Part 52 (1/2)

”Right!” he shouted, and the next minute he was in the saddle, with the ponies cantering along side by side.

”More to the left!” cried West. ”The Boers are bearing away to cut us off!”

This was plain enough, and the fugitives saw that if a fresh party started from the end of the long line they were bound to be cut off.

”Never mind,” cried Ingleborough; ”we may get away! Those fellows are quite a mile from us, and their mounts will be pumped out if they push forward like that. Easy, easy! Let the ponies go their own pace!”

Settling down into a canter, the fugitives now began to look away to their left, where they had seen the other parties closing them in from their flank and rear.

”Hallo! Where's the rest of the enemy?” cried West.

”Yonder, out of sight! The ground lies lower there; but I say, these fellows are coming on at a tremendous rate! Gallop or they'll cut you off.”

”Then we'll gallop!” cried West. ”We, old fellow! Just as if I were going to leave you behind!”

”Very nice of you,” said Ingleborough merrily; ”but you're not fit for a despatch-rider. You're about the worst I ever knew of!”

”Because I won't forsake a friend?”

”Friend be hanged! There's no friends.h.i.+p in wartime. Ah, here come some of the flankers.”

”Yes, I see them,” said West; ”but what does this mean?”

For all at once the galloping party on their right--that which had come straight from the centre of the Boer line--began to pull up until all were halted in the middle of the plain.

”They see their companions coming,” said Ingleborough, ”and that we are safely cut off. Well, it is giving us a better chance!”

”But they're turning and folding back,” cried West excitedly. ”Here come the others, full gallop! Look, look, how they're opening out!

Gallop full speed now! No, no. Look, look! Why, Ingle, those are not rifles they're carrying--they're lances.”

”You're dreaming!” growled Ingleborough. ”Never mind what they're carrying; they're going to cut us off, and we've got to save that despatch!”

”And we shall save it too!” cried West, his voice sounding full of exultation. ”Those are our Lancers--a regiment of them!”

”You're right!” cried Ingleborough excitedly now, and he began to draw rein. ”Look at the Boer line. There's proof! They're turning back from the front and hurrying up their rear so as to form laager round their big guns. Hurrah!” he yelled, rising in his stirrups to wave his hat.

”And hurrah a hundred times more!” yelled West, following his companion's example, as he saw now in no less than four directions little clouds of hors.e.m.e.n moving over the widely-spreading plain.

The next minute they had their gla.s.ses out and were watching the Boers-- a line no longer, but broken up into what at first seemed to be wild confusion, out of which order began to form, for whoever was in command of the reinforcements on their way to Mafeking possessed enough soldierly knowledge of what was the best thing to be done under the circ.u.mstances. As the wagons in front were wheeled round to retire upon the centre formed by the four heavy guns, and those from the rear were hurried up to join in making a great square, cloud after cloud of mounted men galloped forward to seize upon any patch of shelter to hold against the advancing British force.

”It's well meant,” said Ingleborough, without taking his eyes from his gla.s.s; ”but they will not have time to form a strong laager. Why, our men will be among them before a quarter of an hour is past.”

”Before ten minutes!” cried West, in wild excitement. ”Hurrah! Trapped this time! Look right across the laager; there are men coming on there!”

It was so, and Ingleborough cheered wildly again. For the British general must have had abundant information of the coming convoy, and had taken his precautions and made his plans so accurately as to timing the advance that he had completely surrounded the long line with cavalry and mounted infantry, who now raced for the laager, heedless of the fire opened upon them by the Boers. The enemy only fired a few shots, and then, finding themselves taken in front, flank, and rear, made for their horses and took flight in every direction, but not before the Lancers got among them and dotted the veldt with horse and man.

The Boer commander and those with gun and wagon worked well, bringing their heavy guns to bear on the main advance; but they were not directed at ma.s.ses of men in column or line, but at a cloud of cavalry covering the plain and mingled with the enemy's own flying horse, so that before a second discharge could be belched forth from the two large guns which were re-loaded, the Lancers, Hussars, and Volunteer Light Horse were among the gunners, and it was every man for himself, _sauve qui peut_.

West and Ingleborough were so intent with their gla.s.ses, watching the utter rout of the Boers, that they did not see a body of Lancers bearing down upon them at a gallop, and the noise of the scattered firing kept up by the Boers drowned the trampling of hoofs, till there was a shout which made the two despatch-bearers start round in their saddles, to see a dozen sun-browned, dust-covered Lancers galloping at them with weapons levelled, headed by a young officer waving them on with his flas.h.i.+ng sword.