Part 23 (2/2)
But Jack and his two friends, helped now by Eileen, concentrated their fire upon it, and picked off the Boers More at once rushed pluckily forward to take their places, but suffered the sa by the bullets which still spattered around, the ene their Maxim behind them
”By Jove, if we only possessed a few o out and bring in that gun But it's i else to think of shortly”
But, contrary to their expectations, nothing occurred, on shells flew overhead, and the Boers seeht Jack climbed up on to the table and lasses, andoff in the distance towards Kimberley He climbed up the iron sheets on to the top, and looked out behind Here, too, all seeure behind one of the low houses a mile away told him that they were still watched by the enemy
”They've left us alone for a little,” he said, ”but there are one, and I expect our friends have ridden back for reinforceh, that they have left sufficient behind to make it impossible for us to approach that Maxi to do but wait To-night, if we can last out so long, the garrison in Kimberley will make a sortie, but I think we are too far out for them to reach us”
”That is so, Jack,” Frank Russel said ”We cannot expect direct help fro a sortie they will draay so us”
”Then I vote we make a bolt for it!” Wilfred cried excitedly ”It will be our only chance, and if we don't take advantage of it we shall never get any”
”Yes, weout here at the back, and away round to the left, we ought to ht ahead to meet a sortie party would ht, lad, perfectly right!” Frank Russel cried ”We're playing a et ae ame Put yourself in their shoes for a moment It is just what any ordinary set of felloould do if they were in a close fix like this They'd rush towards the co out to help them Our friends the Boers will expect us to do that, and we'll disappoint thereed we make a rush,” said Jack ”Let us have a look at the ponies”
Going into the kitchen, they found that Prince and one of the Boer ponies alone re been struck down by the shell
Jack stepped up to the body of the little aniently on the neck Then he cliain and out on to the roof
For three hours nothing happened, and then a large force of Boers appeared, and having reached their old position, out of range of the defenders' rifles, they pulled up and put two big guns in position
For an hour they poured a perfect torrent of shell at the house, s that part over the cellar doith a crash upon the ground
But though it was sufficiently terrifying to Jack and his friends below, it did not da up their heads, they ascertained that there were yet many posts in which they could kneel and fire and still not be exposed to the enemy And if the worst were to happen, the cellar itself would form a last site for defence, from which they could hope to keep the Boers away for a considerable ti dark, and after a short pause, probably to fetch up ain coe above the boues of fla sht filled the Boers with pleasure, as a faint cheer showed, and almost immediately afterwards they started forward, in open order, and rushed for the house
”Out with the fire!” Jack cried sharply ”Those fellows cannot reach us for some minutes yet Quick! Pass up those buckets toof the ladder, with the s hirasped the buckets passed up to hi timber Tere sufficient, and in a minute the fire was subdued, and he had kicked out the surviving embers with his feet
Then all four took the best places they could find, and, waiting till the Boers were close enough to make their aim fairly certain, opened fire upon theht, and, undeterred by the bullets, the enes looked very black, and coested an honourable surrender But the excitele had taken fast hold of Jack and his friends, and their blood was thoroughly roused They had defended the house for many hours, and now, just at theto give up the unequal struggle till the very last moment had arrived
Even Eileen was fired by the resolute pluck of her father and these two young English, and now, crouched behind a tumbled portion of the iron roof, her rifle spoke out repeatedly and truly, and sentfrom the field
But the iallant defence, the host of Boers were now close at hand, and a hail of bullets was directed at the house and at the four spitting points of flame which shohere the muzzles of the rifles were hidden
”It's all up, lads,” shouted Frank Russel ”Shall I shout to them to cease their fire?”
”Wait, what is that?” Eileen cried, clutching her father by the arm
”Guns in the distance, Father, and rifle fire It is the sortie!”
Pausing for a moment, the defenders crouched behind their shelter and listened eagerly and with beating hearts Shouts and volley-firing reached their ears, together with the well-known rattle of a Maxi the to their feet, rushed in the direction of the sounds at their fastest pace