Part 39 (2/2)

”What!” cried the other. ”I shall go if I please!”

”No!” said the first speaker sternly. ”I order you not!”

”You--you order me?” cried the other wrathfully.

”Yes; recollect that you are a soldier for the time being, and under my command. I order you not to go, for we have too much need of all our brave burghers to defend the country to let any man risk his life in a foolhardy adventure.”

”Pis.h.!.+”

”Silence!” said the other sternly. ”I am going back. Had I known of this, I would not have let you come!”

”Look here,” said the other insolently, ”we are not on duty now, and once for all I tell you that while I serve I am not going to put up with bullying from any man who is a step above me in the ranks.”

The first speaker looked at him sternly, and Ingleborough placed his lips close to West's ear.

”Look here,” said Ingleborough, ”if we shoot, both take aim at that obstinate brute, and give the other a chance to run for his life!”

A nod was the only answer, as both listened to what was said further.

”You fellows, because you get made field-cornets by a bit of luck, don't know how to contain yourselves, and--”

”Back to your horse!” said the first speaker, the veins in whose forehead stood out in a network beneath his flap-brimmed hat, while his voice sounded full of suppressed fury.

”Back yourself!” cried the other. ”I'll obey your orders in the field, but we of the Free State are getting tired of the overbearing ways of you men of the Transvaal. Put down your rifle, sir! By all that's holy, if you hold it towards me in that threatening way, I'll send a Mauser bullet through you. If I die for it, I will.”

At that moment, just as there seemed to be every possibility of a deadly encounter between the two men, there was a loud hail from beyond the rock, and, as it was not replied to, another cry was heard, in company with loud echoing splashes in the water, and half-a-dozen Boers waded into sight, evidently in a high state of excitement.

”Hullo there!” shouted the foremost, ”didn't you hear us call? We began to think you had fallen into an ambus.h.!.+ Quick, back with you: there's a patrol of the rooineks out yonder coming this way, the mounted men with the spiked poles.”

”Many or few?” said the man addressed as the field-cornet, and, apparently forgetting his anger in the excitement, he began to hurry away from the cavern mouth, talking loudly the while. ”I'll see! If they'll come on, we'll stay here; if not, we might try and surround them and capture the whole gang!”

The next minute the walls of the gully were echoing the hurried splas.h.i.+ng made by the party, as the last of them turned the corner and disappeared across the veldt.

”Phew! What a pity!” said Ingleborough, taking off his hat to wipe his forehead.

”A pity!” cried West. ”What: the news that some of our people are near?”

”No, no; I meant that the row came to an end. I was in hopes that we were going to have a new version of the Kilkenny cats, and two enemies of Old England were going to tear each other to pieces and leave only a tail behind.”

”Oh, be serious, Ingle!” said West excitedly. ”We might venture out now.”

”Don't be ras.h.!.+ We've got to find out what they mean to do.”

”Come along then, and let's leave the horses where they are. We must try and climb up somewhere to see what is going on.”

”Very well, but take care! These are awfully breakneck walls to mount.”

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