“What! and leave all that splendid beef, Briggs?” said Denham, who came up in time to hear the Sergeant’s words.
“Yes; and the gold-mine too, sir. We could come back and take possession of that.”
“But the bullocks?”
“They’d find their way out and get their living on the veldt. Needn’t trouble about them, sir. Look out.”
We were looking out, for our two chief officers had now descended from the walls and crossed to where their servants were holding their chargers.
Directly after a note was sounded, followed by a sharp order or two, and horse and man, troop after troop, filed out into position and stood ready to mount.
The order was not long in coming, and we sprang into our saddles, all in profound ignorance of what was before us, save that we were soon to return. About fifty men had been left as garrison.
Then an order was given, and we divided into two bodies. One detachment, under the Major, moved off, to pass round by the kopje; the other, in which I served, taking the opposite direction, but turning after passing round the stronghold, and meeting the other detachment about half a mile to the east. There we sat, obtaining in the clear evening light a full view of the enemy’s proceedings.
We had no sooner halted than the officers’ glasses were focussed, and all waited anxiously for an explanation of the movements which the non-commissioned officers and privates could see somewhat indistinctly with the naked eye.
Denham was close to me; and, like the good fellow he was, he took care to let me know what he made out, speaking so that his words were plainly heard by Sergeant Briggs and the others near.