“But how was it you came to the help of the Light Horse, Sergeant? Did you know we were shut up?”
“Not till yesterday morning or this morning at daybreak, sir. The General knew your corps was missing, and that there was a strong force of Boers camped out this way; but we were precious badly shut up ourselves, and could get no proper communications for want of cavalry. Our officers did nothing but swear about your corps for keeping away when they would have been so useful.”
“But how did you get to know at last?”
“Through a big nigger dressed up in two white ostrich-feathers, a bit of skin, and an assagai and shield for walking-stick and cloak. He brought the news, and as soon as the General had proved him a bit, two foot-regiments, ours and ‘Yallow Terror Tories,’ were sent off to make a forced march. That black—Joeboy he called himself—brought us up within striking distance, and then he went off to warn them in that old ruin that we were coming, so that they might be ready to copyrate with us.”
“But didn’t they suspect that the black might be going to lead you into a trap?”
“At first, sir; but when he took our young lieutenant and some of our fellows as scouts, with orders to shoot him on the slightest sign of treachery, and he showed us where the Boers lay in the plain, and where we could take possession of a kopje on to which our men could march and act quite unseen, and where we could have defended ourselves against ten times our number, we knew it was all right.”
“And you got there unseen?” said Denham.
“That’s right, sir; and then the Colonel in command of both lots let this Crystal Minstrel go to warn the cavalry.”
“He has done his work cleverly, Sergeant, or our corps could not have worked with you so well.”
“That’s right again, sir. I quite took to that chap, Joeboy, as he called himself; but it’s a pity he’s so jolly black.”