“Jingo!” he cried, “I’d forgotten it;” and he made a bound which took him clear, proving that I had spoken just in time.
Before we were out into the wider passage open to the sky, three or four more shots rang out, followed by a volley, and then there was a cheer.
“Ahoy, there!” cried Denham, hailing the men on the top of the outer wall. “What is it—enemy come on?”
“Eh? Oh, it’s you, sir,” cried one of our troopers, looking down. “Yes, and no. Enemy, but not the Boers.”
“What do you mean?” cried Denham sharply.
“Troop of those baboons got together and making a rush, barking like a pack of dogs, at our fellows out yonder among the rocks. They had to give ’em a few pills to scatter ’em. The savage little beasts have gone off now.”
“I thought we were going to be out of a fight,” said Denham to me as we quickly retraced our steps, to make our way to the Colonel, whom we found at last in the court amongst the horses, talking anxiously to a knot of officers.
“Oh, there you are, Mr Denham,” said the Colonel as we went up. “I was beginning to think you’d come to grief. I could have searched the place half-a-dozen times over by now. You’ve come to say there’s no water, of course?”
“No, sir; I’ve found plenty.”
“What!” cried the Colonel, whose whole manner changed in an instant. “You’ve found plenty?”