Part 42 (1/2)
”Where fro, with despatches,” Jack replied unsuspectingly
”Advance, friend, and give the countersign!” the sentry now called out; and as soon as Jack and Riley had approached within ten yards he shouted, ”Halt! Lay down your arms at once--you are prisoners!”
”Trapped, by Jove!” shouted Jack, snatching at his rifle; but before he could lift it a dozen other dark figures rose beside the sentry and covered him with their weapons To resist would have been madness, and ataken back towards the Boer caersfontein, Riley still mounted on his pony
”What hard luck!” cried the latter bitterly ”We ithin a couple of miles of our friends, and after all the trouble we had taken we deserved to get in safely”
”Yes, it was rough luck,” Jack agreed cheerfully ”But it is the fortune of war, and there is no use worrying about it I should not have ht for it To be taken without firing a shot is hu to do but to escape I've ain if the chance comes”
”Then I hope you'll take erly ”I've no special wish to spend my days a prisoner in Pretoria”
Soon after sunrise that ht into the enemy's camp, and Riley was at once taken to the hospital and placed in charge of a Scotch surgeon who had been coe bell-tent, standing apart from the others in an open space, and ushered into it It was most elaborately furnished
The floor was carpeted, and there was a handso-table, seated behind which was a short, shabby, and vindictive-looking rey beard and whiskers, unke lishman It was General Cronje, a man who had taken a prominent part in the first Boer war, and who had earned for hilishmen for his treacherous behaviour
”Who are you?” he dely at Jack's face
”I am Jack Somerton, a despatch-rider, and now a prisoner in your hands,” Jack answered coolly ”Where are your despatches?”
”I don't know, general,” was Jack's calm reply, for, sharp of wit, he had torn and scattered his papers on the veldt the instant after being taken prisoner
”Search him!” cried General Cronje And then, as soon as Jack's clothes had been thoroughly examined, he ordered him to be taken away
Careless of the black looks hich the general favoured him, Jack swept his hat off and stalked unconcernedly out of the tent He was then taken across to a large wagon laager, and given in charge of an ar that tiood terms with his captors On the 14th of the alloped in and out
”What is the e of hi,” the Boer replied
”General French--that is what you call hiuns and horsemen marched on Sunday to Ramdan, and next day pushed on to the Riet river There was a fight, and we gave way, as it is not policy to prevent a foolishhis nose into a trap I hear he is now at the Rondeval Drift, on the Modder River, where we are again playing with hieneral knows better You will see, we shall eat up your general, and then we shall march south to Cape Town”
Jack did not correct hi s to Kiun He knew that foron in the British camp, and if the news he had just learnt were really true, it was extremely probable that Roberts and his troops were about to strike that blow at the Boer forces which shouldof the tide, and a full co their preparations
On the following alloped up to General Cronje, as sitting s coffee outside his tent, and in an excited voice informed him that the British had crossed the Modder and had captured five laagers, full of stores, 2000 sheep, and a large nueneral at the ti Boer, interpreted as said
At first the news evidently caused the general some excitement, and he rose to his feet and walked restlessly up and down Then he suddenly sat down, lit his pipe again, and sers,” he said in a rasping voice ”What does it lish You shall see We will turn on him and eat up completely this General French and hisnear at hand, and as Cronje finished speaking, two of theely and ejaculated: ”Ja, Ja! we shall take the English soldiers They are not wise”
The third, however, as a Free State burgher, differed
”These English are not such fools as you think,” he said shortly ”I tell you, there is a big force advancing on our flank, and unless we do so, and at once, we shall ourselves be captured”
”Nonsense, nonsense, you are too ti angrily at him
The Free State co a quarrel with his superior, when two ravest importance General French, accouns, was pushi+ng straight forward for Ki, and already threatened the road to Bloemfontein