Part 26 (1/2)

”Eh? What did I do?”

”You lay so still!”

”Did I? Oh, of course. I've been very fast asleep, I suppose. What time it is--nearly sundown?”

”No, it's morning--sunrise.”

”I'm blessed! What, have I slept all night?”

West nodded and smiled.

”Soundly, I suppose!” he said. ”But how are you?”

”Horribly stupid and muddled! I don't quite make out! Oh yes, I do now. I came down such a quelch that it knocked all the sense out of me, and my head feels all knocked on one side. But tell me: what about the despatch?”

”I have it all right so far!”

”That's good. Where are our ponies?”

”Tied up yonder to the wheel of a wagon.”

”That's good, too, lad! Then all we've got to do is to help ourselves to them the first chance and ride away.”

”Yes,” said West drily, ”the first chance; but will there be a first chance?”

”Why not? It's of no use to look at the black side of things! Where there's ill luck there's always good luck to balance it, and we're bound to have our share of both. We had the bad yesterday; the good will come to-morrow, or next day, or the day after--who knows? We were not killed. You had your ear nicked and I had a bad fall which will cure itself as fast as the slit in your ear grows up. I call it grand to have saved the despatch! Are they going to give us any breakfast?”

”Hah!” sighed West; ”you've done me good, Ingle. I was regularly in the dumps.”

”Keep out of them, then!” was the reply. ”You didn't expect to get your message delivered at Mafeking without any trouble, did you?”

”No, no, of course not! Then you think we might make a dash for it some time?”

”Of course I do; but I don't suppose the chance will come to-day. Let's hope that our next move may take us nearer our goal, for I don't suppose the Boers will take us with them. They'll send us prisoners to Pretoria, I suppose; and we must make our dash somewhere on the road.”

Ingleborough was right: the chance for the dash did not come that day, nor the next, nor the next. For the Boer commando did not stir from the natural stronghold which had been made its halting-place. In fact, two fresh parties, for which there was plenty of room, joined them, and a good deal of business went on: men going out on expeditions and returning: wagons laden with provisions and ammunition and two big field-pieces arriving, as if the force was being increased ready for some important venture--all of which busy preparation took place under the eyes of the two prisoners, who, while being fairly well treated in the way of rations, were carefully guarded.

”One would like to know a little more what it all means!” said Ingleborough. ”As it is, one seems to be quite in the dark!”

”And we're doing nothing!” sighed West. ”Oh, it's terrible! I must begin to stir, even if it is only to bring about another check.”

”What would be the good of that?”

”Ease to one's brain!” said West pa.s.sionately. ”Here have I been trusted with this mission and am doing nothing, while all the time the poor fellows at Mafeking must be watching despairingly for the despatch that does not come.”

”Look here, old lad,” said Ingleborough sympathetically; ”when a fellow's chained down hand and foot it's of no use for him to kick and strain; he only makes his wrists and ankles sore and weakens himself, so don't do it! Believe me, the proper time to act is when they take you out of your chains! It's very depressing, I know; but what can't be cured--”

”Must be endured. I know, Ingle; but here we are prisoners, and I can't help getting more hopeless.”