Charge! | Page 6

George Manville Fenn
father gravely. "But you are one of the Queen's
servants--an Irishman."
"Nothing of the sort, sor. I disown England; I disowned her when I
came out here to throw meself into the arrums of the brave, suffering,
pathriotic race around me, and placed my sword at their service."
"Then you are a soldier, I presume?" said my father.
"I was tin years in the arrmy, sor," said our visitor, drawing himself up
and clapping his hand upon his chest. "Look at thim," he continued,
pointing to his followers drawn up in line. "A part of my following, and
as fine irrigular cavalry as ever threw leg over saddle.--Look here,
young man, ye're in luck, for ye'll have the honour of serving in
Captain Eustace Moriarty's troop."
"You are Captain Eustace Moriarty?" said my father.
"I am, sor."
"Then I must tell you, sir," said my father, "that though I have taken up
land here and made it my home, I claim my rights as an Englishman
not to make myself a traitor by taking up arms against my Queen."
"A thraitor!" cried the captain. "Bah! That for the Queen;" and he
snapped his fingers. "But ye're not asked to serve now. That can wait
till ye're wanted. It's the bhoy we want, and maybe after a bit it'll be
you."
"My son thinks as I do," said my father sternly.
"Does he, now?" said the captain mockingly. "Then I shall have to
tache him to think as I do, and it won't take long. D'ye hear me, bhoy?"

"I hear what you say, sir," I replied. "Of course I think as my father
does, and I refuse to serve against England."
"I expected it," said the man, with cool insolence. "It's what I expected
from a young Saxon. But look here, me bhoy; ye've got to serrve
whether ye like it or whether ye don't. What's more, ye've got to come
at once. So get yer horse, and clap the saddle on. Fetch him his rifle and
his cartridge-bolt, and let there be no more nonsense."
"You heard what my son said, sir," said my father haughtily. "If it were
against a black enemy of the country we should both be willing."
"Didn't I tell ye it was again' a black inimy?" said the man mockingly.
"I heard you insult the Queen and her Government, sir," said my father;
"and, once more, my son refuses to serve."
"The coward!--the white-livered cub!" cried the captain
contemptuously.
"What!" I cried, springing forward; but my father flung his hand across
my chest, and Bob rushed in past Aunt Jenny, as if to take refuge from
the scene.
"Quite right, old man," said the captain, coolly stroking his beard. "And
look here, bhoy whether ye like it or not, ye're a sojer now; I'm yer
shuperior officer, and it's time of war. If a man strikes his shuperior
officer, he's stood up with a handkerchief tied across his eyes to prevent
him from winking and spoiling the men's aim, and then the firing-party
does the rest."
As he spoke he made a sign, and half-a-dozen of the mounted Boers
rode up.
"Sargint," he said, "the young colt's a bit fractious. Ye'll take him in
hand. Fasten his hands behind him ready. Two of ye go round to the
pen there and pick out the most likely horse, saddle and bridle him, and
bring him here. Ye've got some green-leather thongs. Then put him

upon the horse with his face to the tail, and tie his ankles underneath.
It'll be a fine lesson for the bhoy in rough-riding."
The men were quick enough. Before I had even thought of trying to
make my escape, two of the Boers were off their horses and made me
their prisoner, while the rest of the little troop rode closer up and
surrounded us.
Then other two of the men rode off behind the house, and I stood
breathing hard, biting my lips, and feeling as if something hot was
burning my chest as I tried hard to catch my father's averted eyes.
Just then the Irish renegade captain burst into a hearty laugh, and I
wrenched myself round to look, and felt better. A minute before, I had
seen Bob disappear into the house, and had mentally denounced him as
a miserable little coward; but my eyes flashed now as I saw him hurry
out with three rifles over his right shoulder, a bandolier belt across his
left, and two more, well filled with cartridges, hanging to the barrels of
the rifles.
"Bedad!" said the captain, "and he's worth fifty of his big, hulking
brother! But ye're too shmall, darlint. Wait a year or two longer, and ye
shall fight under me like a man."
Bob made a rush for
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