Part 15 (1/2)

”Yes, that is what I shall do, Jack,” Mrs Hunter replied. ”I have friends at 'Maritzburg, and will join them to-morrow. Probably any wounded there may be--and I fear there will be many of them, poor fellows, before long--will be sent down there to the hospitals, and if so I shall occupy myself in nursing them. I have had some experience, and I dare say everyone willing to act the good Samaritan will be welcomed.”

”Then I will take you down there, Mother,” said Wilfred, ”and after that will go with Jack if I may. Father told me it was more than probable that he would be ejected from the Transvaal before long, for he has no direct connection with the mines. In that case he will come south, and I shall wait here on the chance of his doing so. We shall hear from him before long, and if he is able to remain in Johannesburg I shall go across to Kimberley and join Jack.”

”Very well, then, I shall expect you some day, but I think you will have to wait for the relieving force,” Jack said. ”Kimberley is already closely invested, I have no doubt, and you would have no chance of getting in, for you do not know the country. I do, however, and now that I have had such practice at long-distance riding, I shall slip in if I can, and then volunteer to carry despatches either south to De Aar, or north to Mafeking. Later on, if the town is not relieved--and a long siege seems to be expected,--I shall get out again, and see whether I cannot join one or other of the relieving-forces which are certain to be sent. For the present I shall rest here a little while.”

Accordingly Jack made himself at home, and on the following day, when Wilfred and Mrs Hunter had departed, he turned out into the camp, and was not long in making friends with a number of young officers, and with some of the soldiers.

Ladysmith he found was much like other towns in the district. Its most prominent building was the Town Hall, round which there were cl.u.s.ters of stores and verandahed houses, mostly with tin roofs, which reflected the rays of the sun like a number of large mirrors. In and about the houses, and around the town, was a more or less treeless, open plain, while surrounding it on every side were ridges and mountains which had a most imposing effect.

Jack was soon in conversation with a young captain of the gunners, and with him he made a tour of the camps, thoroughly enjoying the sight of all the tents, wagons, and guns, and the hundreds of khaki-clothed soldiers bustling about in their s.h.i.+rt sleeves preparing the mid-day meal All seemed to be in the very cheeriest of spirits, and as Jack and his new friend pa.s.sed amongst them he heard many a laughing allusion to ”Old Crujer” and the Boers.

In one corner of the camp a game of football was going on, and the combatants, selected from two of the British regiments, were playing in their s.h.i.+rt sleeves with as much keenness and energy as they would have displayed at home before a crowd of onlookers. Here, however, there were only a few officers watching the game, and a sprinkling of other ”Tommies”, smart, healthy-looking men, smoking their pipes and cigarettes, and making the most of the few days of ease which remained before a sterner struggle would demand all their strength and courage.

”Fine boys, aren't they!” remarked the captain. ”They are never so happy as when they are kicking a football, or joining in some sort of sport. I dare say if we have to stay here very long we shall hold a gymkhana, a kind of athletic meeting on a large scale, and then Tommy is in his element. Ah, they are jolly good fellows, and it's a real pleasure to serve with them!”

Soon after this Jack said ”Good-bye!” and returned to his hotel, where, after luncheon, he again turned in for a sleep, for he had ridden some four hundred miles in little more than a week, and still felt the effect of the fatigue.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE BATTLE OF GLENCOE.

When Jack came down to breakfast on the morning following the departure of Mrs Hunter and Wilfred for Pietermaritzburg, there was only one vacant place in the cramped little dining-room of the hotel, and on taking his seat he found himself face to face with a young fellow some three years older than himself, who was dressed in civilian riding-costume which closely resembled the khaki uniform worn by officers.

He was a jovial-looking fellow, with clean-shaven face, laughing eyes, and a head which was covered with closely-cropped red hair.

”Good morning!” he said, as Jack sat down. ”It's not much of a breakfast this morning; but then what can you expect with so many of these l.u.s.ty officers about. They've eaten us out of house and home.

Well, they'll fight all the better. By the way, what are you?

Volunteer, Natal carbineer, or civilian? Excuse my asking, but I am a stranger here, and am anxious to get information.”

”Then you have come to the wrong man this time,” Jack answered with a smile. ”I only arrived a day ago, and know simply nothing.”

”In that case I dare say I shall be able to teach you then. My name's O'Farnel, Lord Edward O'Farnel, commonly known as 'Farney'. If we're both strangers we had better look round together.”

”Delighted, I'm sure!” Jack exclaimed. ”I was wondering what I should do with myself. I only came through from Johnny's Burg a few days ago, and before that I had ridden over from Kimberley; so you can understand I am a perfect stranger here.”

”That was a long ride,” said Lord O'Farnel. ”Tell me about it, and what kind of an experience you had coming down. By all accounts some of the refugees had a terrible time of it.”

Jack at once complied, and before the meal was over found himself on most friendly terms with the young lord who sat opposite him.

”Now tell me something about yourself,” he said, when he had told O'Farnel how he had come down from Johannesburg, and how he had spent his time since arriving in Africa.

”Something about myself, is it?” replied his companion. ”Well, there's very little. I'm twenty-two or thereabouts, Irish, and have no profession. Away back in good old Ireland I've a castle and a mansion, and any amount of acres which bring me in about twopence halfpenny a year. Ah, it's a fine place, and very good to look at, but ruination to keep up! I said 'Good-bye' to it three years ago, and since then I have been travelling round. Last year I went home for a week, thinking they'd be pleased to see me; but, bless your life, the old caretaker in the mansion was the only one who cared a jot. The others thought I had come for the rent, so the very next morning they had dug a grave in front of the hall-door and put an old black coffin near it with a notice on top, written in the best of Irish, advising me to clear out at once.

Pleasant fellows! They've quaint ways about them, but they are good-hearted all the same.

”I took their advice and left at once, and then came out here to see what I could do at the mines. But Kruger and his friends had upset everything, so I went south to Durban for a time, and when there was a talk of fun up here I took the train and came on the chance of seeing it. But how to do it is the next thing. What do you think, Somerton?”

”I am going back to Kimberley very soon,” said Jack; ”but if there is to be a struggle in this direction I shall stay for a time and join in if I can. I was told yesterday that volunteers are badly wanted, and that anyone could be taken for the Imperial Light Horse. But that would be more or less of a tie. I really don't see why we should not take part in all the fun as simple volunteers. Have you a rifle and a mount?”

”Yes, I have a good pony and the usual rifle,” O'Farnel answered; ”and what is more, my kit makes me practically the same as any of the volunteers. I have been here for the last week, and so can put you in the way of things. I know one of the officers in a regiment stationed here. Let us look him up. I dare say he could get whatever you want, and I should advise you to buy a suit of khaki and a pair of putties.