Part 37 (1/2)

”Why don't we strike a light and examine it now?” said West eagerly.

”Because we haven't a match!” replied Ingleborough. ”Didn't our st.u.r.dy honest captors take everything away but my knife, which was luckily in my inner belt along with my money?”

”To be sure!” sighed West.

”And if we had matches we dare not strike them for fear of the light being seen by one of the Boer patrols.”

”Yes,” said West, with another sigh. ”I suppose they are everywhere now!”

At that moment the ponies stopped short, spun round, almost unseating their riders, and went off at full speed back along the way they had come; and it was some minutes before they could be checked and soothed and patted back into a walk.

”The country isn't quite civilised yet,” said West; ”fancy lions being so near the line of a railway. Hark; there he goes again!”

For once more the peculiar barking roar of a lion came from a distance, making the air seem to quiver and the ponies turn restless again and begin to snort with dread.

”Steady, boys, steady!” said Ingleborough soothingly to the two steeds.

”Don't you know that we've got a couple of patent foreign rifles, and that they would be more than a match for any lion that ever lived?”

”If we shot straight!” said West banteringly. ”There he goes again!

How near do you think that fellow is?”

”Quiet, boy!” cried Ingleborough, leaning forward and patting his pony on the neck, with satisfactory results. ”How far? It's impossible to say! I've heard performers who called themselves ventriloquists, but their tricks are nothing to the roaring of a lion. It's about the most deceptive sound I know. One time it's like thunder, and another it's like Bottom the Weaver.”

”Like what?” cried West.

”The gentleman I named who played lion, and for fear of frightening the ladies said he would roar him as gently as a sucking dove. Now then, what's to be done?”

”I don't know,” said West. ”We did not calculate upon having lions to act as sentries on behalf of the Boers.”

”Let's bear off more to the north and try to outflank the great cat.”

Changing their course, they started to make a half-circle of a couple of miles' radius, riding steadily on, but only to have their s.h.i.+vering mounts startled again and again till they were ready to give up in despair.

”We'd better wait till daybreak,” said West.

”There's no occasion to,” said Ingleborough, ”for there it is, coming right behind us, and we're going too much to the west. Bear off, and let's ride on. I don't suppose we shall be troubled any more. What we want now is another kopje--one which hasn't been turned into a trap.”

”There's what we want!” said West, half-an-hour later, as one of the many clumps of rock and trees loomed up in the fast lightening front.

”Yes,” said Ingleborough sharply, ”and there's what we don't want, far nearer to us than I like.”

”Where?” asked West sharply.

”Straight behind us!”

”Why, Ingle,” cried West, in despair, ”they've been following us all through the night!”

”No,” said Ingleborough, shading his eyes with his hand; ”that's a different patrol, I feel sure, coming from another direction.”