The same as Lennox here.
Come, come, speak out and dont be so thin-skinned. Weve got to report to Lindley.
Six havent moved since, said Dickenson, looking uneasy now that the excitement of the fight was at an end; and I should say twice as many more wounded.
Serve em right. Their own fault, said the captain.
It was decided to be too risky a proceeding to cross the river, for the Boers were certain to be only a short distance away, sheltered in some advantageous position, waiting to try and retrieve their dead and wounded; so a small party was posted by the ford to guard against any crossing of the river, and then the prisoners were marched off towards the village a couple of miles distant, where the detachment of infantry and mounted men had been holding the Boers across the river in check for some weeks past.
A few shots followed them from a distance at first; but the enemy had received quite as much punishment as they desired upon that occasion, and soon ceased the aggressive, being eager for a truce to communicate with the little rear-guard posted in the scrub by the river so as to recover their wounded and dead.
On the way back to the village the two young officers had to relate in full their experience, which was given in a plain, unvarnished way; and then as a sharp descent was reached, and the rescued officers caught sight of the well-guarded prisoners marching on foot, their Bechuana ponies having been appropriated by their captors, Dickenson began to grow sarcastic.
Glad youve made such a nice lot of prisoners, Roby, he said.
Thanks, said the officer addressed, smiling contentedly. Not so bad eh? The colonel will be delighted. Nice useful lot of ponies eh?
Ye-es. The old man must be delighted. Were all about starving, and youre taking him about a score more mouths to feed.
Eh? cried the captain, aghast. Why, of course; I never thought of that.
Dickenson did, said Lennox, laughing. A thing like this touches him to the heart I mean lower down.
You hold your tongue, my fine fellow, growled Dickenson. Youre as bad as I am. I dont like the fighting, but Im ready to do my share if youll only feed me well. I feel as if Id been losing flesh for weeks.
And done you good, said Lennox seriously. You were much too fat.
Look here, Drew, growled the young man addressed; do you want to quarrel?
Certainly not, was the reply. Ive had quite enough for one day.
Further conversation was prevented by their approach to the village, which was built at the foot of a precipitous kopje, the spot having been chosen originally for its fertility consequent upon the fact that a copious spring of fresh water rose high up among the rocks to form the little stream and gully at whose mouth the young officers had met with their fishing experience.
This village, known as Groenfontein, had been held now for nearly two months by the little force, the idea being that it was to be occupied for a day at the most, and vacated after the Boers had been driven off. But though this had been done at once, the enemy had, as Drew Lennox said, a disgracefully unmilitary way of coming back after they had been thoroughly beaten. They had come
back here after the driving; others had come to help them from east, west, north, and south, and as soon as they were strengthened they had set to work to drive the British force away or capture it en bloc ; but that was quite another thing.
For, as Dickenson said, the colonels instructions were to drive and not be driven. So the Boers were driven as often as there was a chance; and then, as they kept on returning, the force had to stay, and did so, getting plenty of opportunities for making fresh drives, till the colonel felt that it was all labour in vain and waste of time.
Under these circumstances he sent messengers explaining the position and asking for instructions. But his despatches did not seem to have been delivered, for no orders came to him, and their bearers did not return. Consequently, like a sturdy British officer, he fell back upon his first command to hold the Boers in check at Groenfontein, soon finding that they held him in check as well, for even had he felt disposed to retire, it would have been impossible except at the cost of losing half his men; so he held on and waited for the relief which he felt would sooner or later come.
But it did not come sooner, and he relied on the later, making the best of things. Colonel Lindleys way of making the best of things was to return a contemptuous reply to the demands made from time to time for his surrender.
The first time this demand was made was when the enemy had him in front and rear. The envoys who came informed him that his position was perfectly hopeless, for he could not cross the river in face of the strong body the Boers had lining the banks; and that they had him in front, and if his people did not give up their arms they would be shot down to a man.
The colonels answer to this was, Very well, gentlemen; shoot away.