Chapter 20. How To Escape

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_ CHAPTER TWENTY. HOW TO ESCAPE

"What's wrong?" said Ingleborough, in a whisper.

"Look out at the bottom of the wagon," was West's reply.

Ingleborough rose to his knees, and at a glance grasped the meaning of his companion's troubled look.

"Going to adopt our little Basutos for their own use, eh?" he said coolly. "Well, I wonder they haven't done it before! Bah! There are plenty more horses about! What worries me is how I'm to get a couple of rifles and the ammunition. I was rather too cock-a-hoop about that when I talked to you, for these beloved Dutch cuddle up their pieces as if they loved them with all their hearts."

West smiled.

"Oh, don't do that because I said cuddled."

"I smiled because I see the way to get a couple of rifles as soon as it's dark," said West, and he told what he had noted.

"Then there's no reason for you to look glum. I'll get a couple of horses somehow if you'll get the guns. Here, I'd whistle or sing if I were not afraid of taking the sentry's attention. We're all right, lad, and that bit of sleep has taken away the miserable pain in my head which I keep on having since my fall. Now then, what are they going to do with those ponies?"

Sitting well back, the prisoners watched all that went on, and saw the ponies mounted and put through their paces by a couple of big Boers of the regular heavy, squat, Dutch build.

"Bah! What a shame!" whispered Ingleborough; "it's murdering the poor little nags. A regular case for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Those fellows want a couple of dray-horses to carry them."

"Yes, and they've found it out," said West softly.

For as they looked on they saw the two Boers pull up after a canter up and down the full length of the laager, and then drop clumsily off, with the result that the ponies spread out their legs and indulged in a good shake which nearly dislodged their saddles.

Then a couple more of the onlookers tried the little mounts, but stopped after one trot up and down, and a general conversation ensued, resulting in the ponies being led off and tied up again in the same place, making West's heart beat as fast as if he had been running hard, while all the time he tried to crush down a feeling of elation, lest he should be premature in his hopefulness and be met with a fresh disappointment, for, though he saw the reins fastened in the same places, there was plenty of time before dark for the ponies to be removed.

Just then their examination of the Boers' proceedings was brought to an end by one of their captors bringing the roughly-prepared portion of food that was served out to them every day.

It was rough, but good of its kind, for the Boers seemed to like to live well, and they did not stint their prisoners, who, at a word from Ingleborough, fell to at once.

"Appetite or no appetite, eat all you can," he said. "We may have to work very hard to-night, and shall need all our strength."

There was a fair amount left after they had done, and this was carefully tied up ready for taking with them if they were successful that night. After this there was nothing more to be done but to wait till darkness fell, and they sat back watching while the sentry was again changed, when the fresh man visited the wagon, to climb in, look carefully round, and eye them suspiciously before returning to his post.

"Does that fellow suspect anything?" whispered West.

"Of course; but nothing fresh. He comes on duty under the full impression that we mean to escape if we can, and he feels that if we attempt it his duty is to send a bullet through each of us."

"Then you don't think he suspects that we are going to make an attempt to-night?"

"Pooh! How could he? But look! There goes Anson! Not coming here, is he?"

"No: going to his own wagon! I say, Ingle, do you think he has any illicit-diamonds with him?"

"I'm sure of it! He could not, according to his nature, have come away without robbing the company somehow. I only wish I had the searching of his wagon! I suppose Norton did not have a chance!"

"Yes, look! He has gone to his wagon. Where should you search if you had the chance?"

"Not quite sure yet!" said Ingleborough gruffly. "But don't talk to me. I want to think of something better than diamonds."

"You mean liberty?"

"That's right. And now, once for all, we don't want to make any more plans: each knows what he has to do, and as soon as it is dark he has to do it."

"No," said West gravely; "your part must wait until I have managed to get the rifles."

"Well, yes; I must not be in too great a hurry. But I say, wouldn't it be better for us to go together to the horses, and hide by them or under them till the Boers muster?"

"But suppose the sentry takes it into his head to come and examine the wagon, and gives the alarm?"

"Oh, don't suppose anything!" said Ingleborough impatiently. "We must chance a good deal and leave the rest to luck."

West nodded, and fixed his eyes upon the wagon he had previously singled out, noticing that the Boers who occupied it were lying right beneath, sleeping, each with a rolled-up blanket for a rug.

A little later he saw a big heavy-looking Kaffir come up, look underneath at the sleepers, and then go off for a short distance, to lie down upon his chest, doubling his arms before him so as to make a resting-place for his forehead, and lying so perfectly motionless that it became evident that he also was asleep.

The evening was closing in fast now, and the men began to move about more as if making preparations for some excursion which they had in view.

"That looks well!" said Ingleborough. "There's going to be some movement to-night. All was so still half-an-hour ago that I began to think we should have to put off our attempt."

"Oh, don't say that!" said West. "We _must_ go!"

Further conversation was checked by the coming of the sentry to look in upon them, scowling heavily before he slouched away.

Ten minutes or so later the darkness began to fall, increasing so fast that within half-an-hour the laager would have been quite black if it had not been for a lantern inside a wagon here and there; but, in spite of the darkness, the camp began to grow more animated, a buzz of conversation seeming to rise from the wagons like the busy hum of the insects outside.

All at once, as Ingleborough was going to draw his companion's attention to this fact, he felt a hand steal along his arm to grip his hand. Then it was withdrawn, a very faint rustling followed, and the listener felt that he was alone.

"Good luck go with him!" he muttered. "I wonder whether he'll succeed?"

Leaning a little forward, he seemed to strain his ears to listen, though he felt that this was absurd, till all at once it struck him that he heard the soft sound of stealthy steps approaching from the other end of the wagon, and, creeping towards the sounds, he felt more than heard two men approaching, and as he got his head over the wagon-box he heard a whisper.

"Anson and the sentry!" he said to himself. "The spy, come to find out whether we're safe. Yes, that was Anson's whisper! Then we're done if he brings a lantern and finds me alone."

He paused for a moment or two, asking himself what he should do; and then the idea came.

Subsiding into a reclining position, he suddenly gave his thigh a sharp slap and started as if the blow had roused him up.

"Don't go to sleep, stupid!" he said aloud. "One can't sleep all these awful long nights! Oh dear me, this is precious dull work. I wish we had a lantern and a box of dominoes! I wonder whether there is a box in the laager?"

"Bother!" he said, in a low smothered tone, with his hands covering his face. "I wish you wouldn't! I was dreaming about old Anson and that he'd got ten thousand pounds' worth of diamonds in a bag aboard his wagon."

"Like enough!" continued Ingleborough, in his natural voice. "Ha, ha, ha!" he laughed. "I should like to serve the beggar out!"

"How?" he said, in the smothered sleepy voice.

"How? I'll tell you how it might be done if he had got them. Find out where his wagon is in the laager, and then wait till the sentry's asleep, and crawl out of this thing, and nobble the lot."

"Rubbish!"

"Not it! We could get them easily enough and bring them back here. Nobody would suspect us! But there would be no getting them away! I say, are you asleep again?"

"No," said West quietly. "What's the matter with you? Are you talking in your sleep? I was afraid to come in, thinking someone was with--"

He got no farther, for Ingleborough clapped a hand over his mouth and continued.

"Heigho! What bosh one does talk! I wish there wasn't a blessed diamond in the world!"

He removed his hand, and feeling that there was some reason for all this, West said quietly: "Why?"

"Why? See what a lot of trouble they cause! This fighting is as much about the diamond-fields as anything, and--Hullo! how you startled me?"

It was quite true: he was horribly startled, feeling that their plan was spoiled, for there was a faint sound at the end of the wagon and the door of a lantern was suddenly opened, throwing the light within, and giving the prisoners a glance of the sentry's and Anson's faces looking in.

"All right?" said the sentry, in his own tongue.

"Oh yes, all right!" replied Ingleborough; "but look here: you might as well leave us that lantern! We won't set fire to the bed-curtains, I promise you!"

"No," said the Boer, and with a chuckle he closed the door of the lantern and walked whistling away to his companion.

"Anson!" said West, with his lips close to Ingleborough's ear.

"Yes: the fox! How you startled me! I didn't hear you come! I was keeping up a sham conversation, for they were stealing down upon us to catch us on the hop! You failed, then, or were you obliged to turn back?"

"Neither: I succeeded!"

"What? You got the rifles?"

"Yes."

"Then they must have seen them when the light was thrown in!"

"No," said West quietly; "they are outside, leaning against the near hind wheel."

"West, lad, this seems too good to be true. How did you manage?"

"Easily enough. I had marked down one wagon--the one I pointed out to you while it was light--and as soon as I dropped down from here I went on my hands and knees to crawl towards it. You know what a short distance it was, and by going very slowly I passed two others where the Boers were sitting outside talking. This was easy enough, for they were so much interested in their conversation that they took no notice of any noise I made."

"And they couldn't see you?"

"I couldn't see them," replied West; "so, of course, they did not see me."

"Go on."

"I did," said West, "and then I thought it was all over, for the next wagon faced in another direction, and I saw what I had not seen before-- a lantern was hanging in front over the driver's box, and it sent a dull path of light forward on the ground, and I stopped, for I had to cross that path, and I felt that I must be seen."

"Tut-tut-tut!" clicked Ingleborough.

"But after a few moments I recollected how much my drab brown jacket was like the soil, and I determined to risk it."

"And crawled on?"

"Yes, but not on my hands and knees. I lay flat on my chest and worked myself along upon my hands and toes. It was only about a dozen yards where it was light, but it seemed like a mile."

"Never mind that!" said Ingleborough impatiently. "You did it unheard?"

"Yes; but a man sitting in the wagon suddenly moved when I was half across, and I was about to spring up, thinking that he was searching for his rifle."

"Phew!" whistled Ingleborough softly.

"It was well I did not; for directly after, to save getting up and opening his lantern, the Boer struck a match, and as I lay perfectly still, fully expecting to be shot, the whole place seemed to be lit up, and instead of hearing a rifle cocked I smelt a whiff of strong coarse tobacco, and I felt that I was safe."

"Go on and get it over!" whispered Ingleborough. "You are making my hands feel wet."

"I lay some time before I dared to move."

"That you didn't, for you weren't gone long."

"Well, it seemed an hour to me: and then I crept on and out of the light into the black darkness again, rose to my hands and knees, wondering whether I was going right, and the next minute my hand rubbed softly against a wagon-wheel, and I knew I was right."

"Bravo!" whispered Ingleborough.

"I rose up directly, and began to feel about carefully for the tilt, and once more my heart seemed to rise to my mouth, for from under the wagon there came a dull deep snoring, and I felt it was impossible to do more for fear of being heard."

"But you made a dash for it?"

"No: I waited to get my breath, for I was just as if I had been running. But as soon as I could I went on feeling along the edge of the tilt, and then my heart gave a jump, for my hand touched the barrel of a rifle and directly after that of another."

"Hurrah!" panted out Ingleborough, and West went on.

"I began to draw the first towards me, but, as soon as I did, to my horror the other began to move, and I felt that if I kept on the second one would fall and wake the sleeping Boers. So I reached up with my other hand, got well hold, and drew both together. But it was terrible work, for they would not come readily, because the bandoliers were hanging to them, and as I pulled I fully expected that something would catch and discharge one of the pieces, to alarm the whole laager for certain, even if it did not kill me. But by lifting and easing and turning the rifles over I at last got the two pieces nearly out, when they suddenly seemed to be held fast, and I stood there gradually getting drenched with perspiration."

"Why, the edge of the tilt must have caught them!" said Ingleborough excitedly.

"Yes, that's what I found to be the case, and by turning them over again they came free, and I was standing by the wheel with what we wanted."

"Hah!" sighed Ingleborough.

"But even then I had a chill, for the snoring ceased and the sleeper began to mutter, taking all the strength out of me, till I felt that even if he or they beneath the wagon should rouse up I could escape through the darkness if I was quick."

"So you slung the rifles and bandoliers over your shoulders, went down on your hands and knees, and crept back?"

"No, I did not. I felt that there was not time, and that I had better trust to the darkness to escape, so I just shouldered the pieces and stepped out boldly walking across the broad path of light."

"Good; but you should have struck off to your right, so as to get where it would be more feeble."

"I thought of that," said West quickly; "but I dared not, for fear of missing our wagon. So I walked boldly on, and almost ran against a Boer."

"Tut-tut-tut! Did he stop you?"

"No: he just said: 'Mind where you are coming!' and passed on."

"Well?" said Ingleborough.

"That's all. I marched along to the wagon here and stood the rifles up before venturing to get in, for I fancied that you were talking in your sleep and would bring the sentry upon us. There, I've got the arms, and I don't want such another job as that."

"Pooh! Nonsense, lad! The game has only just begun! You ought to feel encouraged, for you have learned and taught me how easy the rest of our job will be! Just a little cool pluck, and we shall succeed!"

"Very well!" said West. "I'm ready! What next?"

"We must lie down and wait till we hear the commando on the stir, and then--"

"Yes," said West softly; "and then?"

"Let's wait and see!" _

Read next: Chapter 21. Everything Comes To The Man Who Waits

Read previous: Chapter 19. The Sky Clears

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