Part 24 (1/2)

”I think so too, lad. That looks as if we were getting near the water, and they smell it.”

Just as the first signs of daybreak were apparent in the east the character of the country changed, and they could make out clumps of trees, and, as the light grew brighter, cultivated ground. Ten minutes later they both gave a shout of joy as on mounting a slight ascent the river lay before them. A few minutes later they were on its bank. The camels rus.h.i.+ng down put their noses into the water; their riders slipped from their backs regardless of the fact that the water was knee-deep, and wading back to the sh.o.r.e threw themselves down by the edge, and took long draughts of the clear water. Then throwing off their clothes they rushed in and indulged in a bathe.

The camels, after filling themselves nearly to bursting, lay down in the stream until the sergeant and Edgar went out and compelled them to return to sh.o.r.e, when they set to work cropping the long gra.s.s that grew abundantly there, while their riders sat down and made a meal from the contents of their haversacks.

”Well, at any rate,” the sergeant said, ”we can do nothing just at present. The troops may be within a mile, and they may be ten miles off; there is no saying. There is nothing for us to do but to wait until we hear something of them. If we do not hear anything of them we shall know that they either have not struck the river, or have struck it so far off that we cannot hear the guns. In that case my opinion is that we may as well rest here for to-day. Before we move I think it will be decidedly better to take the saddles off the camels and hide them in the bushes, and then move away some distance and hide up ourselves. This is evidently a cultivated country, and if there are any natives about they will be sure to see the camels, so we had better not be near them. There is no fear of the animals straying; they will be eating and drinking all day.”

The saddles were accordingly removed from the camels' backs and hidden; the two men went back a few hundred yards from the river and lay down amongst some bushes. Edgar was just dropping off to sleep, when the sergeant exclaimed, ”Listen! they are at it.”

Edgar at once roused himself, and distinctly heard the boom of a distant gun.

”That is one of the seven-pounders,” the sergeant said; ”and I think I can hear the sound of musketry, but I am not sure about that.”

Presently, however, the wind brought down distinctly the sound of dropping shots.

”Skirmis.h.i.+ng, lad! I suppose the enemy are hovering about them, but haven't come to close quarters yet.”

”It is horrible being here instead of with them!” Edgar exclaimed as he rose to his feet.

”It is no use thinking of moving, lad; they are four or five miles away certainly, and as the Arabs are probably all round them, there wouldn't be the slightest chance of our joining them. There is nothing to do but to wait here. The sound comes from inland, so it is certain they have not got to the river yet. As far as I can judge it is pretty nearly behind us, so when they lick those fellows they are likely to come down on the river somewhere near this point. They will be down before evening. You may be sure they had not got water enough to last them through the day, so they must move forward however many of the natives may be in their way. It is not like the last business; then they were on us almost before we knew they were coming, but in this flat country we shall have plenty of warning; and I will bet a year's pay they don't get up to our square again. I think, lad, I will get you to set my bandages right again.”

Edgar uttered an exclamation of alarm. There was a large dark patch on the sergeant's trousers. In dressing after their bathe the bandages had s.h.i.+fted a little, and the bleeding had recommenced. It was evident at once to Edgar that a great deal of blood had been lost, for Sergeant Bowen lay faint and exhausted upon the ground. Unknown to himself the action of the camel had set the wound off bleeding during the night, and although he had said nothing to Edgar about it, he had with difficulty walked up from the river to their hiding-place. Edgar ran down to the river with the two water-bottles; when he returned he found his companion insensible. He unb.u.t.toned his tunic and got at the wound, from which blood was still flowing. He washed it, made a plug of wet linen, and with some difficulty bandaged it tightly. After some time the sergeant opened his eyes.

”Don't try to move,” Edgar said. ”I have staunched and bandaged the wound, and you will be better soon.”

”It is a bad job, lad; just at present when we want to be up and doing.”

”There is nothing to do at present, sergeant. We have only to wait quietly until our fellows come down to the river, and then I will soon get you a.s.sistance.”

”Do you hear the firing still?”

”It is just as it was,” Edgar replied, after listening attentively for a minute.

”Then I expect they have formed another zareba, as they did at Abu Klea, and that they will leave the camels there and march straight down to the river.”

”I will steal up to the edge of the desert, if you don't mind being left alone a bit. I shall be able to judge then how far they are off.”

”Do so, lad; I am all right here. But do not be too long away or I shall be anxious.”

Edgar made his way a quarter of a mile back. Some cultivated fields stretched before him, and beyond them the rolling hillocks of the desert. He could see men on horseback and foot moving about, and looking to the right saw about half a mile distant a place of some extent, which was, he felt sure, Metemmeh. Numbers of men were pouring out from the town. The firing was not straight ahead, but somewhat to the left. ”If they attack Metemmeh at once we shall be all right,” he said to himself.

”If they march straight down to the river we shall be all right still.

We shall only have to move along to them. It is lucky we did not strike the river above the town, for it would have been next to impossible to get round to them without being observed.”

He went back to his companion, and told him what he had seen.

”There is evidently going to be another tough fight before they get down to the water,” the sergeant said. ”It is very hard our being cut off here. Not that I should be good for any fighting if I were with them.”

”I have no great desire to be in another fight like the last,” Edgar said. ”One go at that sort of thing is quite enough for me.”

The hours pa.s.sed slowly. The sergeant slept a good deal, and anxious as Edgar was he too several times dozed off. Presently he exclaimed, ”The fire is become much heavier, sergeant; and it is nearer too. Listen!”