Part 29 (1/2)

A second later he dismissed the thought as ungrateful, for a glance at the Boer's face told him that here at least was one man with honest intentions. Then he wrung his hand, blurted out his thanks, and a minute later was climbing through the window.

Creeping close to the wall once he had dropped outside, Jack paused for a few moments and listened. There was a light in a room at the side, and from the open window sounds of voices proceeded. Stealing along to it Jack lifted his head cautiously and peeped in, to find that the field-cornet and his five men were seated on some benches in a cloud of tobacco smoke.

It was clear that they had no fear that the Englishman in their care would escape, and, thankful for the fact, for the longer his absence remained undiscovered the better, Jack hurried away in the darkness, and a quarter of an hour later entered the streets of Pretoria.

When he reached the neighbourhood of the hospital in which Guy was living, he slipped off his boots, and, carrying them, walked along till he was close to the guard-house opposite the government buildings.

”It will be much better for me to get those rifles now,” he thought.

”Perhaps someone might give the alarm as Guy is leaving the hospital, and then we could never hope to get possession of any weapons, and to pa.s.s as Englishmen on the Boer side we must have them. I'll wait here till the sentries are changed. The hour for that is ten o'clock, and it is not far from that now.”

Seating himself in the darkest corner, but well in sight of the guard-house, Jack waited patiently, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing two men emerge from it and relieve their comrades. It was quite an informal matter, and performed in a very different manner from that practised by English troops. Smoking their pipes, the two men stepped out of the hut and called to the others to come to them. Then each took a bandolier and a rifle from one of the sentries, and, still smoking, strolled across to their posts and stopped in front of the big building to continue a conversation which they had broken off in the hut.

Now was Jack's chance, and he seized it. Slipping along close to the wall, he crossed the road noiselessly, peeped into the guard-house to see that all was quiet, and then, with his eyes upon the careless sentries, slipped two of the bandoliers across his shoulder, and carefully lifted two rifles from the rack. A moment later he was gone, and, hurrying back to his former hiding-place, deposited his possessions on the ground. A few minutes pa.s.sed, and as all was still quiet, he slipped up to the window of the hospital close to which Guy's bed was placed, and gently tapped on the window-frame. It was an intensely hot night, and fortunately the window stood wide open. A second later Guy was leaning through it.

”Is that you, Jack, old boy?” he whispered.

”Yes. Come along, Guy,” Jack answered. ”Slip out at once. There is no one about.”

”I'm ready,” Guy whispered back, and, dropping from the window, was standing close at Jack's side in a twinkling.

Taking him by the sleeve Jack led him along close to the wall till he reached his former post, when he placed a bandolier and a rifle in his hands.

”Slip the belt on, Guy,” he said shortly; ”we have no time to lose.”

”What! Where did you get these, Jack?” Guy asked hoa.r.s.ely.

”Stole them, old chap!” Jack chuckled. ”I stole them from the guard-house a few minutes ago. Steady, man! What are you doing?”

The last hurried exclamation followed the accidental dropping of Guy's rifle, which clattered loudly on the pavement.

Instantly the two sentries became alert, and one of them called out harshly: ”Wie gaat daar?”

”Come along! Quick!” Jack whispered, ”Follow me! We must get out of this at once.”

Darting down the street they came to a turning, and waited there to see what would happen. As they did so, the sentry who had challenged walked quickly towards the hospital, evidently determined to solve the cause of the mysterious sound. Finding nothing, he looked up at the windows, and then looked in at the open one and asked if anyone inside had heard anything. The reply was unsatisfactory, for he at once shouted that something was wrong, and called to the hospital attendant to bring a light. At the same moment the men off guard emerged hurriedly from the hut, and by simple force of habit went to the rack for their rifles.

”Someone has taken two of our guns and bandoliers,” one of them shouted in the Boer tongue. ”What is wrong, Paul? Are there thieves about, or is it that weak-hearted Englishman, Guy Richardson, who is trying to escape?”

What the answer was Jack and Guy did not stay to hear. Guy hastily interpreted what had been said, and realising that their flight had already been discovered, the two darted off down the street in the direction of the station. They could still hear excited shouts behind them, but these soon died away.

”Let us stop here for a minute,” said Jack breathlessly, when they were close to the station. ”Now, what is to be done? We must get out of Pretoria as soon as possible.”

”Listen! what is that?” Guy exclaimed eagerly. ”It is an engine in the station with steam up. What luck if a train is about to leave! Let us make a rush for it.”

”Yes, and be collared at once,” muttered Jack. ”No, Guy, we must be cool about it. That is a train on the point of leaving. Let us brazen the matter out. Pretend that we are burghers, and join the train as though we had a right to. Come along! There goes the whistle! It will be off in a minute!”

Swinging their Mausers behind their backs, Jack and Guy coolly walked through the gates of the station, and mounted the platform, against which a locomotive and carriages were standing on the point of moving off. Swaggering along as though there were plenty of time to take their places, and as if there could be no question as to their right to be there, they had pa.s.sed a good half-way up the platform when the whistle sounded again and the wheels began to revolve. Glancing hastily into the carriages, Jack selected one which had only two occupants, and sprang into it, followed by Guy. Then they sat down in the two corners facing one another, and commenced to smoke their pipes.

The two men in the carriage, who were dressed in the usual Boer costume, scarcely noticed their entrance, for they were engaged in an animated conversation which seemed to occupy all their thoughts. But they were conscious of the fact that strangers had joined them, for they immediately sank their voices to a whisper.