Part 32 (1/2)
There was no one near the diun, looking like soht look-out!” Jack whispered, with his uard somewhere close at hand”
”What is that?” Guy answered hoarsely, pointing to the left ”Surely those are men wrapped in blankets and asleep Yes, I am sure of it”
”Stay here a moone in the darkness, and was creeping towards the ill-defined figures which Guy had pointed out
It was dangerous work, but he had had a good grounding in the duties of a scout, and now he put into practice all the cunning that To alled his body between the boulders and rapidly advanced
A few moments later he was sufficiently close, and, cautiously standing up behind a jagged ht he saw filled him with satisfaction, for, wrapped from head to foot in blankets, were ten et past those fellows safely,” he ht even be able to e, there are their rifles stacked a few feet away from their heads!
It is worth the risk, and I will chance it”
Once st the boulders, and was soon within easy reach of the weapons, but with a boulder between hiures At that moainst the rock and gave rise to a sharp sound
Jack i his thue into the breech, and keep the Boers fro possession of their Mausers
It was evident that one of the ht sleeper, for at the sound of the butt striking the boulder he sat up on his elbow and looked suspiciously round Then he rose to his feet, shook off the blankets, and strode towards the stack of rifles Jack covered him and prepared to shoot, but, satisfied that here there was nothing wrong, the Boer again stopped, and then, evidently still suspicious, cliain hid himself behind a boulder soure approached the Boer, and de tones, as thehis words, for once again, with a start of surprise and an angry snap of his teeth which boded ill for the nised the voice of the fat little German, Hans Schloss, who had shown hilish
”That rimly to himself, ”but let him look out this time; for if he coh his carcass!”
Then he sat up and craned his head to listen
”What is thevoice, which showed that sentry duty in front of thesefor
”Nothing is wrong, little man,” the Boer answered surlily, ”but I heard a sound, and ca had happened But these prisoners are evidently afraid of you, Hans Schloss Ah! you are a gallant fighter, and to-lish shells coht for you to watch those prisoners blown to pieces by the very ht for!”
”Ha, ha, Gert! You were always funny,” Hans answered, with a husky laugh which had no merriment in it, ”but to-morrow I have other work to do It is a misfortune, for I should dearly have loved to witness the execution of these traitors”
”Well, keep a bright look-out, Hans,” the Boer replied brusquely, ”or else you ht” Then he turned about, and swung down the hill past Jack, leaving the little Ger with fear Five minutes later the man addressed as Gert was onceback to join Guy
”Come away over here,” he whispered when he had reached him ”Now lie down flat, and I will tell you what I have seen”
Then he detailed how ten Boers were sleeping upon the hill, and how Hans Schloss was keeping guard in front
”With a little luck we shall e beautifully,” he went on, ”but there is always the chance of one of those Boers waking up, or of Hans discovering us I had intended re the stacked rifles, but it was too risky a job when one of the men was only half-asleep But we can do every bit as well by separating Are you willing to do just as I suggest?”
”I'll do exactly as you order, Jack,” Guy answered ”You're boss of this show, and had better continue to act as such Too many cooks spoil the broth, old chap!”
”Very well, then, you will follow me, and I shall leave you behind a boulder close to the sleeping Boers When you are safely hidden there, slip a cartridge into the breech and open the azine If there is an alar those rifles, and whatever happens you will stick to your post till I call you”