I had fully made up my mind to fire on the first black who showed himself, but I did not get the opportunity. In about two hours I heard a noise of men shouting and whips cracking, and the Doctor and James rode up with a fresh lot of cattle.
I told them what had happened, and we agreed to wait and watch till news should come from the station, and then to start. There was, as we thought, but little danger while there were four or five together; but the worst of it was, that we were but poorly armed. However, at nightfall, Owen and one of his men came down, reporting that Dick, who had been speared, was getting all right, and bringing also three swords, and a brace of pistols.
James and I took a couple of swords, and began fencing, in play.
"I see," said the Doctor, "that you know the use of a sword, you two."
"Lord bless you!" I said, "we were in the Yeomanry (Landwehr you call it); weren't we, Jim? I was a corporal."
"I wish," said Owen, "that, now we are together, five of us, you would come and give these fellows a lesson; they want it badly."
"Indeed," I said, "I think they have had lesson enough for the present. Dick has put down two of them. Beside, we could not leave the cattle."
"I am sorry," said James, "that any of our party has had this collision with them. I cannot bear shooting the poor brutes. Let us move out of this, homeward, to-morrow morning."
Just before dark, who should come riding down from the station but Dick!—evidently in pain, but making believe that he was quite comfortable.
"Why, Dick, my boy," I said, "I thought you were in bed; you ought to be, at any rate."