Part 15 (1/2)
”Yes, that is what I shall do, Jack,” Mrs Hunter replied ”I have friends at 'Maritzburg, and will join them to-morrow Probably any wounded there may be--and I fear there will be --will be sent down there to the hospitals, and if so I shall occupythe to act the good Samaritan will be welcomed”
”Then I will take you down there, Mother,” said Wilfred, ”and after that will go with Jack if I may Father told me it was more than probable that he would be ejected fro, for he has no direct connection with the mines In that case he will co so We shall hear fro I shall go across to Kimberley and join Jack”
”Very well, then, I shall expect you so force,” Jack said ”Kimberley is already closely invested, I have no doubt, and you would have no chance of getting in, for you do not know the country I do, however, and now that I have had such practice at long-distance riding, I shall slip in if I can, and then volunteer to carry despatches either south to De Aar, or north to Mafeking Later on, if the town is not relieved--and a long siege seeain, and see whether I cannot join one or other of the relieving-forces which are certain to be sent For the present I shall rest here a little while”
Accordingly Jackday, when Wilfred and Mrs Hunter had departed, he turned out into the ca officers, and with some of the soldiers
Ladysmith he found was much like other towns in the district Itswas the Town Hall, round which there were clusters of stores and verandahed houses, mostly with tin roofs, which reflected the rays of the sun like a nue mirrors In and about the houses, and around the toas ait on every side were ridges andeffect
Jack was soon in conversation with a young captain of the gunners, and with hiht of all the tents, wagons, and guns, and the hundreds of khaki-clothed soldiers bustling about in their shi+rt sleeves preparing the mid-day meal All seemed to be in the very cheeriest of spirits, and as Jack and his new friend passed a allusion to ”Old Crujer” and the Boers
In one corner of the ca on, and the coi in their shi+rt sleeves with as y as they would have displayed at home before a crowd of onlookers Here, however, there were only a few officers watching the ga of other ”To their pipes and cigarettes, andthe most of the few days of ease which reth and courage
”Fine boys, aren't they!” remarked the captain ”They are never so happy as when they are kicking a football, or joining in so we shall hold a gye scale, and then Toood fellows, and it's a real pleasure to serve with them!”
Soon after this Jack said ”Good-bye!” and returned to his hotel, where, after luncheon, he again turned in for a sleep, for he had ridden some four hundred miles in little ue
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE BATTLE OF GLENCOE
When Jack ca the departure of Mrs Hunter and Wilfred for Pieter, there was only one vacant place in the cra his seat he found hi fellow some three years older than hi-costume which closely resembled the khaki unifor felloith clean-shaven face, laughing eyes, and a head which was covered with closely-cropped red hair
”Good !” he said, as Jack sat down ”It's not ; but then what can you expect with so many of these lusty officers about They've eaten us out of house and hoht all the better By the hat are you?
Volunteer, Natal carbineer, or civilian? Excuse et infor man this tio, and know si”
”In that case I dare say I shall be able to teach you then My name's O'Farnel, Lord Edward O'Farnel, coers we had better look round together”
”Delighted, I' what I should do with o, and before that I had ridden over froer here”
”That was a long ride,” said Lord O'Farnel ”Telldown By all accounts soees had a terrible time of it”
Jack at once complied, and before the meal was over found hi lord who sat opposite hi about yourself,” he said, when he had told O'Farnel how he had co, and how he had spent his ti about myself, is it?” replied his companion ”Well, there's very little I'm twenty-two or thereabouts, Irish, and have no profession Away back in good old Ireland I've a castle and ame in about twopence halfpenny a year Ah, it's a fine place, and very good to look at, but ruination to keep up! I said 'Good-bye' to it three years ago, and since then I have been travelling round Last year I went ho they'd be pleased to see me; but, bless your life, the old caretaker in the ht I had corave in front of the hall-door and put an old black coffin near it with a notice on top, written in the best of Irish, advising me to clear out at once
Pleasant fellows! They've quaint ways about theood-hearted all the same
”I took their advice and left at once, and then caer and his friends had upset everything, so I went south to Durban for a time, and when there was a talk of fun up here I took the train and ca it But how to do it is the next thing What do you think, So back to Kile in this direction I shall stay for a time and join in if I can I was told yesterday that volunteers are badly wanted, and that anyone could be taken for the Iht Horse But that would be more or less of a tie I really don't see e should not take part in all the fun as simple volunteers Have you a rifle and a ood pony and the usual rifle,” O'Farnel answered; ”and what is more, my kit makes me practically the same as any of the volunteers I have been here for the last week, and so can put you in the way of things I know one of the officers in a regiet whatever you want, and I should advise you to buy a suit of khaki and a pair of putties
Then ill see whether we cannot go along with the troops”