Chapter XXXII
A huddled mass of fugitives—men, women, children, horses, cattle—crowded together in the dry bed of a river, seeking shelter amongst rocks and boulders and under shelving banks, subjected continually to a hurricane of shot and shell, choked by the fumes of the exploding Lyddite, poisoned by the stench of blood, saturated all through with the indescribable odour of death. Somewhere in its midst, caged like a rat, but still sulkily defiant, the peasant general fingered his switch as he looked this way and that and saw no further chance of escape. In the distance, calmly waiting the inevitable end, the little man with the weather-beaten face and the grey moustaches listened to the never-ceasing roar of his cannon demanding insistently the word of surrender that must needs come.
Saxonstowe, lying on a waterproof sheet on the floor of his tent, was writing on a board propped up in front of him. All that he wrote was by way of expressing his wonder, over and over again, that Cronje should hold out so long against the hell of fire which was playing in and around his last refuge. He was trying to realise what must be going on in the river bed, and the thought made him sick. Near him, writing on an upturned box, was another special correspondent who shared the tent with him; outside, polishing tin pannikins because he had nothing else to do, was a Cockney lad whom these two had picked up in Ladysmith and had attached as body-servant. He was always willing and always cheerful, and had a trick of singing snatches of popular songs in a desultory and disconnected way. His raucous voice came to them under the booming of the guns.
‘Ow, ’ee’s little but ’ee’s wise,
’Ee’s a terror for ’is size,
An’ ’ee does not hadvertise:
Do yer, Bobs?’
‘What a voice that chap has!’ said Saxonstowe’s companion. ‘It’s like a wheel that hasn’t been oiled for months!’
‘Will yer kindly put a penny in my little tambourine,
For a gentleman in khaki ordered sou-outh?’
chanted the polisher of tin pans.
‘They have a saying in Yorkshire,’ remarked Saxonstowe, ‘to the effect that it’s a poor heart that never rejoices.’
‘This chap must have a good ’un, then,’ said the other. Give us a pipeful of tobacco, will you, Saxonstowe? Lord! will those guns never stop?’
‘For the colonel’s lady and Judy O’Grady,
Are sisters hunder their skins,’
sang the henchman.
‘Will our vocalist never stop?’ said Saxonstowe, handing over his pouch. ‘He seems as unconcerned as if he were on a Bank Holiday.’
‘We wos as ’appy as could be, that dye,
Dahn at the Welsh ’Arp, which is ’Endon—’
The raucous voice broke off suddenly; the close-cropped Cockney head showed at the open flap of the tent.
‘Beg pardon, sir,’ said the Cockney voice, ‘but I fink there’s somethin’ ’appened, sir—guns is dyin’ orf, sir.’
Saxonstowe and his fellow scribe sprang to their feet. The roar of the cannon was dying gradually away, and it suddenly gave place to a strange and an awful silence.
Saxonstowe walked hither and thither about the bed of the river, turning his head jerkily to right and left.
‘It’s a shambles!—a shambles!—a shambles!’ he kept repeating. He shook his head and then his body as if he wanted to shake off the impression that was fast stamping itself ineffaceably upon him. ‘A shambles!’ he said again.
He pulled himself together and looked around him. It seemed to him that earth and sky were blotted out in blood and fire, and that the smell of death had wrapped him so closely that he would never breathe freely again. Dead and dying men were everywhere. Near him rose a pile of what appeared to be freshly slaughtered meat—it was merely the result of the bursting of a Lyddite shell amongst a span of oxen. Near him, too, stood a girl, young, not uncomely, with a bullet-wound showing in her white bosom from which she had just torn the bodice away; at his feet, amongst the boulders, were twisted, strange, grotesque shapes that had once been human bodies.
‘There’s a chap here that looks like an Englishman,’ said a voice behind him.
Saxonstowe turned, and found the man who shared his tent standing at his elbow, and pointed to a body stretched out a yard or two away—the body of a well-formed man who had fallen on his side, shot through the heart. He lay as if asleep, his face half hidden in his arm-pit; near him, within reach of the nerveless fingers that had torn out a divot of turf in his last moment’s spasmodic feeling for something to clutch at, lay his rifle: round his rough serge jacket was clasped a bandolier well stored with cartridges. His broad-brimmed hat had fallen off, and half his face, very white and statuesque in death, caught the sunlight that straggled fitfully through the smoke-clouds which still curled over the bed of the river.
‘Looks like an Englishman,’ repeated the special correspondent. ‘Look at his hands, too—he hasn’t handled a rifle very long, I’m thinking.’
Saxonstowe glanced at the body with perfunctory interest—there were so many dead men lying all about him. Something in the dead man’s face woke a chord in his memory: he went nearer and bent over him. His brain was sick and dizzy with the horrors of the blood and the stink of the slaughter. He stood up again, and winked his eyes rapidly.
‘No, no!’ he heard himself saying. ‘No! It can’t be—of course it can’t be. What should Lucian be doing here? Of course it’s not he—it’s mere imagination—mere im-ag-in-a-tion!’
‘Here, hold up, old chap!’ said his companion, pulling out a flask. ‘Take a nip of that. Better? Hallo—what’s going on there?’
He stepped on a boulder and gazed in the direction of a wagon round which some commotion was evident. Saxonstowe, without another glance at the dead man, stepped up beside him.
He saw a roughly built, rugged-faced man, wrapped in a much-worn overcoat that had grown green with age, stepping out across the plain, swishing at the herbage with a switch which jerked nervously in his hand. At his side strode a muscular-looking woman, hard of feature, brown of skin—a peasant wife in a faded skirt and a crumpled sun-bonnet. Near them marched a tall British officer in khaki; other Boers and British, a group of curious contrasts, hedged them round.
‘That’s Cronje,’ said the special correspondent, as he stepped down from the boulder. ‘Well, it’s over, thank God!’
The conquered was on his way to the conqueror.
COLLINS’ POPULAR NOVELS
BY FOREMOST WRITERS OF THE DAY
Complete List of Titles
| 4. | These Charming People | MICHAEL ARLEN |
| 5. | Piracy | MICHAEL ARLEN |
| 6. | The Romantic Lady | MICHAEL ARLEN |
| 30. | The Green Hat | MICHAEL ARLEN |
| 70. | May Fair | MICHAEL ARLEN |
| 139. | Claire and Circumstances | E. MARIA ALBANESI |
| 176. | The Moon Thro’ Glass | E. MARIA ALBANESI |
| 85. | The Splendour of Asia | L. ADAMS BECK |
| 27. | The Treasure of Ho | L. ADAMS BECK |
| 37. | The Way of Stars | L. ADAMS BECK |
| 117. | The Decoy | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 86. | The Tapestry | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 87. | Unity | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 88. | Love’s Pilgrim | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 24. | The Monkey Puzzle | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 39. | That Kind of Man | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 138. | All or Nothing | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 118. | Wild Grapes | PHYLLIS BOTTOME |
| 89. | The Belated Reckoning | PHYLLIS BOTTOME |
| 36. | Old Wine | PHYLLIS BOTTOME |
| 69. | The Kingfisher | PHYLLIS BOTTOME |
| 150. | Strange Fruit | PHYLLIS BOTTOME |
| 64. | Experience | CATHERINE COTTON |
| 96. | A Gay Lover | RUTHERFORD CROCKETT |
| 97. | Safety Last | RUTHERFORD CROCKETT |
| 1. | The Return | WALTER DE LA MARE |
| 3. | Memoirs of a Midget | WALTER DE LA MARE |
| 135. | Brighton Beach | MRS. HENRY DUDENEY |
| 162. | Fair Lady | MAY EDGINTON |
| 167. | Life Isn’t so Bad | MAY EDGINTON |
| 14. | The Foolish Lovers | ST. JOHN ERVINE |
| 129. | The Wayward Man | ST. JOHN ERVINE |
| 166. | Martin Pippin | ELEANOR FARJEON |
| 170. | Kaleidoscope | ELEANOR FARJEON |
COLLINS’ POPULAR NOVELS
Complete List of 3/6 Titles—continued
| 120. | Deep Currents | A. FIELDING |
| 173. | Lucian the Dreamer | J. S. FLETCHER |
| 33. | The Crater | ROBERT GORE-BROWNE |
| 172. | An Imperfect Lover | ROBERT GORE-BROWNE |
| 67. | My Lady of the Chimney Corner | DR. ALEXANDER IRVINE |
| 68. | The Souls of Poor Folk | DR. ALEXANDER IRVINE |
| 98. | Told by an Idiot | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 99. | Mystery at Geneva | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 100. | Potterism | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 8. | Dangerous Ages | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 7. | Orphan Island | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 52. | Crewe Train | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 149. | Keeping Up Appearances | ROSE MACAULAY |
| 134. | Patrol | PHILIP MACDONALD |
| 121. | Soldier Born | CONAL O’RIORDAN |
| 11. | Adam of Dublin | CONAL O’RIORDAN |
| 12. | Adam and Caroline | CONAL O’RIORDAN |
| 35. | In London | CONAL O’RIORDAN |
| 43. | Married Life | CONAL O’RIORDAN |
| 153. | Soldier of Waterloo | CONAL O’RIORDAN |
| 9. | Sayonara | JOHN PARIS |
| 10. | Kimono | JOHN PARIS |
| 33. | Banzai | JOHN PARIS |
| 163. | A Man Beguiled | RALPH RODD |
| 122. | The Bride’s Prelude | MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK |
| 103. | London Mixture | MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK |
| 104. | Humming Bird | MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK |
| 53. | Sack and Sugar | MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK |
| 63. | None-Go-By | MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK |
| 161. | Come-by-Chance | MRS. ALFRED SIDGWICK |
| 95. | Haroun of London | KATHARINE TYNAN |
| 145. | The Respectable | Lady KATHARINE TYNAN |
| 171. | Lover of Women | KATHARINE TYNAN |
| 119. | Greenlow | ROMER WILSON |
| 42. | The Death of Society | ROMER WILSON |
| 130. | Irene in the Centre | HANNAH YATES |
| 158. | Dim Star | HANNAH YATES |
COLLINS’ POPULAR NOVELS
BY FOREMOST WRITERS OF THE DAY
Complete List of Titles
Detective Novels
| 155. | The Instrument of Destiny | J. D. BERESFORD |
| 147. | The Silk Stocking Murders | A. BERKELEY |
| 143. | The Slip Carriage Mystery | LYNN BROCK |
| 108. | The Big Four | AGATHA CHRISTIE |
| 40. | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | AGATHA CHRISTIE |
| 137. | The Mystery of the Blue Train | AGATHA CHRISTIE |
| 148. | The Man from the River | G. D. H. AND M. COLE |
| 174. | Superintendent Wilson’s Holiday | G. D. H. AND M. COLE |
| 105. | Inspector French and the Starvel Tragedy | FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS |
| 44. | Inspector French and the Cheyne Mystery | FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS |
| 51. | The Groote Park Murder | FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS |
| 133. | The Dalehouse Murder | FRANCIS EVERTON |
| 142. | The Net Around Joan Ingilby | A. FIELDING |
| 19. | The Diamonds | J. S. FLETCHER |
| 144. | The Golden Venture | J. S. FLETCHER |
| 141. | The Time-Worn Town | A. FIELDING |
| 152. | The Ravenswood Mystery | J. S. FLETCHER |
| 132. | Queen of Clubs | HULBERT FOOTNER |
| 127. | The Murder of an M.P. | ROBERT GORE-BROWNE |
| 156. | The Murder of Mrs. Davenport | ANTHONY GILBERT |
| 128. | The Tragedy at Freyne | ANTHONY GILBERT |
| 164. | The White Crow | PHILIP MACDONALD |
| 177. | The Rasp | PHILIP MACDONALD |
| 168. | Without Judge or Jury | RALPH RODD |
COLLINS’ POPULAR NOVELS
BY FOREMOST WRITERS OF THE DAY
Wild West Novels
| 123. | The Desert Girl | ROBERT AMES BENNET |
| 124. | The Two-Gun Girl | ROBERT AMES BENNET |
| 136. | The Cow Country Killers | ROBERT AMES BENNET |
| 151. | Ken of the Cow Country | ROBERT AMES BENNET |
| 165. | Deep Canyon | ROBERT AMES BENNET |
| 178. | The Mystery of the Four Abreast | COURTNEY RYLEY COOPER |
| 154. | Bird of Freedom | HUGH PENDEXTER |
| 140. | The Boss of the Double E | FRANK C. ROBERTSON |
| 157. | The Boss of the Ten Mile Basin | FRANK C. ROBERTSON |
| 146. | The Boss of the Flying M | FRANK C. ROBERTSON |
| 175. | The Hidden Cabin | FRANK C. ROBERTSON |
| 179. | The Far Horizon | FRANK C. ROBERTSON |
| 131. | The Corral Riders | CHARLES WESLEY SANDERS |
| 169. | The Crimson Trail | CHARLES WESLEY SANDERS |
| 126. | Hashknife of the Canyon Trail | W. C. TUTTLE |
| 111. | Hashknife of the Double Bar 8 | W. C. TUTTLE |
| 112. | Hashknife Lends a Hand | W. C. TUTTLE |
| 82. | Sun-Dog Loot | W. C. TUTTLE |
| 83. | Rustlers’ Roost | W. C. TUTTLE |
| 84. | The Dead-Line | W. C. TUTTLE |
COLLINS’ POPULAR NOVELS
BY FOREMOST WRITERS OF THE DAY
2/6
Complete List of Titles
| 129. | Ghost Stones | MICHAEL ARLEN |
| 133. | The White in the Black | E. MARIA ALBANESI |
| 61. | Roseanne | E. MARIA ALBANESI |
| 116. | Sally in Her Alley | E. MARIA ALBANESI |
| 160. | Seed Pods | MRS. HENRY DUDENEY |
| 131. | Quince Alley | MRS. HENRY DUDENEY |
| 132. | Beanstalk | MRS. HENRY DUDENEY |
| 103. | The Finger Post | MRS. HENRY DUDENEY |
| 169. | Trilby | GEORGE DU MAURIER |
| 134. | The Allbright Family | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 56. | Big Peter | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 74. | Pippin | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 99. | The Graftons | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 110. | Anthony Dare | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 127. | The Education of Anthony Dare | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 159. | That Island | ARCHIBALD MARSHALL |
| 163. | Woman’s Way | RALPH RODD |
| 166. | The Whipping Girl | RALPH RODD |
| 137. | Treasure Island | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 138. | The Black Arrow | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 139. | Catriona | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 140. | Kidnapped | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 141. | The Master of Ballantrae | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 142. | The Dynamiter | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 157. | Prince Otto | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 165. | New Arabian Nights | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 168. | Island Nights’ Entertainments | ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON |
| 135. | Men Like Gods | H. G. WELLS |
COLLINS’ POPULAR NOVELS
BY FOREMOST WRITERS OF THE DAY
2/6
Complete List of Titles—continued
| 136. | God, the Invisible King | H. G. WELLS |
| 16. | The Passionate Friends | H. G. WELLS |
| 18. | Tales of the Unexpected | H. G. WELLS |
| 21. | The Research Magnificent | H. G. WELLS |
| 27. | The First Men in the Moon | H. G. WELLS |
| 33. | Tales of Life and Adventure | H. G. WELLS |
| 38. | Marriage | H. G. WELLS |
| 43. | In the Days of the Comet | H. G. WELLS |
| 51. | Tales of Wonder | H. G. WELLS |
| 59. | The Food of the Gods | H. G. WELLS |
| 68. | Tono-Bungay | H. G. WELLS |
| 72. | The History of Mr. Polly | H. G. WELLS |
| 75. | Kipps | H. G. WELLS |
| 79. | Love and Mr. Lewisham | H. G. WELLS |
| 89. | The War in the Air | H. G. WELLS |
| 92. | The World Set Free | H. G. WELLS |
| 106. | A Modern Utopia | H. G. WELLS |
| 109. | The Sleeper Awakes | H. G. WELLS |
| 111. | The Invisible Man | H. G. WELLS |
| 118. | The New Machiavelli | H. G. WELLS |
| 122. | The Secret Places of the Heart | H. G. WELLS |
| 153. | Mr Britling | H. G. WELLS |
| 156. | The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman | H. G. WELLS |
| 154. | More Salty | CHARLES WESTRON |
| 112. | Cold Harbour | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |
| 130. | The Black Diamond | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |
| 25. | The Young Physician | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |
| 81. | Pilgrim’s Rest | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |
| 91. | Woodsmoke | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |
| 123. | The Dark Tower | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |
| 105. | The Crescent Moor | FRANCIS BRETT YOUNG |