Part 14 (2/2)
Seeing that there was likely to be trouble, Jack at once reached over and unstrapped his rifle Then he galloped up to the cart, to find that Mrs Hunter had been roughly dragged on to the road, while the second Boer was hastily lashi+ng Wilfred to the wheel of the cart What his intentions as evident, for at that , strode away a few paces, and lifted his rifle to his shoulder
”Stop that!” shouted Jack, pulling up close to hiees and deserve fair treat felloung round and fired point-blank at hi a streak from the brim of his hat
Jack's ansas even more rapid His rifle spoke out, and the Boer dropped prone on the road Then he swung round just in time to duck and escape a second bullet froain, Jack's Mauser pistol had safely reached his hand beneath the e in front, directed straight for the man's head
”Drop your rifle!” he said sternly ”That's it! Now take off your cartridge-belt! That will do! Stand over there in the road! Now, Wilfred,” he said, turning to his friend, ”as soon as Mrs Hunter has set you loose, back the cart away from the leader and cut the harness
Then drive on, and I will catch you up”
”Move on up the road in front ofthe Boer, ”and if you atte Boer evidently understood every word, for with a downcast air he set out along the road in the direction of Johannesburg, with Jack a couple of yards behind him A mile farther on, when the storht, and the thunder was roaring overhead in long, continuous claps, Jack quietly pulled up, turned on to the veldt, and galloped back, leaving his prisoner still norance
When he arrived at the scene of the recent conflict he dismounted, picked up both of the Boer rifles and bandoliers, and, alloped away into the veldt, where he sainst a boulder
”That fellow is safe to return as soon as he finds I have slipped away,”
he thought, ”and if I left the rifles the chances are he would follow and stalk me That will settle hiht up the cart about twothe road Wilfred at once pulled up, and the two young fellows held a consultation
”It was a piece of bad luck all through,” said Jack, with an exclah I should have seen those fellows, and could have warned you so as to avoid the just spoilt our chances If it hadn't been for that we should have got through One thing is certain too, that if we had given in to them, and pulled up when they ordered us to do so, we should have had our cart and horses commandeered, and then we should have been in a nice pickle”
”That's just what I thought,” answered Wilfred ”I knew it meant that ere prisoners, or that the cart and teaave theh, it was a precious near shave for us! I very nearly went flying on to the horses' backs But as it is, neither of us is hurt, thanks to you, Jack, old boy!”
”Well, it was a near shave,” agreed Jack ”That Boer's bullet has cut a long slice out of ht it on himself, and certainly deserved it, for he meant to kill you But now, about the other man I took him up the road, and on the way back broke the rifles I noticed, too, that both their horses had scampered away on to the veldt For all that he is now on his way to the nearest station, and before two hours have passed the neill have been telegraphed down the road to Yolksrust, and the Boers will be on the look-out for us What are we to do? We are sure to run our heads into a trap if we go on in this direction”
”Why not bear to the right and strike into the road for Villiersdorp in the Orange Free State, and from there to Harris it more than once We can cross the Vaal by the drift (ford), and by taking that route shall put the Boers off the scent”
”That's a capital plan, Mrs Hunter!” cried Jack ”What do you think, Wilfred?”
”Yes, I quite agree with Mother,” Wilfred answered ”The Villiersdorp road will be the one for us, and once we get into the other state we shall be cohers there are not nearly so bitter against us as are these Transvaallers”
Accordingly the cart was driven off the road to the right, and then across the veldt in a south-westerly direction Soon they bumped across the railway, and before daere on the other road Driving along it a little way they came to a part which was covered with kopjes, and here, within easy distance of the road, theywater-course), where it was coside it they stretched out theirwaited till the day had broken, and satisfied themselves that no one was about, they lay down and fell asleep
Three nights later they were in the neighbourhood of Harris met with any adventure of note upon the way, and on the following night they drove past Albertina, where they discarded the cart, leaving it for the first comer to appropriate, and pushed forward to Van Reenen's Pass in the Drakenberg mountains This they kneas already watched by a force of Free Stater Boers, but they were lookingto slip through fro found the pass free of men, went back and infor one of the three horses and riding another, while Mrs Hunter boldly clung to the back of the third A pitch-black darkness and heavy rain again favoured theh the pass and down to the plain below unchallenged
Two hours later the welcoreeted the shouted back ”Friends”, they halted and waited for the cavalry patrol to give theo on
Soon afterwards they were in Ladysmith, and had found roo and adventurous drive caused quite a sensation But all three were too tired to do
They snatched a hastythe sleep of exhaustion
There was no need for theain, for they were now in the British camp and in British territory, so that when Jack did wake, late in the afternoon, he rolled over again and dozed off for er Then he turned out, shook Wilfred, as asleep in a bed in the saed in a swie pool of water where
”Nohat is the order?” cried Jack, when they had returned to the hotel and had sat down to dinner with Mrs Hunter, in a roo ”I suppose you will go down to Pieter or Durban, Mrs Hunter, and if Wilfred will escort you there, I will stay here for a day or two, and thenon here during the next few days, and if so I should like to be in it”