‘You will find them better at single-stick than you have any idea of. You are pretty good all round, but you can’t allow for their wild-cat quickness. As for the sharpened sticks, as you call them, if you get one through you, you won’t have the chance of saying where you would like another. Don’t go too near the rocks; and if they make a rush, we must stand them off on that she-oak hill.’
‘And what about the cattle?’ asked Argyll.
‘Let them rip. Blacks can’t hurt them much. They may spear a few, but we can muster every hoof again inside of ten days. There are no other herds for them to mix with, and they won’t leave the water far. I must move round now, and see that the men are ready.’
CHAPTER XXIII
THE BATTLE OF ROCKY CREEK
‘By Jove!’ said Argyll, ‘this looks serious. I must get away to my fire. We must stick to his directions. I’m in good rifle practice; they’ll remember me in days to come!’
As O’More shrugged his shoulders and moved off, a shower of spears whistled through the air, while a chorus of cries and yells, as though from a liberated Inferno, rang through the woods along the line of the broken, stony country, though no human form could be seen.
The commotion created by this sudden onslaught, in spite of Hubert Warleigh’s precautions, was terrific. The startled, frantic cattle dashed through the watch-fires, scattering the brands and almost trampling their guardians underfoot. Then the heavy-footed droves rolled away, madly crashing through the timber, until the echo of their hoofs died away in the distance. Several head, however, had been mortally wounded, well-nigh transfixed in some cases. They staggered and fell.
At the first surprise of the onset, guns were fired with an instinctive desire of reprisal, but no settled plan of defence seemed to be organised. Then amid the tumult was heard the trumpet-like voice of Hubert Warleigh.
‘Every man to his tree; don’t fire till you are sure; look out for the rocks! Keep cool. We have only to stand them off for an hour. It’s near daylight.’
His words reassured all. And a shot which came from his double-barrelled rifle apparently told, as a smothered yell was heard from the cover.