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Updated: June 17, 2025
A minute later I was struggling to reach the stone I had fought to gain before; and by its help I got upon my feet, when I saw Sandho some twenty yards away, standing in a depression by the side of a perpendicular mass of rock, down whose side a spring of water gushed and ran off below the rock, to sink out of sight some distance off.
I pressed on into the gully, at whose entrance the second dead horse lay, and the next minute, as Sandho forced the bushes apart with his breast, I saw marks of blood on a stone just beneath where the apes had been chattering in their excitement; and then I drew rein and felt completely paralysed, for a faint voice, whose tones were unmistakable, cried: "Help! Wather, for the love of Heaven!"
Giving up the satisfaction of getting his report about the young Lieutenant, I went to where Sandho was picketed with the rest, and stood by his head for about half-an-hour, petting and caressing him, before going back towards the rough breastwork partly natural, partly artificial which served as a shelter from the bullets.
"I'll try," I replied; and Sandho advanced cautiously, with the cover getting more dense, till, just as I was separated from the Sergeant by a few big blocks of ironstone, from out of whose chinks grew plenty of brushwood, Sandho stopped short, threw up his muzzle, and neighed. "What is it, old fellow?" I said softly, as I debated whether I should dismount so as to make sure of my shot.
Then I fell to watching Sandho, and then the soft effects grew hazy, and then hazier and very dark, but not so dark but that I could see Joeboy's big face as he leaned over me and said softly, "Boss Val been asleep?" "No," I said sharply. "Um!" whispered Joeboy, laying his hand across my mouth. "Boer jus' there. Lots. Plenty horses."
Then I wondered about Sandho, and how the poor beast had fared, a pang of mental agony shooting through me as I listened. I could not hear a sound. "He's killed," was my next thought; "for if he had been alive he would have stopped directly I fell from his back, and waited for me to remount."
I was beginning to breathe more freely when my agony was renewed; for the beating of hoofs was resumed, and I could tell that the little troop of Boers was divided into two, and the risk had again to be encountered. I dared not whisper to Sandho for fear he should answer me in his own way and reach round his soft, velvety muzzle to touch my expected hand, now so painfully held back.
Then it was out again, for with a loud, shrill cry I was urging Sandho to make his great effort one which, as I have said, meant either freedom if the escape of one bound as I was could be so regarded or the horse galloping away and leaving me to be trampled under foot. "Ri ri ri ri ri ri!" I half-shrieked, and Sandho made a tremendous bound.
"All Boer," he said, pointing in various directions. "Can't go. Wait." "Yes," I said; "we must wait till it is dark." "Boss Val wait. Sandho eat and rest," he said. "Boss lie down." "No," I replied. "I must sit here and watch. You lie down now." "Boss Val lie down," said the black, shaking his head. "Boer see um." "Well, they'll see you," I said. "Um!" he replied, with a nod. "Only black man.
At last, however, I saw a break in the continuous ridge of hills on my right, and eased Sandho down into his gentle amble, not willing to press him hard, for I knew that at any minute I might be obliged to urge him to his greatest speed.
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