Part 38 (2/2)
Still, it is just the kind of dodge to end successfully, and we'll do as you say”
”Ah! I alad you approve,” Jack answered quietly; ”and now all we have to do is to sit down and wait for the convoy to turn up By the way, to avoid confusion I will pull your sleeve when the right wagon co, and then, while you jump in behind, I will slip in in front Look out in case someone happens to be inside It would be a bit of bad luck, and if we failed to silence hi for it but to bolt back to Ladysave a low grunt to show that he understood, and afellows crept down to the edge of the road once more, and hid up in an old and deserted Kafir hut which stood some hundreds of yards from the sentry They had scarcely settled dohen the low rumble of wheels in the distance attracted their attention, and looking back towards Ladysmith, they saw a couple of lanterns suddenly appear within a short distance of theruff reply as the driver answered the challenge, while at the same moon, drawn by a long teaure of a Kafir was for one brief second silhouetted against the light, to be sed up in the darkness ion came into view, to be followed by another and another, each one of the long string which co inspected by the men who carried the lanterns
”The first one that co is the one for us,” whispered Jack
”The driver is on this side of his team, so ill skip over to the other side of the road Wait till the wagon is directly in front, and then hop in as quickly as you can”
”Right! I understand,” was Poynter's answer
By this ti slowly along the road, for many of the teams were co much more than two miles in an hour
There were a fewfiled past Jack and his friend like so roaned and rattled at every inequality in the road
Jack pressed Poynter's arround and darted towards the vehicle With a spring Jack landed upon the driving-board, and, diving beneath the apron of the tent, crawled on to the top of a pile of s Suddenly his hand fell upon the face of sos, and set his heart thu heavily with the shock A second later he had clapped his other hand over the sleeper'sbefore Poynter had grasped the aard situation, Jack and the stranger were engaged in a desperate struggle, the former with both hands clasped across the man'sto clutch Jack by the throat Abefore the line of the eneher was bound hand and foot with cords taken fros, while Jack's handkerchief was secured in his mouth Then he was lifted to one side, with Poynter in attendance, while Jack stretched hih the opening in the tent
It seee before the sentry was reached, but suddenly the saoes there?”
Jack waited a e of the teauessed that the Boer he had discovered asleep upon the ive the pass-word
”Convoy for Colenso!” he called out in a sleepy voice ”Give the pass-word!” replied the sentry, lifting a lantern and flashi+ng the light upon the wagon
”'Kruger',” Jack called out in a stilla yawn
”Pass, convoy; all's well!” the sentry exclaion ruiving the pass-word
”Thank goodness that's over!” whispered Jack, slipping back to Poynter's side ”Noe have nothing more to do but to keep this fellow quiet and wait”
”And what then!” asked Poynter, with a chuckle ”What are we going to do?”
”You said you'd stick by h thick and thin,” Jack replied, ”and by Jove, I'h to Buller with General White's despatches, but I'll take this wagon with me Are you ready for the job?”
”Ready?” asked Poynter, scarcely able to repress a shout of exciterand We should create quite a stir in the caet your gun ready in case of accidents, and whatever you do, keep an eye on that fellow's gag”
Poynter gave another chuckle expressive of intense enjoy his rifle, sat down close to his captive, while Jack once on
An hour later the convoy passed through Pieters, being challenged by the Boer sentries, and co to a halt close to the railway-station But no one ca, and, taking buckets froons, went to a streaave to their thirsty anie of thethe-board, he stretched his and snored loudly as if fast asleep Ahiuage colish, Dutch, and Zulu Jack sat up and yawned in the ible answer
Then he pushed thehi staff-officer sat beside his unwilling captive, with his hand over his ive an alaro, but no doubt the Kaffir driver had experienced the ill-teruff answer as an order, he sent the lash of his sjambok over the heads of the mules, with a crack as sharp as the report of a rifle, and started the the road to Colenso
Three hours later there was another halt, and, peering out through the back of the wagon, Jack noticed that all but the leading dozen wagons had turned aside, and their tea outspanned upon the veldt
Soon a horseruff order, and once ons were set into break they reached the road bridge over the River Tugela, and having trundled across it, pushed on towards Colenso