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Updated: May 11, 2025
Before the man could recover his weapon, Wilmshurst brought the heavy stick down upon his fingers. Dropping his rifle the Askari gripped the subaltern's wrist with his uninjured right hand, while a third native ran in to drive his bayonet through the young officer's chest.
With a sensation akin to that of a mild-tempered individual who essays with his bare hands to separate two large and ferocious dogs engaged in combat Wilmshurst edged towards the flank of the lioness with the intention of hamstringing the tensioned sinews of her hind legs.
"Run for it!" he exclaimed in a high-pitched, unnatural voice, but without turning his head. Wilmshurst disobeyed for one thing he was unable to tear himself away; his feet seemed rooted to the ground.
Satisfied on this point the subaltern was about to retrace his way when he heard a stealthy footfall on the dew-soddened ground within a few paces of the spot where he stood. Softly and deliberately Wilmshurst dropped to the earth, screened by the broad leaves of a cactus.
A mile and a half of this sort of marching the Haussas were in single file and the platoon emerged into a wider track running obliquely across the path they had taken. Halting his men Wilmshurst, assisted by Sergeant Bela Moshi, examined the ground.
Each man as he closed in the centre made the same report nothing had been seen of the body of the much-sought-after Hun. "We've drawn a blank, it seems," remarked Wilmshurst. "There's nothing for it but to carry on until either we overtake him or come in touch with the enemy patrols. We've a clear twenty-four hours before we rejoin our regiment."
"I was unpacking my kit when a whopping big rat jumped out of this valise. I'll swear that rascal of a servant of mine knows all about it. I had to give him a dressing down yesterday for losing some of my gear. We'll have to find the animal, Wilmshurst. A rat is my pet abomination." "Why not leave the door open?" suggested Dudley.
"Take cover, all of you!" shouted the subaltern, loath to hamper his task by additional casualties. The Haussas obeyed with one exception Bela Moshi. The sergeant, slipping a clip into the magazine, stood right in the centre of the path along which the second bush-cow was tearing, eager to avenge its mate. Wilmshurst made no further attempt to order Beta Moshi to take refuge.
He was on the point of handing the type-written list back to the purser's clerk when he noticed a few names written in red ink three civilians who had been taking passages in ships that had fallen victims to the raider Porfurst. "MacGregor Robert; of Umfuli, Rhodesia that's remarkable," thought Wilmshurst. "That's the name of Rupert's chum. Wonder if it's the same man?
"The cruiser wants to get the transports out of harm's way, I should imagine," replied Wilmshurst. "By Jove, it's rummy how news spreads. The whole mess is coming on deck." The arrival of the colonel and almost all the other officers in various "fancy rig" proved the truth of Dudley's remark.
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