"The fellows may be some distance away already," he said, "as they may
have slipped off directly they discharged their rifles. In any case
there is no time to be lost in getting hold of their ponies, or at any
rate in driving them off."
As two or three minutes again passed without a shot being fired by the
Boers, Chris was in the act of calling off half the troop to watch the
donga and fire at the Boers if they saw them running past the exposed
points, when at this moment he heard the horses returning, and directly
afterwards one of the lads he had sent off ran up to him.
"There are a whole lot of them coming round the other side," he said,
"sixty or seventy of them at least. Some distance behind I can see a lot
of cattle and waggons. I suppose they were making for home when they
heard the firing." Just at this moment two or three shots rang out,
telling that the surviving Boers were seen running down the donga.
"Never mind them," Chris shouted; "we are going to be attacked by a big
party. Put down your rifles all of you, and pile the stones on the
crest, so as to make a shelter, as quickly as you can. We shall have a
few minutes. Those who are coming up can't know yet what the firing
means." He ran up to the top.
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