Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 7, 2025
"Not exactly. I've been trying to think it out, because I expected you'd be asking about him. It strikes me that the last I saw of him was the night I was going the rounds after the search for that Irish prisoner. Perhaps he's tired of being shut up?" "No," I said emphatically. "Those blacks are men who are very fond of running wild." "Joeboy wouldn't forsake me, Sergeant," I said impressively.
To-morrow night as soon as it's dark we'll be off," I said. "The Colonel won't let us go if we volunteer." "Of course not. Let's go without leave; but that will look like deserting." "I don't care what it looks like so long as we can get through and bring help." "The same here." "But we ought to steal away to-night," said Denham. "No; let's have Joeboy. Ha!" I said, with a sigh of relief.
"Then we're going wrong, Joeboy," I said; "that's the east." "Um!" he said. "Too much that way. Going right now." I looked back in the direction of the Boer camp, but nothing was visible there. It seemed as if the darkness lay like a cloud upon the earth; but, upon turning again to look in the way the heads of the oxen were pointed, I could see what looked like a hillock in the distance.
For as Joeboy snatched more than lifted him down, ping, whiz, the humming of two bullets went so close to his head on either side that he winced twice to right and to left; and crack, crack came the reports of the rifles fired from the Boer lines opposite. "Doppie want to shoot Boss Denham," said Joeboy coolly. "Shoot straight."
Joeboy, grinning with satisfaction, now took hold of my saddle-bow and ran by my side till we reached the strong position in a great notch in one side of the valley, where the Colonel was defending himself against a large body of the enemy coming on from the plains below.
Next, on turning sharply to look in the direction of our comrades, there were the old piled-up walls of our stronghold clearly marked against the sky. "It's a long, long way yet, Joeboy," I said. "Yes, long way," he replied. "Can you see the Boers on the move?" He shook his head, and then hurried to the foreloper, a heavy-looking black, who was signalling to him. Charge! by George Manville Fenn
I was in the centre of the line which would receive the shock of the descending Boers, and Joeboy had stationed himself behind me as soon as he had bestowed his plunder in safety; and at last, as there was no sound to indicate that the enemy was on the move, I began to grow terribly impatient, feeling as I did that before long the Colonel and his officers would be reproaching me for giving a false alarm.
I tried to explain that it was poor old black Joeboy we had to thank for the success of the raid; but the men would not listen. If ever poor fellow was glad when the sentries had been relieved and the fires were out, so that rest and silence might succeed the wild feast, I was that person.
Lost Boss Val. Lost ebberybody. Joeboy said, `All come back to water. Boss Denham come soon." "I pray to Heaven he may!" I said sadly; but I had my doubts. That was a terrible night which followed.
"Joeboy?" I said in an excited whisper. "Joeboy? I forgot all about him;" and a pang of misery shot through me. "He was holding on by your saddle wasn't he?" "Yes," I said huskily; "but from the moment I drew my sword and we charged, I never thought about the poor fellow till you spoke."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking