Part 17 (1/2)
”Well, what are you going to do?” asked Lord O'Farnel anxiously ”Don't throw your life away, old boy Mount your pony and make a dash for it!
I'll take care of myself”
”Oh no, you won't!” exclaiet you safely back to friends I've two rifles and plenty of ammunition These Boers will have to shoot pretty well to touch us here, and if they want to get closer they will have to cross the open ground If they try that game I think I can promise to stop every one of thea wasn't broken I'd make a dash for it”
”Why not pack me up now?” asked Farney ”One rifle will be aes Pull the lock out of the other, and tie un splint by an army doctor and will put you up to the trick Now open the lock, old boy That's it! Put the butt up underto the barrel with my handkerchief and bandolier That's it! you're a splendid surgeon, Jack If you tie ed one, you can do what you like without hurtingthe butt of the rifle beneath the arm he secured it there with Farney's belt Then hefast to the barrel, and with his own handkerchief and belt lashed both legs together
By this tiain begun to patter against the stones But by dint of lifting a fewa few apertures through which he could see every part of the plain surrounding hiainst hi but a series of faint puffs of flame to aim at Still, he occasionally let off his rifle, to show the eneround, he crawled fro a particularly sharp watch in the direction in which the white flag had been shown Suddenly he saw the flag lifted again, but this time it aved rapidly to and fro, and then lowered A ures burst fro the hollow, and co his rifle on a boulder, Jack took a steady ai attached to his weapon, falling forward on his face at once Then he loaded again and picked off another of the attackers
Within atrue on every occasion, so that as round, while threesloay
Then Jack azine, and within as many seconds had shot two ether
The slaughter proved tooAt no ti the that only one rifle was opposed to them But that rifle in Jack's hands was a deadly one, and, astonished and dis and at the loss they had already suffered, the re a few parting shots after them
”They will let us alone for a little while after that,” he exclairunt of satisfaction ”Well, in a couple of hours it will be dark, and if they haven't taken me by then, I shall make a bolt for it
Will you be ready, Farney?”
”Ready, old chap!” answered Lord O'Farnel with a gay laugh ”Of course I shall be! I dare say it will hurt a bit, but I don't want to beco to e? I shall be awfully in the way Why not leave me, and when you have reached the camp, come back for me with a few others to help you, and a stretcher?”
Jack glared at his friend
”Did I not say I was going to get you out of this?” he said brusquely
”I' to do it, and if you say another word I shall think you are afraid I shall hurt you!”
”Ha, ha, ha!” laughed Farney ”Don't get annoyed 'Ponchap, you are quite the boldest I have everroan from me
But I wish I could help you It's hateful to have to lie here and never fire a shot, whilst those fellows are sending showers of bullets at us”
”Very well,” replied Jack in a softer tone, ”wait till it is dark and ill get out of this Half a h I think I shall be able to put these Boers off the scent”
Giving a sharp look round to see that a second rush was not beinghis knife, corew beneath many of the boulders
Then, still hidden from the Boers, he hacked at a small tree which stood near at hand, and crawled back to the fort dragging it after hirass into as close compass as possible, he bound them round with others Then he cut the branches off the tree and thrust the slih the centre of his bundle With his friend's hat on top his dued a heap of stones hich to prop it up
”There,” he said, surveying the reeds with satisfaction, ”as soon as it gets dusk ill put that up That will ht really falls I shall lift you as well as I can, get on Prince, and ride away in the direction in which ere galloping
If they look for us anywhere, it will be towards the ca our dummy up, we shall put them completely off the scent”
”Well, you are a 'cute one!” chuckled Farney ”Put them off the scent!
I should think it would! But you'll find ht, old chap
Still, I've no doubt you'll e it You've stuck to this business like a brick, and as you've said you'll get me back to the camp I believe you'll do it”