CHAPTER TWENTY.
HOW TO ESCAPE.
"What's wrong?" said Ingleborough, in a whisper.
"Look out at the bottom of the wagon," was West's reply.
Ingleborough rose to his knees, and at a glance grasped the meaning ofhis companion's troubled look.
"Going to adopt our little Basutos for their own use, eh?" he saidcoolly. "Well, I wonder they haven't done it before! Bah! There areplenty more horses about! What worries me is how I'm to get a couple ofrifles and the ammunition. I was rather too cock-a-hoop about that whenI talked to you, for these beloved Dutch cuddle up their pieces as ifthey loved them with all their hearts."
West smiled.
"Oh, don't do that because I said cuddled."
"I smiled because I see the way to get a couple of rifles as soon asit's dark," said West, and he told what he had noted.
"Then there's no reason for you to look glum. I'll get a couple ofhorses somehow if you'll get the guns. Here, I'd whistle or sing if Iwere not afraid of taking the sentry's attention. We're all right, lad,and that bit of sleep has taken away the miserable pain in my head whichI keep on having since my fall. Now then, what are they going to dowith those ponies?"
Sitting well back, the prisoners watched all that went on, and saw theponies mounted and put through their paces by a couple of big Boers ofthe regular heavy, squat, Dutch build.
"Bah! What a shame!" whispered Ingleborough; "it's murdering the poorlittle nags. A regular case for the Society for the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals. Those fellows want a couple of dray-horses to carrythem."
"Yes, and they've found it out," said West softly.
For as they looked on they saw the two Boers pull up after a canter upand down the full length of the laager, and then drop clumsily off, withthe result that the ponies spread out their legs and indulged in a goodshake which nearly dislodged their saddles.
Then a couple more of the onlookers tried the little mounts, but stoppedafter one trot up and down, and a general conversation ensued, resultingin the ponies being led off and tied up again in the same place, makingWest's heart beat as fast as if he had been running hard, while all thetime he tried to crush down a feeling of elation, lest he should bepremature in his hopefulness and be met with a fresh disappointment,for, though he saw the reins fastened in the same places, there wasplenty of time before dark for the ponies to be removed.
Just then their examination of the Boers' proceedings was brought to anend by one of their captors bringing the roughly-prepared portion offood that was served out to them every day.
It was rough, but good of its kind, for the Boers seemed to like to livewell, and they did not stint their prisoners, who, at a word fromIngleborough, fell to at once.
"Appetite or no appetite, eat all you can," he said. "We may have towork very hard to-night, and shall need all our strength."
There was a fair amount left after they had done, and this was carefullytied up ready for taking with them if they were successful that night.After this there was nothing more to be done but to wait till darknessfell, and they sat back watching while the sentry was again changed,when the fresh man visited the wagon, to climb in, look carefully round,and eye them suspiciously before returning to his post.
"Does that fellow suspect anything?" whispered West.
"Of course; but nothing fresh. He comes on duty under the fullimpression that we mean to escape if we can, and he feels that if weattempt it his duty is to send a bullet through each of us."
"Then you don't think he suspects that we are going to make an attemptto-night?"
"Pooh! How could he? But look! There goes Anson! Not coming here, ishe?"
"No: going to his own wagon! I say, Ingle, do you think he has anyillicit-diamonds with him?"
"I'm sure of it! He could not, according to his nature, have come awaywithout robbing the company somehow. I only wish I had the searching ofhis wagon! I suppose Norton did not have a chance!"
"Yes, look! He has gone to his wagon. Where should you search if youhad the chance?"
"Not quite sure yet!" said Ingleborough gruffly. "But don't talk to me.I want to think of something better than diamonds."
"You mean liberty?"
"That's right. And now, once for all, we don't want to make any moreplans: each knows what he has to do, and as soon as it is dark he has todo it."
"No," said West gravely; "your part must wait until I have managed toget the rifles."
"Well, yes; I must not be in too great a hurry. But I say, wouldn't itbe better for us to go together to the horses, and hide by them or underthem till the Boers muster?"
"But suppose the sentry takes it into his head to come and examine thewagon, and gives the alarm?"
"Oh, don't suppose anything!" said Ingleborough impatiently. "We mustchance a good deal and leave the rest to luck."
West nodded, and fixed his eyes upon the wagon he had previously singledout, noticing that the Boers who occupied it were lying right beneath,sleeping, each with a rolled-up blanket for a rug.
A little later he saw a big heavy-looking Kaffir come up, lookunderneath at the sleepers, and then go off for a short distance, to liedown upon his chest, doubling his arms before him so as to make aresting-place for his forehead, and lying so perfectly motionless thatit became evident that he also was asleep.
The evening was closing in fast now, and the men began to move aboutmore as if making preparations for some excursion which they had inview.
"That looks well!" said Ingleborough. "There's going to be somemovement to-night. All was so still half-an-hour ago that I began tothink we should have to put off our attempt."
"Oh, don't say that!" said West. "We _must_ go!"
Further conversation was checked by the coming of the sentry to look inupon them, scowling heavily before he slouched away.
Ten minutes or so later the darkness began to fall, increasing so fastthat within half-an-hour the laager would have been quite black if ithad not been for a lantern inside a wagon here and there; but, in spiteof the darkness, the camp began to grow more animated, a buzz ofconversation seeming to rise from the wagons like the busy hum of theinsects outside.
All at once, as Ingleborough was going to draw his companion's attentionto this fact, he felt a hand steal along his arm to grip his hand. Thenit was withdrawn, a very faint rustling followed, and the listener feltthat he was alone.
"Good luck go with him!" he muttered. "I wonder whether he'll succeed?"
Leaning a little forward, he seemed to strain his ears to listen, thoughhe felt that this was absurd, till all at once it struck him that heheard the soft sound of stealthy steps approaching from the other end ofthe wagon, and, creeping towards the sounds, he felt more than heard twomen approaching, and as he got his head over the wagon-box he heard awhisper.
"Anson and the sentry!" he said to himself. "The spy, come to find outwhether we're safe. Yes, that was Anson's whisper! Then we're done ifhe brings a lantern and finds me alone."
He paused for a moment or two, asking himself what he should do; andthen the idea came.
Subsiding into a reclining position, he suddenly gave his thigh a sharpslap and started as if the blow had roused him up.
"Don't go to sleep, stupid!" he said aloud. "One can't sleep all theseawful long nights! Oh dear me, this is precious dull work. I wish wehad a lantern and a box of dominoes! I wonder whether there is a box inthe laager?"
"Bother!" he said, in a low smothered tone, with his hands covering hisface. "I wish you wouldn't! I was dreaming about old Anson and thathe'd got ten thousand pounds' worth of diamonds in a bag aboard hiswagon."
"Like enough!" continued Ingleborough, in his natural voice. "Ha, ha,ha!" he laughed. "I should like to serve the beggar out!"
"How?" he said, in the smothered sleepy voice.
"How? I'll tell you how it might be done if he had got them. Find outwhere his wagon is in the laager, and then wait till the sentry
'sasleep, and crawl out of this thing, and nobble the lot."
"Rubbish!"
"Not it! We could get them easily enough and bring them back here.Nobody would suspect us! But there would be no getting them away! Isay, are you asleep again?"
"No," said West quietly. "What's the matter with you? Are you talkingin your sleep? I was afraid to come in, thinking someone was with--"
He got no farther, for Ingleborough clapped a hand over his mouth andcontinued.
"Heigho! What bosh one does talk! I wish there wasn't a blesseddiamond in the world!"
He removed his hand, and feeling that there was some reason for allthis, West said quietly: "Why?"
"Why? See what a lot of trouble they cause! This fighting is as muchabout the diamond-fields as anything, and--Hullo! how you startled me?"
It was quite true: he was horribly startled, feeling that their plan wasspoiled, for there was a faint sound at the end of the wagon and thedoor of a lantern was suddenly opened, throwing the light within, andgiving the prisoners a glance of the sentry's and Anson's faces lookingin.
"All right?" said the sentry, in his own tongue.
"Oh yes, all right!" replied Ingleborough; "but look here: you might aswell leave us that lantern! We won't set fire to the bed-curtains, Ipromise you!"
"No," said the Boer, and with a chuckle he closed the door of thelantern and walked whistling away to his companion.
"Anson!" said West, with his lips close to Ingleborough's ear.
"Yes: the fox! How you startled me! I didn't hear you come! I waskeeping up a sham conversation, for they were stealing down upon us tocatch us on the hop! You failed, then, or were you obliged to turnback?"
"Neither: I succeeded!"
"What? You got the rifles?"
"Yes."
"Then they must have seen them when the light was thrown in!"
"No," said West quietly; "they are outside, leaning against the nearhind wheel."
"West, lad, this seems too good to be true. How did you manage?"
"Easily enough. I had marked down one wagon--the one I pointed out toyou while it was light--and as soon as I dropped down from here I wenton my hands and knees to crawl towards it. You know what a shortdistance it was, and by going very slowly I passed two others where theBoers were sitting outside talking. This was easy enough, for they wereso much interested in their conversation that they took no notice of anynoise I made."
"And they couldn't see you?"
"I couldn't see them," replied West; "so, of course, they did not seeme."
"Go on."
"I did," said West, "and then I thought it was all over, for the nextwagon faced in another direction, and I saw what I had not seen before--a lantern was hanging in front over the driver's box, and it sent a dullpath of light forward on the ground, and I stopped, for I had to crossthat path, and I felt that I must be seen."
"Tut-tut-tut!" clicked Ingleborough.
"But after a few moments I recollected how much my drab brown jacket waslike the soil, and I determined to risk it."
"And crawled on?"
"Yes, but not on my hands and knees. I lay flat on my chest and workedmyself along upon my hands and toes. It was only about a dozen yardswhere it was light, but it seemed like a mile."
"Never mind that!" said Ingleborough impatiently. "You did it unheard?"
"Yes; but a man sitting in the wagon suddenly moved when I was halfacross, and I was about to spring up, thinking that he was searching forhis rifle."
"Phew!" whistled Ingleborough softly.
"It was well I did not; for directly after, to save getting up andopening his lantern, the Boer struck a match, and as I lay perfectlystill, fully expecting to be shot, the whole place seemed to be lit up,and instead of hearing a rifle cocked I smelt a whiff of strong coarsetobacco, and I felt that I was safe."
"Go on and get it over!" whispered Ingleborough. "You are making myhands feel wet."
"I lay some time before I dared to move."
"That you didn't, for you weren't gone long."
"Well, it seemed an hour to me: and then I crept on and out of the lightinto the black darkness again, rose to my hands and knees, wonderingwhether I was going right, and the next minute my hand rubbed softlyagainst a wagon-wheel, and I knew I was right."
"Bravo!" whispered Ingleborough.
"I rose up directly, and began to feel about carefully for the tilt, andonce more my heart seemed to rise to my mouth, for from under the wagonthere came a dull deep snoring, and I felt it was impossible to do morefor fear of being heard."
"But you made a dash for it?"
"No: I waited to get my breath, for I was just as if I had been running.But as soon as I could I went on feeling along the edge of the tilt,and then my heart gave a jump, for my hand touched the barrel of a rifleand directly after that of another."
"Hurrah!" panted out Ingleborough, and West went on.
"I began to draw the first towards me, but, as soon as I did, to myhorror the other began to move, and I felt that if I kept on the secondone would fall and wake the sleeping Boers. So I reached up with myother hand, got well hold, and drew both together. But it was terriblework, for they would not come readily, because the bandoliers werehanging to them, and as I pulled I fully expected that something wouldcatch and discharge one of the pieces, to alarm the whole laager forcertain, even if it did not kill me. But by lifting and easing andturning the rifles over I at last got the two pieces nearly out, whenthey suddenly seemed to be held fast, and I stood there graduallygetting drenched with perspiration."
"Why, the edge of the tilt must have caught them!" said Ingleboroughexcitedly.
"Yes, that's what I found to be the case, and by turning them over againthey came free, and I was standing by the wheel with what we wanted."
"Hah!" sighed Ingleborough.
"But even then I had a chill, for the snoring ceased and the sleeperbegan to mutter, taking all the strength out of me, till I felt thateven if he or they beneath the wagon should rouse up I could escapethrough the darkness if I was quick."
"So you slung the rifles and bandoliers over your shoulders, went downon your hands and knees, and crept back?"
"No, I did not. I felt that there was not time, and that I had bettertrust to the darkness to escape, so I just shouldered the pieces andstepped out boldly walking across the broad path of light."
"Good; but you should have struck off to your right, so as to get whereit would be more feeble."
"I thought of that," said West quickly; "but I dared not, for fear ofmissing our wagon. So I walked boldly on, and almost ran against aBoer."
"Tut-tut-tut! Did he stop you?"
"No: he just said: `Mind where you are coming!' and passed on."
"Well?" said Ingleborough.
"That's all. I marched along to the wagon here and stood the rifles upbefore venturing to get in, for I fancied that you were talking in yoursleep and would bring the sentry upon us. There, I've got the arms, andI don't want such another job as that."
"Pooh! Nonsense, lad! The game has only just begun! You ought to feelencouraged, for you have learned and taught me how easy the rest of ourjob will be! Just a little cool pluck, and we shall succeed!"
"Very well!" said West. "I'm ready! What next?"
"We must lie down and wait till we hear the commando on the stir, andthen--"
"Yes," said West softly; "and then?"
"Let's wait and see!"