Part 14 (2/2)
It was not very sharp, and I had soh raw hide, but none, incidentally, in slicing ers over the job; but for this I didn't care I was now practically free The coils, cut through in several places, fell apart Heavens! how the blood surged throughas I realised that escape ithin reach But first of all I had got toforms, and, worst of all, over, that of my restless sentinel
Noas ready to ently slid loose fro a muffled exclamation, started up too But that was all he did Luckily I had practised a little in the boxing line, and now I let hi, knock-out blow under the jaw It was delivered with battering-ram force, and laid him out, flat, inert and absolutely noiseless
The ha of h to awaken the other sleepers as I stepped, actually _over_ some of them One indeed moved, and I stood ready to ad up, but he subsided again, and most of the others had their blankets over their heads Amoment, and I stood outside in the open air; and as I did so I noticed the first faint indication of dawn in the far eastern sky
The declivity was rough and stony, and the faintest clink or dislodgh to rouse those within, wherefore it behoved h temporarily free, which way should I turn, for I had but theon ment, I struck a doard course, and then suddenly a horrible effluviu upon the brink of a hollow in the heart of the thick bush The daas gradually lightening, and now, looking down into this, I could see that it was thickly streith innumerable bones--the bones of oxen and sheep Two heads, unflayed and deco horns looking spectral and ht Evidently this was the secret nest of a daring and organised gang of cattle stealers
While I was debating which way to turn, a sound fell upon my ears which was as the first thrill of security, for it was the unmistakable whicker of a horse That meant Brian, if not all three of my late companions, returned to search for me Yet it would not do to make too sure, wherefore as I took my way doard in the direction of the sound I did so in silence, and soon had reason to blessthere lay before me a small kraal
It consisted of three huts, whose in a few goats; but, best of all, tied to the gate-post, were two horses And in these I recognised the horse I had been riding, and one of the stolen ones, by name Punch To steal down to the spot was the work of very few , luckily Quickly I nise oats, too, stampeded to the other side of the kraal Would the noise waken those villains?
Quickly I untied the _reiht of it into his h the _reim_ that held the other and mounted--of course, barebacked
Punch at once laid himself out to follow his coone a hundred paces I heard another whinny behind Looking back I beheld two more horses tied to a tree, just beyond the kraal--and even at that distance I recognised Beryl's favourite steed, Meerkat They had been hidden by a projecting shoulder of bush until now
Athrill with excitean to enjoy the adventure I would still redeee, and restore Meerkat, so lost not aback to release the other two
But at the sa down upon the track of ht came two or three dark forms, then more and more My enemies had discovered my escape, and were hot foot in pursuit I could afford to laugh at them noell mounted as I was, but--how about Beryl's horse? I should hardly have ties would be upon et there first
I have kno excite, leaping savages converging on h the dark green of the bush, the glearound was rough, and riding barebacked as I was, and with only an impromptu bridle, constituted a pretty severe test to my capabilities of horsemanshi+p
I was there I leaped offit into his mouth in the same way, mounted him--for I was determined to save him, even if all the others had to be sacrificed
Then I cut the _rei me, I started back, just as the foremost Kafirs leaped from the cover barely thirty yards away
Mounted as I was, the odds were by no h and, withal, the bush was thick And now the whole crowd surged forward, uttering strident hisses and ear-splitting roars, intended to render eable and scatter the others-- and indeed how I h bush and over stones and shuts, I hardly know to this day So hard and heavy--behind the shoulders, but without effect, the distance being too great Twenty yards nearer and it would have knocked , for it was a hard iron-wood kerrie hurled by no unpractised hand, and as I pressed on, the three horses galloping on either side, neighing and capering, but always keeping abreast, the roars and whistles of the pursuing barbariansthe air hideous, I felt that I was in for a very lively time indeed But the worst of it was that, thanks to the aforesaid roughness of the ground, they could travel nearly as fast as I could, andlike despair as I sa untiringly and persistently they kept up the pursuit At this ratethe right direction
We were racing up a long stony slope, rather more clear of bush than hitherto Poor Meerkat was not in hard condition, and I was beginning to regret not having stuck to un away on my left front scattered all reflections to the winds
”This way, Holt! This way!” sang out a voice, and at the sa went another shot
As I proceeded to follow out Brian's injunction I looked round, just in time to see a spurt of dust fly up very near in front of my pursuers, where the bullet had struck These had halted, and as just then there was another bang, and another bullet fell rather nearer than the first, they evidently concluded it was too war coe ”I only shot to scare,” he said, in his cool way, as I came up ”They'll stop now”
”Are you all alone?”
”Yes Came back to look after you”
”And jolly near too late you were, old chap, for if I hadn'tat the bottom of an infernal hole at this moment, without for me at daybreak”
”So? Did you know those chaps were stalking you dohen you started back for the two re horses?” he said
”Rather I raced theot to do it But--did you see that part of it?”
”_Ja_ Watched you all the time, but concluded that this was the best place to effect a diversion in your favour Well, Holt--you won'tso--but you're no fool of an imported Britisher, and that's a dead cert I don't expect Trask would have cos in that way”