It was a wild and exciting rush before we got through; and I have but little recollection of what took place beyond the fact that I struck out right and left in mêlée after mêlée, wherein blows were aimed at us with the butts and barrels of rifles, and shots fired at close quarters, but in almost every case I believe without effect. Then the call rang out, “Halt!” and, with our enemies at a distance, we formed up again, to give our panting horses breathing-time.
It was then, I remember, that Denham—who had not been missed—almost breathless, and with uncovered head, edged in to my side, and as soon as he was able to speak panted out:
“Glorious, Val! Glorious! Oh! we did let them have it; but there’s nothing for it except to die game or surrender, and I’ll be hanged if I’ll do either, and so I tell them.”
“Which way are we going now?” I said, taking off my soft hat and offering it to him, as I wiped the perspiration from my face with my hand.
“Do you want to insult a fellow?” he cried, laughing. “Who’s going to wear your old hats?” Then, seriously: “No, no; keep it, old chap. Which way next? Who knows? I’m sure the Colonel doesn’t. It’s all chance. I don’t like running; but run we must if they’ll only open a hole for us.”
“It’s horrible,” I said.
“Not a bit of it. They’re getting it worse than we are.”
“Yes; but look at their numbers.”
“I’ve been looking, old fellow, and there’s more than I can count. I didn’t think there were so many Doppies in the country. There are too many for us to kill, and so many that they won’t run away. Why, we’re nowhere. Yah! Cowards! That’s the Boer all over. Look at them, lying down at a distance to pick us off. I don’t call that fighting. Oh, Colonel, Colonel, this won’t do!”
He said the words to me, and the men within hearing laughed. There was, however, good cause for Denham’s words, the bullets beginning to fall about us, aimed from different directions; and it was quite plain that, if we stood grouped together in troops, it would not be long before a perfect hail of bullets would be pattering among us, many of them going straight to their goals, and decimating our little force, or worse.