The Boers rode right away, then turned and rode back as if about to renew the attack; but suddenly they drew rein, and a small body came on at a canter, one of them waving a handkerchief.
“Yes,” said the Colonel sternly. “Hold your fire, my lads; they want to pick up their wounded.”
This was soon proved to be the case, and we looked on, thinking how much better their wounded fared than did ours.
“Yes,” said Denham when I said something of the kind to him; “but I hope they are behaving decently to our poor lads, wounded and prisoners. Let’s give them credit for a little humanity.”
The Colonel waited till the enemy had retired with their injured men, leaving a couple of dead horses on the plain. Already I could see that the carrion-birds had caught sight of the dead, and were winging their way to an anticipated feast; but they were disappointed, for the order had been given, and the horses were being led out again to graze, while four men, with strong raw-hide plaited reins attached to their saddles, rode out quickly to play the part of butchers to the beleaguered force, and shortly after came slowly back drawing a fresh supply of meat for the garrison. Then the vultures descended to clear away everything left.
“It makes one shudder,” said Denham to me as we sat perched upon a broken portion of the wall, resting after the previous day’s exertion, and nursing our rifles.
“Why?” I said, though I felt that I knew what he was about to say.
“Makes one think how it would be if one lay somewhere out on the veldt, dead and forgotten after a fight.”
“Bah! Don’t talk about it,” I cried.
“Can’t help it,” he replied. “It makes me want to practise my shooting upon those loathsome crows.”