glidedaway, but the rough land and low kopjes were the only difficulties thatthey encountered on the enemy's side of the border, where they passed afarm or two, rousing barking dogs, which kept on baying till thefugitives were out of hearing.
At last the pale streak right in front warned them that daylight wascoming on fast, and they searched the country as they cantered on tillaway more to the north a rugged eminence clearly seen against the skysuggested itself as the sort of spot they required, and they now hurriedtheir ponies on till they came to a rushing, bubbling stream running inthe right direction.
"Our guide, Noll," said Ingleborough quietly; "that will lead us rightup to the kopje, where we shall find a resting-place, a good spot forhiding, and plenty of water as well."
All proved as Ingleborough had so lightly stated; but before theyreached the shelter amongst the piled-up masses of granite andironstone, with shady trees growing in the cracks and crevices, theirglasses showed them quite half-a-dozen farms dotted about the plain.They were in great doubt as to whether they were unseen when they had todismount and lead their willing steeds into a snug little amphitheatresurrounded by rocks and trees, while the hollow itself was rich withpasturage such as the horses loved best, growing upon both sides of theclear stream whose sources were high up among the rocks.
"You see to hobbling the ponies, Noll," said Ingleborough, "while I getup as high as I can with my glass and give an eye to the farms. Ifwe've been seen someone will soon be after us. We can't rest till weknow. But eat your breakfast, and I'll nibble mine while I watch.Don't take off the saddles and bridles."
West did as he was requested, and ate sparingly while he watched thehorses browsing for quite an hour, before Ingleborough came down fromthe highest part of the kopje.
"It's all right," he said. "Let's have off the saddles and bridles now.Have you hobbled them well?"
"Look," said West.
"Capital. I didn't doubt you; but you might have made a mistake, and ifwe dropped asleep and woke up to find that the ponies were gone it wouldbe fatal to your despatch."
"Yes; but one of us must keep watch while the other sleeps."
"It's of no use to try, my lad. It isn't to be done. If we're going toget into Mafeking in a business-like condition we must have food andrest. Come, the horses will not straggle away from this beautiful moistgrass, so let's lie down in this shady cave with its soft sandy bottomand sleep hard till sunset. Then we must be up and away again."
"But anxiety won't let me sleep," said West. "I'll sit down and watchtill you wake, and then I'll have a short sleep while you take myplace."
"Very well," said Ingleborough, smiling.
"What are you laughing at?" said West, frowning.
"I was only thinking that you had a very hard day yesterday and that youhave had an arduous time riding through the night."
"Yes, of course."
"Well, nature is nature! Try and keep awake if you can! I'm going tolie flat on my back and sleep. You'll follow my example in less than anhour."
"I--will--not!" said West emphatically.
But he did, as he sat back resting his shoulders against the rock andgazing out from the mouth of the cave where they had made themselvescomfortable at the beautiful sunlit veldt, till it all grew dark as if aveil had been drawn over his eyes.
It was only the lids which had closed, and then, perfectly unconscious,he sank over sidewise till he lay prone on the soft sand, sleepingheavily, till a hand was laid upon his shoulder and he started intowakefulness, to see that the sun had set, that the shadows weregathering over the veldt, and then that Ingleborough was smiling in hisface.
"Rested, old man?" he said. "That's right. The nags have had aspl
endid feed, and they are ready for their night's work. I haven'tseen a soul stirring. Come on! Let's have a good drink of water and afeed, and by that time we ought to be ready to start."
"We ought to cross the Vaal before morning," said West.
"I doubt it," was the reply, "for it will be rather a job, as we shallfind the enemy about there. If we get across to-morrow night we shallhave done well."
"But we shall never get to Mafeking like this."
"It's going to be a harder task than you thought for when youvolunteered so lightly, my dear boy; but we've undertaken to do it, anddo it we will. It isn't a work of hours nor days. It may take usweeks. Come along! I'm hungry, and so are you."
"But tell me," said West, "how long have you been awake?"
"Not above a quarter of an hour. We must have sleep and rest as well asfood. When we've had the last we shall be ready for anything throughthe night."
And so it proved as they rode on properly refreshed, meeting with noadventure, but being startled by the barking roars of lions twice duringthe night, which came to an end as they reached a very similar kopjeoffering just such accommodation as they had met with on the previousmorning.
"Hah!" said Ingleborough. "Just enough prog left for a rough breakfast.To-morrow we shall have to begin travelling by day, so as to pay avisit to some farm, for we can't do as the nags do, eat grass when theycan get it and nibble green shoots when they can't. Now then, my dearNoll, the orders for to-day are: sleep beneath this projecting shelf."
"But I say," said West, a minute or so later, "is your rifle charged?You were wiping the barrels as we rode along."
There was no reply, for Ingleborough was fast asleep, and West soonfollowed his example.