Part 40 (1/2)

”Yes, but it has to be done! Why not up that crack?”

West pointed to a rift half-full of wiry-looking shrubs mingled with ferns, which ran up the rocky wall of the gully diagonally.

”Think you can do it?”

”Yes, it's easier than it looks. Let's try!”

”Right!” said Ingleborough. ”Up you go!”

West waded across to the side, slinging his rifle as he went, then pulling his hat on tightly, he reached up as high as he could, and drew himself up a foot or two. Then, carefully taking advantage of the angles and edges of projecting rocks for his feet and getting hand-hold of the tough shrubs, he was soon up twenty feet above the rus.h.i.+ng stream.

”Come along!” he said. ”It's not bad climbing!”

”Matter of opinion,” replied Ingleborough, ”but here goes!” and he began to mount, while West went on.

”Oh yes,” he said, ”it's all right! Why, it puts one in mind of the Lady--I say, lad, ugh!--that was slippy!”

”Hold on then!” cried West excitedly, for one of Ingleborough's feet glided over the edge of a stone, which yielded, and he was left hanging by his hands, to strive to get a footing.

”Get out!” said Ingleborough, panting. ”That's better. Just as if I shouldn't hold on! Think I wanted a cold bath?”

”You gave me quite a turn!” said West. ”Will you leave it to me? I can manage it!”

”Go on, you vain young c.o.xcomb! So can I manage it! If you don't look out, I'll be up first! Well, what are you stopping for?”

”Look down there!” said West.

Ingleborough held on tightly while he twisted his head to see that the two ponies had hurried out of the cave to wade to the place where they had started from, and were looking up wonderingly.

”Ha, ha!” laughed Ingleborough. ”They're afraid of being left behind!

Here, you two, be off back into your stable,” he continued, getting hold of a loose piece of rock with the intention of dropping it into the water to scare the lookers-on.

”No, no, don't do that!” said West softly. ”You may scare them into cantering down into the midst of the Boers!”

”Right,” said Ingleborough, replacing the stone. ”I don't suppose they'll mind.”

At that moment one of the ponies whinnied, and the other took up the cry of discontent.

”Quiet, will you? Look here!” said Ingleborough, speaking as if in the full belief that the two animals understood every word. ”If you make that row, you'll have the Boers down upon us, and that will mean new masters, with worse treatment than you get from us! That's settled them,” continued Ingleborough, speaking again to his companion, and as it happened the two animals did not repeat their challenging cry, but began to nibble at the greenery overhanging the water.

Meanwhile the climbing grew more difficult as the adventurers got higher and more excited, for all at once the rapid crack-crack-crack of rifles began telling of attack and defence, and making the climbers strain every effort to get to the top, which was at last accomplished by West, who drew himself over the edge of the rocks and lay panting for a few moments before looking down.

”Can't you manage it?” he said; for Ingleborough had come to a stand some twenty feet below.

”No!” was the reply. ”My right foot has slipped into a crack here, and is wedged tight. Don't wait for me! Go on, only let's have all the news as soon as you can!”

West's first idea was to lower himself down; but, feeling that one was enough to find out all they wanted, he obeyed his comrade's orders and went on climbing upon all-fours what was now an easy slope with plenty of cover in the shape of bushes and huge blocks of stone.

A few minutes brought him to the top of the kopje, whence he had a clear view of all that was going on, while the firing was now general.