Part 17 (2/2)

It was already late in the afternoon, and the sun had sunk behind the sharp ridge of the Drakenberg range But there was still sufficient light to see across the open ground to the circu ood lookout, he opened his haversack and made a hearty meal of biscuits and a piece of cheese Lord O'Farnel wouldn't touch a ony froroan to escape him But his knitted forehead and the perspiration on his face showed that he was in pain, which was so severe that, though he had not touched a ht, he refused even to nibble a biscuit But he drank all that remained in his water-bottle, and seemed much refreshed

”Now, I think it is about time to stick our dues of the holloere indistinct

Slowly lifting the bundle, he perched it above the rocks, and wedged the stake between the stones; as he did so, a volley fired fro that reinforceure, and a dozen or h it

For tencontinued and then slackened off, till it ceased altogether By this time it was almost pitch dark, so that Jack determined to set off

Prince was already on his feet, and having placed hi-block, he went across to Lord O'Farnel, slung his rifle across his shoulder, grasped his pistol in his right hand, after having slipped one ar the other beneath his shoulders, lifted hiround

”Put your arht as you can”

Stepping across the fort, Jack mounted the boulder and seated himself on Prince's back

A touch with his heel sent the pony ahead, and soon they were out in the open, heading away froed to hook his fingers in the reins and pull up, for the sound of approaching footsteps fell on his ear

Then two dusky figures slipped by in the darkness, and having given the When he had ridden about a mile, and ell clear of the hollow, there was a sudden burst of firing behind hi alry cries, which reached hiht, ”the Boers have been fairly taken in, and have rushed the fort, only to find a du to the left, he now side camp, utterly worn out with his exertions

He was at once greeted with anxious questions as to the safety and whereabouts of the column hom he and Lord O'Farnel had ridden

But his first duty was to his friend, whom he carried towards the hospital tent Here he found all the surgeons ere not out on the elopes of Talana Hill searching for the killed and wounded, hard at work treating the cases that had been brought in But they had time to look to Lord O'Farnel

”What's happened?” asked one of the Jack to disot that splint put on very nicely Let us carry hi on a stretcher, and the splint was being taken off

But the poor fello nothing about it Up to that he had borne the jolting, as he was being carried in Jack's arms, without a murmur, but when they reached the camp, his arms, which had been round his friend's neck, relaxed, and he went off into a dead faint Jack waited long enough to see his clothes removed and the limb set Then he went out of the tent and strolled back towards the quarters he had occupied on the previous night, leading Prince with him

”Hi! Somerton!” someone shouted at this moment, ”where are you?”

Jack walked towards the sound, and was nised hiht, and as pointed out to hi on the staff

”I've been sent after you,” the officer said, ”to ask what has become of Moller's horse You and O'Farnel rode out with theh we heard firing in their direction It begins to look nasty Do you think they have been trapped?”

”I should not be at all surprised if they have been,” Jack answered

”O'Farnel and I were cut off and surrounded about a mile beyond the shoulder of the hill, and the re I also heard firing right away behind, and there was un at work I fear they have been taken The Boer flight was a ruse They certainly, bolted from the top of Talana Hill, but once they reached their friends with the guns they must have rallied I knoere surrounded by about twenty of the staff-officer with conviction ”It's bad luck, and just spoils our victory It was just like the plucky beggars to ride on when they must have known that hosts of Boers were near theet away, Soo, I'm sure, and twenty to two, and one of those tounded, is precious long odds to fight against”

”Oh, they did their best to bag us!” answered Jack quietly ”But we played their own particular game O'Farnel was knocked over and badly hurt, so I stopped to help hied him behind the stones, built up a kind of fort round us, and banged at them in return They told me to surrender, and I advised them to clear off Then they made a rush, but that didn't help the before they reached the fort

After that they got under cover again, and as soon as it was dark we slipped away, leaving a dummy stuck up on a stick to make them believe ere there They made a splendid rush in the dark and captured it, and weren't they hen they found we had gone!”

”By Jove! do you ot clean away, bringing a badly-injured man with you?” exclaiar, and I shall tell our general

By the way, have you heard that poor General Symons was badly hit, and is now in hospital?”

”I haven't heard anything,” Jack answered ”Tell me how many men we have lost”