Part 46 (2/2)

”I thought it would be twice as hard a task!” said West. ”Here have we been two days without a sign of a Boer! We must be very near Mafeking now.”

”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 as its companion.

They had been riding steadily on through the night, and now as the ponies stood side by side they stretched out their necks in the soft cool darkness, and the sound of their cropping told that they were amongst gra.s.s.

”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 cried eagerly, for all at once there was a dull concussion as if a blow had been delivered in the air.

”A heavy gun,” cried West excitedly.

”Hist!”

”I forgot,” said West softly. ”That must be one of the siege guns,” he continued.

”Yes,” said Ingleborough, ”and it must be near daybreak, with the bombarding beginning. Be careful; perhaps we are nearer the enemy than we thought.”

At the end of a couple of minutes there was the dull concussion of another heavy gun, and this was continued at intervals of ten or fifteen minutes during the next hour, while the adventurers advanced cautiously at a walk, keeping a sharp look-out through the transparent darkness for a patch of rocks or woodland which might serve for their next halt. But day 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 ten minutes carefully scanning the district round in full expectation of seeing some sign of the enemy.

But nothing worse was in view than two or three of the scattered farms of the open veldt, and in the distance a dark indistinct patch which appeared to be a herd of grazing cattle, but so distant that neither could be sure.

On their way to the patch of rock and brush that was to be their last resting-place before making a dash for the beleaguered town, they struck upon the trail going north and south, and in two places scared off vultures from the carca.s.s of an unfortunate ox, shrunken and dried in the sun till little but the bones and hide were left.

They were too distant to make out the smoke, but steadily increasing fire told plainly enough that they were quite near enough for a dash into the town when darkness set in that night.

”You think then that this will be the best way?” said West, as they reached their shelter without seeing a sign of danger.

”I am not sure yet!” replied Ingleborough. ”In fact, I'm very doubtful whether we should not fail, for the place is certain to be surrounded by the enemy, and we should very likely be ridden or shot down.”

Oliver West laid his hand upon the despatch, pressing it so that the paper crackled beneath the cloth.

”Then we had better ride in as near as we dare, and then try and creep in at the darkest time.”

”Let's pray for the clouds to be thick then!” said Ingleborough; ”for the moon's getting past the first quarter. Last night would have done exactly.”

”But we were not here. Hark at the firing!”

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