Charge! | Page 7

ride with this party till I have applied to the proper quarters to get the matter righted."
"Now, man, be aloive," said the captain, and I winced and looked vainly round for a way of escape; but I was seized by the wrist by another dismounted Boer, who slipped a raw-hide noose over my wrist, just as two more came riding back, leading my own horse, Sandho, between them. The poor beast, who followed me like a dog, uttered a shrill neigh as soon as he caught sight of me, springing forward to reach my side.
"Stop!" cried my father loudly; "there is no need for that. My son will ride with you, sir."
"Indade, sir, I'm obleeged to ye for the inforrmation," said the captain mockingly; "but sure it's a work of shupererrogation, me dear friend, for I knew it, and that he was going to ride backward. If, however, he gives up sinsibly, he may ride with his back to the horse's tail, and ye needn't tie his ankles togither. Have ye ever ridden that horse before?"
"He has ridden it hundreds of times, ever since it was a foal," said my father quickly, for I felt choked.--"Stop, man," he added angrily; "your captain said my son was not to be bound."
"Sure I didn't say a wurrud about his wrists, old man," cried the captain contemptuously. "Ye want too much. I've let him off about the ankles, and let him ride face forward, so be contint. Make his wrists fast behind him."
I was compelled to resign myself to my fate, and stood fighting hard to keep down all emotion while my wrists were secured firmly behind my back, the thin raw-hide cutting painfully into the flesh.
By this time Sandho was bridled and saddled, and just then my father turned to Bob.
"Take in those rifles, my boy," he said.
The captain turned sharply and gave my father a searching look; but he contented himself with nodding, and my brother snatched the rifles from where they lay across the Boer's knees, and rushed indoors with them.
I knew well enough why, poor fellow: it was to hide the tears struggling to rise, and of which he was ashamed.
Just then I had harder work than ever to control my own feelings, for Aunt Jenny hurried towards me, but was kept back by my captors; and I saw her go to my father and throw her arms about his neck, while he bent over her and seemed to be trying to whisper comfort.
"There, up with ye, me bhoy," cried the captain. "Ye can't mount, though, with yer hands behind yer like a prishner.--Lift him on, two of ye, like a sack."
"That they shan't," I said between my teeth; and feeling now that what was to como was inevitable, I took a couple of steps to my horse's side.
"Stand!" I said aloud as I raised one foot to the stirrup; and Sandho stood as rigid as if of bronze, while I made a spring, raised myself up, and threw my leg over.
"Well done, bhoy!" cried the captain as I sank into the saddle.--"You, Hooger, take his rein. Unfasten one end from the bit so as to give ye double length, and ye'd better buckle it to your saddle-bow.--Now look here, me fine fellow," he continued, addressing me, "ye'll give me none of your nawnsense; for, look ye, my bhoys are all practised shots with the rifle. They can bring down a spring-bok going at full speed, so they can easily bring ye down and yer nag too. There's twenty of them, and I'm a good shot meself, so ye know what to expect if ye thry to escape."
I said nothing, for I was thinking with agony about poor Aunt Jenny, who was now coming up to me, and the captain laughed as he saw her pain-wrung countenance.
"Good-bye, Val, my boy," said my father slowly; "and bear up like a man."
That was all, and he turned away.
The next moment Bob was clinging to my arm.
"O Val! O Val! O Val!" he cried in a choking voice, and then he dropped back, poor boy, for he could say no more.
"Be sharp there and get it done, me bhoy," said the captain. "Ye can say good-bye to the owld woman; but lave the cat and the dogs till ye come back."
"Are you going to march at once?" said my father as Aunt Jenny came to my side, and I gripped my saddle and bent down for her to put her arms round my neck.
"Sor, ye see that I am," said the captain.
"But you and your men will take something to eat and drink?"
"Something to send them asleep?" said the captain suspiciously. "I'm thinkin' they can last till we get back to Drak Pass, where there's a shtore. I'm obleeged to ye all