Part 33 (1/2)

”Why, who's this?” the officer deht up a prisoner and halted in front of hihlanders with fixed bayonets

”Don't know, sir,” one of theaway like mad down the hill, and there were a couple of dead Boers at his feet lying over a pile of rifles”

”That's s,” Jack explained hastily

”Look here; how long are you likely to be on this hill?”

”Just as long as it takes to blow this infernal gun to pieces,” the officer coolly replied ”Why do you want to know? Can I help you?”

”Yes, we left a poor English lady and her child down there,” Jack answered, pointing down the hill ”I'll go and fetch her, and then ill all get back together”

”That'll suit s replied ”A lady in distress, old boy, and you never need appeal twice to a soldier Cut along then, and get back as soon as you can Sergeant, detail threeout when you're near again”

Adown the hill, and having found Mrs Robb, returned with her to their friends

”Ah! you're there, are you, So down the hill and we'll follow you Nohere's the lantern? That's it Line the top of the hill, boys, till the fuse begins to splutter Then we'll run for it”

It was an exciting moment, and Jack, who had stayed behind, revelled in it, for this was just the kind of hazardous work that he enjoyed But by this tihlanders fell back, having placed a heavy charge of gun-cotton in the breech of the Creuzot gun

Five minutes later there was a loud report, and the breech had been blown to ato destroyed

But it must not be supposed that all this time the sortie party had been left undisturbed On the contrary, a dash, which had at first been un which had annoyed the garrison in the ca from their first surprise, the Boers on the left of the hill had leapt froainst the British troops in extended order Soon their bullets began to swish close to the gun, and one or two of the Highlanders ounded But the others lay down behind boulders, and soon their rifle fire was answering the flashes below

Iht the officer drew off histhe wounded, moved down the hill towards the camp A minute later and Mrs Robb and her child were in the centre

”Look out, sir!” the sergeant shouted at this ot between us and the cas cried cheerfully

”Charge right through the followed, for British troops, whether English, Irish, or Scotch, are perfect demons when their blood is roused and they are armed with that deadly weapon which none know better how to use It see with theuns there may be, and however thickly the bullets may fly, matters are not satisfactory and ended as they should be unless the bugle sounds ”the charge”, and they rush with a cheer and hurl thehlanders, with their kilts blowing fro at the Boers, and simply split them into two parties

Then they turned upon each one, and with a savage fierceness and a splendid disregard of the danger they incurred, forged a way into them and thrust them back at the points of the iant who had ended Hans Schloss's career, and by his side, using a bayonet which he had taken fro it too with a vigour and a quickness which sent ether there, hlander by his side shouted

”Now, at 'eive them a taste of your steel!”

His co ”Re Boers and put theht Then they picked up those who had fallen and returned slowly to the ca the volleys discharged at them with a brisk fusillade

Soon they were out of harpipe About half an hour later it becaarrison of Ladysmith ere free to do so turned out to welcoun-cotton which had destroyed the gun, and so learned that so a sortie It was a surprise to them as much as to the enemy; but to have published the news the day before would have meant a certain reverse, for in the town and caht with Pretoria gold--spies and traitors who lived in the guise of haree civilians, and yet were ready to send news of intended movements to the Boers

But now that the sortie was an acconal success, the troops flocked out in hundreds and cheered the gallant party, relieving of their burdens those ere carrying the wounded

Then a couple of aalloped up, and while one of them halted and took in the poor fellows, the other went ahead, one of the surgeons cli in behind A few hundred yards farther on a shell dropped and exploded near the; for the work done for all ere helpless or hurt, by the ratitude in the hearts of the men