CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
IN THE SNOW.
In the tramp which followed, with the hill-men creeping on after them inthe same slow, untiring way, Gedge had his eyes about him, and drewforth a sharp order from his officer when he began to deviate a littlefrom the straight course towards a dwarf clump of pines, the highest ofwhich was not above six feet.
"What are you going there for?"
"Want 'em, sir, for rifles," was the reply. Bracy nodded; and uponreaching the clump, a few sharp strokes from the lad's bayonet cut downand trimmed what formed a couple of longish walking-sticks, one of whichhe handed over to his officer, who used his in the latter capacity,Gedge soon following suit.
"That's what I want them to think, sir," said Gedge, digging his down atevery second pace. "Now, sir, what do you say? Don't you think wemight edge in more towards the snow?"
"Soon," said Bracy, pointing. "There's just the spot we want;" and,raising his glass, he stopped to examine a group of blocks of stone somefifty yards from the edge of the snowfield, which here sent down a fewsharp points, giving it the appearance at a distance of a huge, vandykedpiece of white lace.
"Couldn't find a better place if we tried, sir," said Gedge; "but weain't left ourselves time enough. If we had thought of it sooner, Icould have cut out and made the busbies."
"We shall have plenty of time for that to-morrow," said Bracy. "We mustmanage by tying on handkerchiefs for to-night, and pulling up the greatcollars as if they were hoods."
A short time after, each with his handkerchief over his head, the paircrouched behind two stones, upon which their helmets had been placed;and beside them the two sticks were planted, so that at a short distanceany one would have been deceived and made to believe that a couple ofmen were on the watch for danger.
Two men were on the watch for danger, but in a different way, both lyingprone, Bracy, with his glass to his eyes, carefully sweeping thedistance, and keeping it fixed upon the enemy, who looked strangelyquiet, as they grouped together and seemed to be feasting.
"Looks as if they meant to settle there, then, for the night, sir," saidGedge, as Bracy reported to him everything he noted.
"Yes; it looks so."
"But we don't trust 'em, bless yer, sir. That's their artfulness;foxing--that's what they're doing. Won't be able to see 'em muchlonger--will you, sir?"
"No; it's getting dark very fast; but I can make them out, I dare say,till they begin to move."
"Hope you will, sir," said Gedge softly, and lying with his knees bent,kicking his feet about in the air, after the fashion of a boy in a fieldon a sunny day, and looking quite unconscious of the fact that thisnight might be one of the most terrible they had ever been called uponto pass.
Some minutes elapsed now in perfect silence, during which a fiery lookon the topmost peak of one of the mountains died out slowly into cherryred, and finally became invisible, a few stars twinkling out as the redlight died.
"Gedge," said Bracy in a quick whisper, such as he might have utteredhad the enemy been close upon them, and about to spring, instead of manyhundred yards away.
"Sir?"
"They are on the move."
"Can't see 'em, sir."
"No; and they cannot see us, but I can dimly make them out with theglass. They are separating from their centre, and coming on. Ha! gone.I can see no more."
He put away the glass in the darkness, which now seemed to roll downupon them like a cloud from the mountains, giving the snowfield aghastly look which made Bracy hesitate.
"I'm afraid it would be better to go off to the left among the stones."
"Don't, sir, pray," said Gedge earnestly.
"But our dark bodies will show against the snow."
"Not they, sir. We'll roll in it, and it'll be darker in half-an-hour.They'll be all that before they get here--won't they?"
"Quite. They are sure to come on very slowly, and allow time for partof them to get right into our rear."
"Yes, sir; that's right."
"Now, then, are you ready?"
"Yes, sir."
There was again silence, and, but for the ghostly glare of the snow, allwas very dark.
"We seem to be going into the most dangerous place," whispered Bracy,with his breath coming thickly.
"And that's the very place they'll never think we should hide in, sir,if they were likely to think we were going to hide. No, sir: their keeneyes 'll just make out them two 'elmets, and they'll think o' nothingelse but driving their long knives into them as wears 'em, from behind.I do hope we shall hear 'em blunting the points against, the stones."
"Have you everything?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, forward! Go fifty paces slowly over the snow. I shall followclose behind you in your steps."
The snow yielded, so that they were knee-deep, but it was still looseand so sand-like in its grains that as each foot was withdrawn the icyparticles flowed together again into each freshly-made hole.
Five minutes later the adventurous pair lay softly down, and rolled overand over a few times, before lying prone upon their chests, each withhis head towards the invisible helmets, and near enough to whisper ortouch one another with the hand. Their rifles lay by their sides, withthe cartouche-boxes handy: and, in case of a close attack, theirrevolvers were in the right sides of their belts, half dragged round tothe back, while each held his dagger-like bayonet in his band.
"Do you feel the cold, Gedge?" whispered Bracy.
"Cold, sir? Why, I'm as hot as hot. This work's too warm for a fellowto feel the cold. Do you, sir?"
"No; my face burns as if with fever, and every nerve tingles withexcitement. There, we must not even whisper again."
"Right, sir."
"The first moment you hear a sound of any one approaching, touch my leftarm."
"Right, sir; but hadn't I better lie t'other side of you? They'll comethat way."
"They'll come from all round at once, my lad. There, don't be afraid.If we are going to have trouble, I dare say you will get your fullshare. Now, silence; and when they come you must hardly breathe."
Then silence ensued, and seemed to Bracy the most oppressive that he hadever encountered in facing danger. For the solemnity of the night inthe great mountains was brooding over them, out of which at any momentdeath, in the shape of a keen knife, might descend. There was not abreath of air, but an icy chill dropped down from above, making the snowcrystals turn sharp and crisp, crackling softly at the slightestmovement. But the frosty air had no effect upon them, save to maketheir blood tingle in their veins and a peculiar, pricking sensationplay about their nostrils as they drew their breath, tiny needles of icetwining as they respired, and making a hoar-frost upon Bracy'smoustache.
The time went on as if the movement of the earth had been checked by thefrost; but, listen as they would, the silence was profound, and a fullhour seemed to have passed, though it was not a fourth part of thattime.
"They will not come," thought Bracy, as his eyes were turned in everydirection he could force them to sweep, and the change appeared verystriking from the black atmosphere in front, and right and left to thefaint light suggestive of electricity or phosphorescence which made thesnow dimly visible.
But the enemy made no sign: and, with that horrible stillness as ofdeath reigning and seeming to crush them into the snow, they lay waitingand longing for some sound--for the coming of the enemy; for the wildexcitement of an encounter would, Bracy felt, be far preferable to thatmaddening suspense.
As he lay there and thought, his ever-active brain was full ofsuggestions regarding what would take place. The enemy would not dareto come, and a night's sleep would have been lost--they would come, seethem with their penetrating eyes, pounce upon them, there would be a fewsavage unexpected strokes, and all would be over; while poor ColonelGraves would watch and wait, looking ever for the succour that did notcome.
"But he will not lose faith in his messengers," Bracy thought, with athril
l of satisfaction running through him. "He will know that I stroveto do my best."
Then his thoughts took another direction. Why should not--after thecareful preparations made--the _ruse_ be successful, the enemy bedeceived, and go in pursuit according to their ideas, leaving the twoadventurers free to make their fresh departure? But that, the mostnatural outcome of the plan, Bracy, in his excitement, set aside asbeing the least likely to occur, and he lay in agony, straining everynerve to condense his faculties into the one great sense of hearing,till it seemed to him that his companion's breathing soundedpreternaturally loud.
"Why, he's asleep! The miserable, careless scoundrel!" thought Bracy."Those men have no thought beyond the present. How can one trust them?How easily we might be surprised if he were the watch!"
A flush of shame made the thinker's cheeks burn the next moment, he had,in his annoyance, stretched out his left hand to reach dodge's shoulderand give him a violent shake. But half-way he checked the progress ofhis hand; for, sotting aside the danger of waking a sleeper and makinghim start and utter some ejaculation, which might betray them to alurking enemy, he recalled the fact that a touch was to be the signal toannounce the coming of the enemy.
The next moment, as his hand lay upon the snow where he had let it fall,another hand was laid upon it, and his fingers were gripped by a set offingers which held it fast and gave it a firm, steady pressure, to whichhe warmly responded, his heart beating fast, and a genial glow ofsatisfaction running through him in his penitence for misjudging hisfaithful companion.
Then the hand that grasped his was snatched away, and he lay listeningand gazing in every direction that he could command for the danger justsignalled to him by Gedge. Nothing to right or left, and he dared notstir to look back over the snow. Nothing in front, not a sign of anyone near; and in his excitement he began to wonder whether his companionhad made a mistake in his over-eagerness, for the silence was moreoppressive than ever.
"What was that?"
A spasm shot through the listener, making every nerve and muscle tenseas steel; his breath came thick and fast, and the dull, heavy throb,throb of his heart sounded loudly in his brain--so loudly that he heldhis breath and would have checked the pulsations if he could.
There was no doubt now: the enemy was close at hand, and Bracy's fingersclosed over the hilt of his bayonet with a tremendous grip, for he feltthat his revolver would be useless in that terrible darkness, and heshrank from wasting a shot.
He could see nothing, but there was the danger just in front in the snowof those thirty yards which lay between them and the rocks. That dangerwas represented to the listeners in imagination by the figure--twofigures--of the white-coated enemy, crawling slowly as huge worms might,have progressed over the snow. At times they were perfectly still, butever and again there was the extremely gentle, crackling sound of theicy grains rubbing together with a soft, rustling sound, no more than asnake would have made passing along a dusty track.
Bracy strained his eyes, but he could see nothing. He could not tellwhether the two enemies were a yard or ten or twenty away from where helay; but his straining ears told him that they were there, passing himfrom right to left, and he felt convinced that others must be movingslowly from all directions towards that one point, where the helmetswere placed upon the pieces of stone.
So far, then, all was right; but he felt that at any moment he mighthear others coming along behind, and those might strike the very spotwhere they two were lying.
Thought after thought of this kind flashed through Bracy's brain, as hetightened his hold of the bayonet, and held it point upward ready foruse against his first assailant, while the strange crepitation of thefrozen snow went on for what seemed like a long period, so greatly waseverything magnified by the excitement through which it was mentallyviewed.
By degrees, though, the creeping sound, which had seemed to stop morethan once, ceased entirely, and the listeners waited quite half-an-hour,fancying twice over that they heard the faint click of stone againststone; but they could not be sure, and they dared not communicateotherwise than by a pressure of the hand, for there was still thepossibility of the enemy being close in front. Though as the minutescrawled slowly by, and no fresh sound was heard, the feeling grewstronger and stronger that they had attributed the creeping noise to theenemy, when it was probably some inoffensive wild creature seeking forfood, while the enemy had passed the spot in the dark, and were by nowfar away.
Bracy had just come to this conclusion, and had begun to think of thewisdom of crawling off the snow, which was beginning to melt beneath himfrom the warmth of his body, when his heart gave a leap as if some nervehad received a sudden twitch. For there came low and clear from a shortdistance away a peculiar sound such as might be produced by a night-birdon the wing. Then all was still once more.
"Was that a signal?" thought Bracy; "or have we been deceived?"
He thought earnestly, and felt that, after all, the enemy would underthe circumstances act just as they were acting. There seemed to be anexcess of caution, but none too much, approaching as they would be tosurprise whoever was on the watch, and going with their lives literallyin their hands.
"Phit!"
The same low, peculiar sound again, making Bracy start into a wild fitof excitement. Then there was a quick running as of many feet towardsthe central spot, followed by clink, clink, clink--the striking of steelon stone, and then a momentary silence, followed by a peculiar rumblingand a burst of voices.
"Gug!"
Bracy turned sharply, bayonet in hand, ready to strike, for the horriblethought struck him that Gedge had just received a tierce thrust whichpinned him to the frozen snow; but as he leaned in his direction a handtouched his wrist and gave it a grip, holding it tightly, and making himdraw a deep breath full of relief.
Meanwhile the voices increased, their owners talking fiercely, andthough the tongue was almost unintelligible, a word was caught here andthere, and they grasped the fact that every man seemed to want to talkat once, and to be making suggestions.
But the speakers did not keep to one place. As far as Bracy could makeout, they had broken up into parties, which hurried here and there, onecoming so near to where the listeners lay that they felt that their timefor action had come at last, and, palpitating with excitement, theyprepared to meet the first attack.
And now Bracy heard a sound as of some one breathing hard, and turnedhis head sharply to whisper a word of warning to his companion; but itwas not uttered, for the sound came from beyond him, and with itsrepetition came the sound of laborious steps being taken through thesnow, he who made them panting hard with the exertion as he came on towithin a couple of yards of Gedge, and then suddenly turned off and madefor the rocks.
He made so much noise now that he knew there was no need forconcealment, that Gedge took advantage of the man getting more distantto reach over to his officer and whisper, with his lips close to Bracy'sear:
"That chap 'll never know how near he was to leaving off snoring likethat, sir, for good."
"Hush!" whispered Bracy, and a fresh burst of talking arose as if togreet the man who had returned to the rocks from making a circuit roundthe trap.
And now it seemed as if the whole party were spreading out and comingtowards where the couple lay, for the voices sounded louder and camenearer, making Bracy gently raise himself ready to hurry his followeraway: but the sounds came no closer, the speakers pausing at the edge ofthe snow, where it sounded as if their plans were; being discussed.
Then all at once the talking ceased, and the beat of many feet, with therattling of loose stones, fell on the listener's ears, telling that theenemy was in motion; and the sounds they made grew fainter and fainter,and then died out entirely.
"They seem to be gone," whispered Bracy, with his lips close to Gedge'sear.
"Oh yes, they're gone, sir, at last," was the reply.
"We must not be too sure. A few may be left behind to keep watch."
"No
t them, sir. I can't see as it's likely."
Bracy was silent for a few moments, during which he listened intentlyfor the faintest sound; but all was still.
"Get up," he said briefly, and then started at his own voice, it soundedso husky and strange.
Gedge uttered a sigh of relief as he shook the adhering snow from hiswoolly coat.
"Stiff, Gedge?" said Bracy.
"Horrid, sir. A good fight wouldn't come amiss. Hear me laugh, sir?"
"When you made that sound?"
"Yes, sir: that bit would come out, though I'd shut my mouth with myhand."
"What made you laugh at such a time?"
"To hear them cuttin' and stabbin' at the rocks, sir, and blunting theirknives."
"Oh, I see!"
"Wonder whether they chopped our 'elmets, sir. Would you mind orderingme to see if there's any bits left?"
"The task is of no good," said Bracy. "But we'll walk back to the placeand try if we can find them. Take out your revolver. No. Fixbayonets--we could use them better now."
There was a faint clicking, and then, with their rifles levelled, thepair marched laboriously off the snow, and then cautiously felt theirway among the stones, Bracy's main object being to find out for certainthat there were no sentries left. The noise they could not help makingamong the stones proved this directly, and they unwittingly, in spite ofthe darkness, went straight to the spot where they had set up the sticksand helmets, when Gedge uttered a low cry full of excitement.
"Why, they never come across 'em, sir. I've got 'em, standing here justas we left 'em. Well, I'm blessed! I know the difference by the feel.That's yours, sir, and this is mine. Talk about luck! Ha! I feelbetter now. Woolly busbies is all very well, but they don't looksoldierly. I could have made some right enough, but we should ha'wanted to take 'em off before we got back to the fort."
"A splendid bit of luck, Gedge," said Bracy as he drew the strap of hishelmet beneath his chin. "Now for our next step. What do you think?"
"Wittles, sir. Can't think o' nothing else just now. I should say,with what we've got to do, the next thing's to begin stoking before ourfires go out."