"He is hit in the arm or shoulder, but he
knew if he moved he would be hit again to a certainty."
"But where are you hurt?"
"In the calf of my leg."
"It is lucky for you," the Boer said, "that I stumbled just as I fired.
Now, get up and I will carry you across the drift."
They helped him up, and the other assisted him on to his shoulders. The
man's clothes were wet.
[Illustration: "WITH A SHOUT OF TRIUMPH THE TWO BOERS RAN DOWN."]
"Did you swim the river?" Chris asked.
"No, there is a drift a mile lower down. It is a bad one, but we managed
to get across. We knew that you were alone, and as you seemed determined
to remain here, we made sure of getting you."
As they came near to Sankey, Chris called out, "You can get up, Sankey;
they have beaten us."
"I am very glad to hear your voice," Sankey replied as he raised himself
into a sitting position. "When I heard that shot behind me I made sure
it was all up with you. Where are you hit?"
"Only in my calf. Luckily this gentleman who is carrying me stumbled
just as he fired, and I got the ball there instead of through my head.
It serves me right for not having thought before that some of them might
cross somewhere else and take us in rear. Well, it can't be helped; it
might have been a good deal worse.
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