CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
A LOUD REPORT.
Days of rest and nights of travel succeeded, during which thedespatch-riders began to wonder at the ease with which they progressed.
"I thought it would be twice as hard a task!" said West. "Here have webeen two days without a sign of a Boer! We must be very near Mafekingnow."
"Yes, very," said Ingleborough drily; "nearer than I thought. Halt!"
He drew rein as he spoke, West's pony stopping short at the same time asits companion.
They had been riding steadily on through the night, and now as theponies stood side by side they stretched out their necks in the softcool darkness, and the sound of their cropping told that they wereamongst grass.
"Why did you pull up?" said West, in a cautious whisper.
"For you to hear how near we are to Mafeking now."
"Near?"
"Yes; can't you hear the firing?"
"No," said West, after a few moments' pause. "Yes, now I do," he criedeagerly, for all at once there was a dull concussion as if a blow hadbeen delivered in the air.
"A heavy gun," cried West excitedly.
"Hist!"
"I forgot," said West softly. "That must be one of the siege guns," hecontinued.
"Yes," said Ingleborough, "and it must be near daybreak, with thebombarding beginning. Be careful; perhaps we are nearer the enemy thanwe thought."
At the end of a couple of minutes there was the dull concussion ofanother heavy gun, and this was continued at intervals of ten or fifteenminutes during the next hour, while the adventurers advanced cautiouslyat a walk, keeping a sharp look-out through the transparent darkness fora patch of rocks or woodland which might serve for their next halt. Butday had quite dawned before a suitable place of refuge presented itself,in the shape of one of the low kopjes.
"Dismount!" whispered Ingleborough sharply, and they spent the next tenminutes carefully scanning the district round in full expectation ofseeing some sign of the enemy.
But nothing worse was in view than two or three of the scattered farmsof the open veldt, and in the distance a dark indistinct patch whichappeared to be a herd of grazing cattle, but so distant that neithercould be sure.
On their way to the patch of rock and brush that was to be their lastresting-place before making a dash for the beleaguered town, they struckupon the trail going north and south, and in two places scared offvultures from the carcass of an unfortunate ox, shrunken and dried inthe sun till little but the bones and hide were left.
They were too distant to make out the smoke, but steadily increasingfire told plainly enough that they were quite near enough for a dashinto the town when darkness set in that night.
"You think then that this will be the best way?" said West, as theyreached their shelter without seeing a sign of danger.
"I am not sure yet!" replied Ingleborough. "In fact, I'm very doubtfulwhether we should not fail, for the place is certain to be surrounded bythe enemy, and we should very likely be ridden or shot down."
Oliver West laid his hand upon the despatch, pressing it so that thepaper crackled beneath the cloth.
"Then we had better ride in as near as we dare, and then try and creepin at the darkest time."
"Let's pray for the clouds to be thick then!" said Ingleborough; "forthe moon's getting past the first quarter. Last night would have doneexactly."
"But we were not here. Hark at the firing!"
"Yes; it sounds as if Mafeking will be taken before we get there!"
"For goodness' sake don't talk like that!"
"Don't let's talk at all then. Let's get well into shelter. But I seeno sign of water yet."
Neither did the speaker after they had carefully explored the rockyhillock, but fortunately there was an ample supply of succulent grassfor the ponies, which were soon after luxuriating in a good roll, beforegrazing contentedly away, while their riders, after another examinationof the place and glance round from the highest point, had to satisfythemselves with a very scanty shelter and a much scantier meal.
"Never mind," said Ingleborough; "we shall be breakfasting in luxuryto-morrow morning, I hope, with our appetites sharpened by the knowledgethat we have achieved our task."
"I hope so!" said West gravely.
"But don't doubt, my lad," cried Ingleborough cheerily. "Don't bedownhearted now we are so near!"
"I can't help it!" replied West. "I feel on thorns, and my state ofanxiety will grow worse and worse till we get there. Hark at thefiring!"
"I can hear," said Ingleborough coolly. "Be very deaf if I couldn't!There, that's the last scrap of cake, so let's drown our troubles insleep. You have first turn!"
"No," replied West. "I feel too anxious to sleep! You begin."
"Can't," was the reply. "If anything, I feel more anxious than you do.I couldn't rest!"
"I wish we could canter gently on till we were seen by the Boers, andthen go on full gallop right into the town!" said West. "Would it betoo dangerous?"
"Just madness!" replied Ingleborough. "No; it must be done with guile.They would cut us off for certain."
"I'm afraid so!" said West. "Very well, then, we must wait for theevening."
"And sit wakeful," said Ingleborough.
"Yes," said West. "Sleep is impossible!"
And sit there wakeful they did, hour after hour, their only satisfactionbeing that of seeing their weary horses enjoying a good feed untroubledby the increasing heat, or the cares which harassed their masters.
For as the sun rose higher the distant firing increased, till it wasevident that a terrible attack was going on, and in his weariness anddespair no words on the part of Ingleborough had any effect upon West,who felt convinced that before they could continue their journeyMafeking would have fallen into the enemy's hands.
There was no further talk of sleep. The heat, flies, hunger, and aburning thirst were either of them sufficient to have kept them awake,without the terrible feeling of anxiety and the alarms caused by bodiesof horsemen or lines of wagons journeying in the direction they werewaiting to take.
Again and again parties of the Boers seemed to be coming straight forthe hiding-place, and West and his companion crept on hands and kneestowards their ponies, getting hold of their reins, and then crouching bythem ready to mount and gallop for their lives should the necessityarise.
But it did not, and in a strangely-feverish dreamlike way the day glidedon and evening at last came, bringing with it wafts of cooler air and,what was of more consequence to them still, a feeling of hope, forthough the firing still went on, it had dwindled down into the slowsteady reports of one heavy piece discharged at about the same rate aswhen they had first heard the firing in the morning.
"And it tells its own tale with truthful lips!" said Ingleborough. "Thetown is still holding out, and the defenders have ceased to reply."
"Because they are nearly beaten!" said West sadly.
"By no means, you croaking old raven!" cried Ingleborough cheerily."It's because they want to save their ammunition! They only want tofire when they have something worth firing at. As for the enemy, theyhave the whole town to shoot at, and keep on pitching their shells in atrandom. There, don't be grumpy!"
"I can't help it!" cried West passionately. "Give me credit for havingkept up well till now. It's because we are so near success that I feeleverything so keenly."
"I know, old fellow, and you may trust me!" said Ingleborough. "Ididn't play a false prophet's part just to encourage you. I'm speakingthe simple truth! Just a little more patience, and you shall deliveryour despatch."
"If I could only feel that!" cried West. "It may be the saving ofMafeking to receive news perhaps of help being on the way."
"Be patient then! It will soon be night, and then we'll mount and makeour final dash!"
"No," said West bitterly; "we shall have to make it now. Look."